Prohibition of artificial hypoxic environments in sports: health risks rather than ethics

There is actual debate on a recent position of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which has cautiously refrained from banning hypoxic tents and intends to monitor their health risk. Regardless of teleological and deontological concepts, we highlight that the health risks inherent to the widespread use of these artificial performance-enhancing devices would make them as unsafe as other forms of blood doping.

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Blood doping and its detection

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2011-02-303271 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 118 (9) ◽

pp. 2395-2404 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

Wolfgang Jelkmann ◽

Carsten Lundby

Keyword(s):

Maximal Exercise ◽

Red Blood Cell Transfusion ◽

Blood Doping ◽

Clinical Disorders ◽

The World ◽

Key Factor ◽

World Anti Doping Agency ◽

Hemoglobin Mass ◽

Maximal Exercise Capacity ◽

Blood Profiles

AbstractHemoglobin mass is a key factor for maximal exercise capacity. Some athletes apply prohibited techniques and substances with intent to increase hemoglobin mass and physical performance, and this is often difficult to prove directly. Autologous red blood cell transfusion cannot be traced on reinfusion, and also recombinant erythropoietic proteins are detectable only within a certain timeframe. Novel erythropoietic substances, such as mimetics of erythropoietin (Epo) and activators of the Epo gene, may soon enter the sports scene. In addition, Epo gene transfer maneuvers are imaginable. Effective since December 2009, the World Anti-Doping Agency has therefore implemented “Athlete Biologic Passport Operating Guidelines,” which are based on the monitoring of several parameters for mature red blood cells and reticulocytes. Blood doping may be assumed, when these parameters change in a nonphysiologic way. Hematologists should be familiar with blood doping practices as they may play an important role in evaluating blood profiles of athletes with respect to manipulations, as contrasted with the established diagnosis of clinical disorders and genetic variations.

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Nutritional supplements: prevalence of use and contamination with doping agents

Nutrition Research Reviews ◽

10.1079/nrr2006122 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 147-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

W Van Thuyne ◽

P Van Eenoo ◽

F. T Delbeke

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Dietary Supplements ◽

Health Risks ◽

Elite Athletes ◽

Anabolic Steroids ◽

Nutritional Supplements ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

The World ◽

World Anti Doping Agency ◽

Herbal Formulations

AbstractBased upon recent sales numbers, nutritional supplements play a key role in the lifestyle of a substantial proportion of the population. As well as products such as vitamins or minerals, several precursors of anabolic steroids are marketed as nutritional supplements. Another group of commercially available supplements are products for weight loss based upon herbal formulations originating fromEphedraspecies. Apart from supplements indicating the presence of these active compounds, numerous non-hormonal nutritional supplements were found that were contaminated with non-labelled anabolic steroids. Stimulating agents other than naturally occurring analogues of ephedrine were detected. A major group using dietary supplements are sportsmen, ranging from amateur level to elite athletes. Besides the possible health risks associated with the use of dietary supplements, athletes should take care not to violate the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency because athletes remain responsible for substances detected in their biofluids, irrespective of their origin. Several analytical methods have been developed to determine the presence of doping agents as contaminants. The present review attempts to address the issues concerning the use of nutritional supplements and the detection of doping agents as contaminants in dietary supplements.

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Are They Bloody Guilty? Blood Doping with Simulated Samples

The American Biology Teacher ◽

10.1525/abt.2014.76.5.6 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 76 (5) ◽

pp. 328-332

Author(s):

Parker E. Stuart ◽

Kelsey D. Lees ◽

Mark A. Milanick

Keyword(s):

News Coverage ◽

Testing Procedure ◽

Grocery Store ◽

Blood Doping ◽

Detection Techniques ◽

Real World Problem ◽

The World ◽

World Anti Doping Agency ◽

Blood And Urine Samples ◽

Olympic Athlete

In this practice-based lab, students are provided with four Olympic athlete profiles and simulated blood and urine samples to test for illegal substances and blood-doping practices. Throughout the course of the lab, students design and conduct a testing procedure and use their results to determine which athletes won their medals fairly. All of the materials, which simulate the blood, urine, and testing compounds, are available at the grocery store. This real-world problem engages students to think about blood doping, hormones associated with red-blood-cell production, and detection techniques employed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Olympics, as well as the news coverage of Lance Armstrong’s admission to blood doping in 2013, makes this lab more relevant to students’ lives, which is supported by our students’ reactions to the lab.

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An Abductive Inference Approach to Assess the Performance-Enhancing Effects of Drugs Included on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List

Sports Medicine ◽

10.1007/s40279-021-01450-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Andreas Breenfeldt Andersen ◽

Glenn A. Jacobson ◽

Jacob Bejder ◽

Dino Premilovac ◽

Stephen M. Richards ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Abductive Inference ◽

The World ◽

World Anti Doping Agency ◽

Performance Enhancing

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No standarisation or harmonisation in anti-doping testing frequency

BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine ◽

10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000793 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. e000739

Author(s):

Bill Cuddihy

Keyword(s):

Testing Frequency ◽

The World ◽

World Anti Doping Agency ◽

Performance Enhancing Drugs ◽

Performance Enhancing

The use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) has undermined the credibility of sports for many years, with cycling and athletics, especially badly hit. The World Anti-Doping Agency has been tasked with leading the fight against the use of PEDs in sport and has been largely successful in achieving standardisation and harmonisation in terms of rules and regulations but has not addressed the question of testing frequency to any meaningful extent. This study, which focuses on athletics, shows vast differences in testing rates around the world with some of the most successful countries in athletics doing very little testing compared to many other countries.

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The Cardiac Effects of Performance-Enhancing Medications: Caffeine vs. Anabolic Steroids

10.20944/preprints202012.0559.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sanjay Sivalokanathan ◽

Łukasz Małek ◽

Aneil Malhotra

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Anabolic Steroids ◽

Muscle Growth ◽

Cardiovascular Effects ◽

The World ◽

World Anti Doping Agency ◽

Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽

Performance Enhancing Drugs ◽

The Individual ◽

Performance Enhancing

Several performance-enhancing or ergogenic drugs have been linked to both significant adverse cardiovascular effects and increased cardiovascular risk. Even with increased scrutiny on the governance of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in professional sport and heightened awareness of the associated cardiovascular risk, there are some who are prepared to risk their use to gain competitive advantage. Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world and its ergogenic properties have been reported for decades. Thus, the removal of caffeine from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances, in 2004, has naturally led to an exponential rise in its use amongst athletes. The response to caffeine is complex and influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Whilst the evidence may be equivocal, the ability of an athlete to train longer or at a greater power output cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, its impact on the myocardium remains unanswered. In contrast, anabolic steroids are recognised PEDs that improve athletic performance, increase muscle growth and suppress fatigue. Their use, however, comes at a cost, afflicting the individual with several side effects, including those that are detrimental to the cardiovascular system. This review addresses the effects of the two commonest PEDs, one legal, the other prohibited, and their respective effects on the heart, as well as the long-term implications.

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Anthropogenic nitrate in groundwater and its health risks in the view of background concentration in a semi arid area of Rajasthan, India

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-88600-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Abdur Rahman ◽

N. C. Mondal ◽

K. K. Tiwari

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Risks ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Probabilistic Approach ◽

Hazard Index ◽

Arid Area ◽

Oral Exposure ◽

Background Concentration ◽

Semi Arid

AbstractAn increased nitrate (NO3−) concentration in groundwater has been a rising issue on a global scale in recent years. Different consumption mechanisms clearly illustrate the adverse effects on human health. The goal of this present study is to assess the natural and anthropogenic NO3− concentrations in groundwater in a semi arid area of Rajasthan and its related risks to human health in the different groups of ages such as children, males, and females. We have found that most of the samples (n = 90) were influenced by anthropogenic activities. The background level of NO3− had been estimated as 7.2 mg/L using a probabilistic approach. About 93% of nitrate samples exceeded the background limit, while 28% of the samples were beyond the permissible limit of 45 mg/L as per the BIS limits. The results show that the oral exposure of nitrate was very high as compare to dermal contact. With regard to the non-carcinogenic health risk, the total Hazard Index (HITotal) values of groundwater nitrate were an average of 0.895 for males, 1.058 for females, and 1.214 for children. The nitrate health risk assessment shows that about 38%, 46%, and 49% of the samples constitute the non-carcinogenic health risk to males, females, and children, respectively. Children were found to be more prone to health risks due to the potential exposure to groundwater nitrate.

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The effectiveness of the World Anti-Doping Agency: developing a framework for analysis

International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics ◽

10.1080/19406940.2018.1534257 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 203-217 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Barrie Houlihan ◽

Dag Vidar Hanstad

Keyword(s):

The World ◽

World Anti Doping Agency

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A Review of Dengue’s Historical and Future Health Risk from a Changing Climate

Current Environmental Health Reports ◽

10.1007/s40572-021-00322-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sutyajeet Soneja ◽

Gina Tsarouchi ◽

Darren Lumbroso ◽

Dao Khanh Tung

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Health Risk ◽

Dengue Infection ◽

Future Health ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Lag Effects ◽

Risk Estimates ◽

The World ◽

The Relationship ◽

Research And Policy

Abstract Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to summarize research articles that provide risk estimates for the historical and future impact that climate change has had upon dengue published from 2007 through 2019. Recent findings Findings from 30 studies on historical health estimates, with the majority of the studies conducted in Asia, emphasized the importance of temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity, as well as lag effects, when trying to understand how climate change can impact the risk of contracting dengue. Furthermore, 35 studies presented findings on future health risk based upon climate projection scenarios, with a third of them showcasing global level estimates and findings across the articles emphasizing the need to understand risk at a localized level as the impacts from climate change will be experienced inequitably across different geographies in the future. Summary Dengue is one of the most rapidly spreading viral diseases in the world, with ~390 million people infected worldwide annually. Several factors have contributed towards its proliferation, including climate change. Multiple studies have previously been conducted examining the relationship between dengue and climate change, both from a historical and a future risk perspective. We searched the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEHS) Climate Change and Health Portal for literature (spanning January 2007 to September 2019) providing historical and future health risk estimates of contracting dengue infection in relation to climate variables worldwide. With an overview of the evidence of the historical and future health risk posed by dengue from climate change across different regions of the world, this review article enables the research and policy community to understand where the knowledge gaps are and what areas need to be addressed in order to implement localized adaptation measures to mitigate the health risks posed by future dengue infection.

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