Non-Intentional Doping in Sports

Abstract

Compulsory drug testing was introduced in 1968 by the International Olympic Committee. Since then, several doping cases have been reported in sports competition world wide. Positive results are based on the detection of prohibited substances, their metabolites and markers in biological (mainly urine) samples supplied by athletes. In some cases, the evidences were not contested and athletes admitted the use of banned substances. However, in other cases, athletes denied the use of doping to enhance performance and claimed to have inadvertently or passively absorbed the drug. Unfortunately, no current accepted analytical method is capable of distinguishing between a sample from a cheater and one from an athlete who was passively exposed to a doping agent. Athletes' allegations have included the passive inhalation of drug smoke (e.g. marijuana) or the ingestion of food or products sold as nutritional supplements that contained prohibited substances. In the scientific literature, several studies have been performed to investigate the possibility of an accidental exposure being the reason for the appearance of detectable quantities of banned substances in urine samples. Based on these studies, this article discusses those cases where the athlete's claims could be possible in generating a positive result in doping control and in which circumstances it would be improbable to happen.

The continuing story of nutritional supplements and doping infractions: Table 1

“…In subsequent years, more and more studies were published that confirmed the hypothesis that supplements could indeed cause unintentional doping infractions 16 – 22. Other publications showed that unlabelled doping substances can be found in a variety of products23 – 26 and thoroughly discussed the risks for elite athletes 27 – 30…”

What if it really was an accident? The psychology of unintentional doping

“…A substantial number of medications, nutritional supplements, beverages and herbal products containing doping substances (reviewed by Yonamine et al 3) can be obtained from the internet, drug store or supermarket, without prescription. These products present a serious risk for athletes.…”

“…However athletes may dope unintentionally because they are not aware that food, drinks, supplements, or medications may contain doping substances 2 3. Therefore, one of the key antidoping strategies of WADA, apart from doping control, is to enhance athletes’ antidoping awareness and their capacity to avoid unintentional doping.…”

Epidemiological analysis of doping offences in the professional tennis circuit

“…Another issue of concern is the increasing number of "non-intentional" doping cases in sports [13,14]. Pluim [5] reported that 67.5% of doping cases in tennis at independent hearings accepted that there was no intent to enhance performance.…”