Doping in sport

What is doping? In competitive sports, doping is the use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs by athletic competitors. The term doping is widely used by organizations that regulate sporting competitions. The use of drugs to enhance performance is considered unethical, and therefore prohibited, by most international sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee. Furthermore, athletes (or athletic programs) taking explicit measures to evade detection exacerbate the ethical violation with overt deception and cheating. Brief history of doping The practice of using artificial means to enhance performance is as old as competitive sport itself. The ancient Greek athletes may have been the first to attempt this by using special diets and stimulating potions to fortify themselves for athletic performance. By the 1920s it had become evident that restrictions regarding drug use in sports were needed and in 1963, France was the first country to enact an anti-doping legislation. Other countries followed suit, but international cooperation in anti-doping affairs was long restricted to the Council of Europe. The ban on doping by some federations was ineffective as long as no tests were performed. In 1966 the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) were among the first international sports federations to introduce doping tests in their respective World Championships. Nevertheless, it took the death of a few athletes to draw public attention to the problem of doping and to highlight the need for an independent international agency that would set unified standards for anti-doping work. The International Olympic Committee took the initiative and convened the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Lausanne in February 1999. Following the proposal of the Conference, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established on 10 November 1999. At the plenary session on October 19, 2005, the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the World Anti-Doping Code as the 1st International Convention against Doping in Sport Why are they banned? There are three major reasons why these substances are banned. These are: Health Concerns - some drugs used by athletes can have serious effects on an individual’s health. e.g. Anabolic Steroids Ethical Concerns - The use of certain drugs which do not pose a major health risk, but may offer a performance advantage over other athletes. This may be considered cheating. e.g. Beta Blockers Legal Concerns - some drugs are banned because they are illegal in general society. e.g. Cocaine Why do performers take drugs? What Is Prohibited Substances and Methods Prohibited at All Times (In- And Out-Of-Competition) S0. Non-Approved Substances (Any pharmacological substance which is not addressed by any of the subsequent sections of the List and with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use (e.g drugs under pre-clinical or clinical development or discontinued, designer drugs, substances approved only for veterinary use) is prohibited at all times.) S1. Anabolic Agents S2. Peptide Hormones, and others S3. Beta-2 Agonists S4. Hormone and Metabolic Modulators S5. Diuretics and Masking Agents Prohibited Methods M1. Manipulation of Blood and Blood Components M2. Chemical and Physical Manipulation M3. Gene Doping Substances and Methods Prohibited In-Competition (In addition to the categories S0 to S5 and M1 to M3 defined above) S6. Stimulants S7. Narcotics S8. Cannabinoids S9. Glucocorticoids Substances Prohibited in Particular Sports P1. BETA-BLOCKERS Doping test types There are two types of doping tests: in-competition tests and out-of-competition tests. An athlete can be summoned to testing at anytime and anywhere, either in their home country or abroad. The athlete is invited in person. Doping sample types Doping tests consist of taking a urine sample or a blood sample or both. A blood sample does not replace a urine test, because it concerns primarily different substances and different methods. References https://www.wada-ama.org/ https://www.fifa.com/womensyoutholympic/news/y=2007/m=5/news=brief-history-doping-514062.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_in_sport https://www.suek.fi/web/en/doping-tests By Afandiyev R.