The use of doping in sport

The level of development of modern sport, they overload experienced by athletes, are so high that you cannot opt out of the use of drugs. Over the past 15-20 years, the volume and intensity of training and competitive pressures have increased by 2-3 times, and many sports athletes have come close to the limit of physiological functions. This vitamin and nutritional deficiency of many food athletes, the need for remedial and preventive measures, the adaptation of the body to serious physical and psycho-emotional stress, moving to different climatic conditions and time zones, as well as many other reasons, necessitates the use of pharmacological agents to provide a complete sports activities.

In professional sports was a paradoxical situation: on the one hand, the laws of show business, what has now become a big sports require athletes transcendent, beyond human capabilities, the results, on the other - athletes forbidden to accept funds that help the body to stand these crazy loads.

Prince Alexandre de Merode, the last chairman of the medical commission of the International Olympic Committee, said: "Unfortunately, the causes of doping due to the very nature of modern sport, turned into a sort of branch of the economy. Today, the victory is not only fame, but also a lot of money. Millions or even tens of millions, was at stake, dazzled, and few people can resist this temptation.

It is therefore not surprising that the slogan of victory at any cost today, many realize too literally. Sometimes, even parents blessing, and sometimes aggressively pushing their sports gifted children in this way. The considerable contribution to o make unhealthy environment and sports dealers. Having signed a contract with the athlete, they are in pursuit of profits deliberately forced him to take chemistry. Sometimes an athlete forced to act practically in all competitions of the year. But such a graph, in principle, it is impossible to survive without stimulants. "

With the "success of pharmacology" connect a number of achievements in sport: for example, jump world records in weightlifting heavyweight in the 1970s due to the use of steroids, and a dramatic improvement in the results of long-distance running in the 1990s - the use of erythropoietin.

According to estimates of the IOC doping uses at least one athlete out of ten. The survey among the athletes, spent in the United States, showed how serious this problem is. To the question "Would you agree to take the drug, which in three years will make you an Olympic champion, and in ten years - disabled" 80 percent of respondents answered positively.

Many researchers believe that sporting events, including Olympic Games, more and more turning into competitions pharmacists: some are looking for ways of doping detection, others are competing in the creation of new drugs and the development of application of the scheme, which allows to obtain a high sports results and hide the means to achieve it.

One of the leading scientists of the Australian Institute of Sport Robin Parisotto, who developed the test for erythropoietin (EPO), said in an interview with the AP, which invited the International Olympic Committee in addition to competitive samples during the Games to take samples from athletes at the EPO, and before the start of the Olympic Games in Athens.

In Sydney, athletes were tested for EPO, but during the Olympic tournament. As an example, Parisotto said that none of the 2758 samples taken then, including Olympic champion, did not give a positive result. But the Australian Institute of Sport Lab asked 310 athletes - participants of the Games to pass tests for EPO 17 days before the Olympic Games in Sydney. And all of them results in the EPO were positive. Of course, since the sampling was not legally binding, the names and nationality of these 310 athletes were not disclosed.

Detection of blood prohibited drugs can cost an athlete a medal. Therefore, the development of sports and developed methods of these preparations can be hidden.

Here are some of them:

• 1.The substitution analysis. When an athlete passes urine, it should pull the underwear below his knees and lift t-shirt or blouse so that the doctor, taking tests, could totally see the analysis process of delivery. Why is this done? There are many examples from the history of the sport when athletes are hidden containers with clean urine in the genitals, rectum, clothes, hair, etc. This was done with only one purpose - to then replace them during checks. Some even do surgery himself, setting himself catheters, let down to the container with clean urine ... In order to prevent such cases, the rules of the Olympic Games provided that the urine test is taken in athletes immediately after competition. They are not even allowed to take a shower.
• 2.Artificial change in the chemical composition analysis. Under the artificial change in the composition analysis is to be understood the deliberate addition of a sample analysis of substances that absorb or doping substances, or make them invisible to the reactants. This type of fraud is particularly prevalent doping commission at the time of passing urine. Athletes smeared fingers with various substances, starting with the usual lime to complex chemical compounds, and during delivery of analyzes ostensibly accidentally pass urine on the surface of the finger. Before getting into the special container doping substances contained in the urine react with substances that are deposited on the fingers, and it becomes more difficult to identify.
• 3.Hyper-hydration or the use of diuretics. Use of a liquid in large amounts in the same way as the application of diuretics, accelerate fluid withdrawal from the body, diluting the content of doping in urine to such an extent that it is practically impossible to distinguish. Diuretic drugs, which are often used by people with high blood pressure, are prohibited in competition, so their blood doping commission pays special attention. But, despite this, some athletes still manage to "get away".
• 4.The use of masking agents. Once in the blood, certain substances have the ability to "close" is to do the invisible presence of other substances, doping. The most famous of these substances is Epitestosterone. This substance is produced laboratory Bay Laboratory Cooperative. Identify the similar case of fraud is very difficult, because the hormone testosterone in the human body at all times. Doping Commission in such cases, looking at the amount of testosterone in the body of an athlete, and if it exceeds a certain proportion, the athlete falls under suspicion, and he offered to pass additional tests.
• 5.Another way to "fight against doping" is to record athletes 'sick', followed by an official resolution to take legal doping. The system works is very simple. There athlete taking analysis. While there are certain prohibited substances. Then look athlete medical certificate with the list of allowed him to receive sickness drugs included in the list of banned. These substances are subtracted from the analysis. If others do not, then the doping test - negative!

In Atlanta, these "patients" was a little bit more, then in Sydney one "asthma" it was already somewhere in the tenth part of all athletes. In Salt Lake City they have been more than half. People who need to have problems to climb to the second floor, won the gold medal.

By the way, about "asthmatics". The first record of its athletes in the "asthma" have come up with the Norwegians. Norway is now almost all cross-country skiers and biathletes, including the "great" Berndalen, "asthma". For Norwegians were "hurt" asthma Germans and representatives of other nations. As a result of the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City notorious asthma cost the Russians four (!) Gold medals.

Athlete himself and his representatives are usually denied deliberate doping and explain the positive doping test of the use of drugs for the disease, or food additives of unknown composition to them. During the announcement of the positive result of a doping - tests should be a long trial.

At the same time, it should be noted that the disqualification of the athlete gives significant advantages of its rivals, and sometimes just changing the list of winners. You can also like Phenotropil pills

So, in October 2007, there was a unique case - the famous American athlete Marion Jones pleaded guilty of doping at the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 and was stripped of all medals - three gold (100 and 200 m, relay race 4x400 m) and two bronze ! As a result, the Australian Olympics statistics have been numerous developments, including those which were touched Russian athletes Tatyana Kotova in the long jump became instead of Jones the owner of the "bronze", our women's team relay race 4x400 m instead of the "bronze" won "silver", and the team Russia in the total number of medals is very close to the United States. Despite the loss of five Americans have kept the first place.

Thus, the fight against doping and indeed opens up tremendous prospects for manipulation, even where there is no doping, it is possible to "find". So experts commented doping - tests Russian race skiers at the Olympics:

"Aranesp is modified EPO so that the molecule is several times longer than conventional EPO lives in the bloodstream. This is achieved by replacing two amino acid and two additional glycosylation sites. As a result, the blood circulates Aranesp 7-10 days. That is, for 7-10 days, can be detected in urine traces. This means that the positive test on February 21 in principle, can not stand alone among negative samples 8, 15 and 24 February, when Lazutina also took urine after race for EPO analysis. "

For many fans is the actual answer to the question "whether Russia is currently the subject of any special programs?"

Most researchers believe the problem that the international anti-Russian anti-doping lobby does not exist. At the same time there is a so-called target testing, when the anti-doping service check not everyone, but those should be checked. Targeted measures are always more effective as motives can be very different: bad sport, any suspicious information, medical speculation, etc.

In individual sports to Russia special attention, due to the recent doping scandals.

On the basis of data published on the official website of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has reported that in 2008, Russian athletes have passed the most in the world-of-competition dope - tests.

In total, the program is competitive IAAF control 697 athletes were tested in 2008. In 1823 697 athletes falls outside the competition test. 106 Out-athletes took control of four or five times, 46 athletes - six or seven times, 17 - eight times or more. Several athletes, whose names for ethical reasons can not be named, Out-handed control of a record number - 14 times.

Most non-competition samples in 2008 passed the Russian athletes - 181 test. In second place, Belarus - 148 samples in the third China - 126 samples.

The use of doping in sport has become so commonplace that when the next competitor comes on the use of illicit drugs, it does not cause a big surprise to the public.

But first doping incidents literally plunged into shock millions of fans. Take the story of the Ben Johnson that happened back in 1988 in Seoul Olympic. Legendary Canadian sprinter idol of millions, with the image of a knight athletics (remember Johnson's response to the aggressive statements of its chief rival Carl Lewis before the final race at 100 meters: "The track will judge us") convincingly won gold and broke the world record. But the next morning burst world scandal because of the news of his positive test for doping. In an instant hero turned into a pariah, he was stripped of all insignia and banned from the sport. After that, Ben was unable to rise again on the sports Olympus.

His sports career was reduced to the sprint heats race with the car.

Often, ordinary people pay serious attention to the problem only when incrimination athletes of doping lead to everyday tragedies. One of them took place with the Italian cyclist Marco Pantani nicknamed Pirate. After another disqualification, he first suffered terrible persecution by the media and fans yesterday, and then found himself in a terrible solitude. even the closest people have turned away from him. Plunged into depression Marco committed suicide. It was then, too late, and came a wave of sympathy.