Stanozolol, testestorone, nandrolone. Staples in the breakfast of so-called champions. Pratima Kumari was allegedly injected with hormones that increased her muscle bulk. Sanamacha Chanu used a banned diuretic to lose weight at Athens. Kunjarani Devi was banned for six months for popping a prohibited pill. Thodi si bas lift kara de: Presenting, the seamy side of sports.
What amounts to doping?
Use of performance enhancing drugs. The IOC issues a list of banned drugs every year. Under World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) rules, athletes can’t be possessing marijuana, and they can’t refuse a dope test. Running away from samples also amounts to doping. But Greek athletes Kenteris and Thanou who
evaded the test have curiously managed to escape a ban.
How widespread is it?
Those who’ve tested positive are not aberrations, says Ashok Rajgopal, specialist in sports medicine. “Sports and drugs go back a long way. Doping was very popular with East German and Czech athletes. Ben Johnson got caught, but even legends like Carl Lewis and Marion Jones have been under suspicion.”
What’s the method behind the madness?
Anabolic steroids are commonly abused, says senior physician J.L. Jain, official doctor of the Indian contingent at the Barcelona Olympics. “The commonest example is Stanozolol, sold in India as Neurabol. Steroids increase muscle mass in bodybuilders, sprinters, lifters and judokas. Testosterone is marketed as Sustanon or Testanon. The latest technique is to place patches or apply gels on the abdomen to raise testosterone levels gradually.”
What’s the detection tool?
An isotope ratio mass spectrometre determines if the high testosterone level in the body is natural.
What’s the detection tool?
An isotope ratio mass spectrometre determines if the high testosterone level in the body is natural.
Coach, coach hota hai?
Athletes frequently blame coaches. Ultimately, says Rajgopal, the responsibility for anything that goes into the body of an athlete has to be the athlete’s. But it can’t happen without the coach’s assent.
Pratima has accused coaches Singh and Taranenko
It’ll be unfair to pronounce her guilty before the results of the sample B test are out. She was sent back in a hush hush manner. The chef de mission, coach and doctors should given her the option of appearing before the appeal panel. She didn’t get a chance to either confess or contest before the hearing panel like Sunita Rani did in 2002.
What’s masking?
‘Masking’ is the use of one drug to cover the identity of another, so that the parent drug is not identified. Diuretics are important masking agents. They don’t show up in urine if taken up to 48 hours before testing. The idea is to reduce the concentration of drugs by increasing the urine production. The most popular diuretic is Lasix. Diuretics also help in rapid weight reduction. Athletes who want to compete in lower weight categories use them. Chanu’s is a case in point. Shane Warne too had taken a diuretic.