10.

5 CONCEPT AND CLASSIFICATION OF DOPING uicLa, hn Aal nd

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Doping is not new to the people. In ancient Greece, there were specialists who used to
offer athletes nutritional ingredients in order to enhance their physical performance
Those specialists may be compared to the current sports medicine specialists. During the
Olympic Games in the 3 BCE, the athletes tried to increase their sports performance by
taking mushrooms and opium. In 1 CE, the Greek runners used to drink a herbal beverage
to increase their strength and become capable to run long distance races. Gladiators are
also reported to use various substances for enhancing strength. In the modern era, the use
of performance-enhancing substances and techniques by the top sportspersons across the
world has been a persistent issue in the world of sports for nearly four decades. Since the
 SLave oY copa

beginning of the 21st century, many athletes have been engaged in taking such substances.
Some of them have been tested positive such as Tim Montgomery, Marion Jones, swimmer
Michael Phelps, etc.
Concept of Doping
Doping is the word used in the field of sports, to refer to the situation when athletes
use prohibited substances or methods to
unfairly improve their sporting performance
In general terms, doping is the use of performance enhancing substances or methods by
athletes to
gain an advantage over their competitors. In fact, some athletes take illegal
substances to enhance their performance. This
activity is known as 'doping.
in
Doping sports is the deliberate or inadvertent
use by an athlete of a
substance or method
banned by the International Olympic
Committee. In fact, the ban or prohibition on
such substances is necessary to
protect the
athletes from the unfair advantage which may
be gained by those athletes who use
prohibited
substances or methods to enhance their
performance and also from the possible harmful
side effects which these substances or methods
can produce. The following definitions of
doping Substances that harm athletes-Doping
may help in understanding its exact meaning:
According to International Olympic Committee, Doping is the use of any method or
substance that might harm the athlete, in a quest to gain an unfair advantage, over his/her
fellow competitors, "In fact, doping is the use of prohibited substances or methods designed
to enhance an athlete's physical or mental abilities or to mask the use of such substances
or methods during preparation for or participation in a sports competition.
According to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), "Doping is defined as the occurrence
ofone or more of the anti-doping rule violations set forth in Article 2.1 through Article 2.8
of the code."
We oftenthink of doping as being the use of a prohibited (banned) substance, but breaking
other anti-doping rules is also considered doping. In the code, doping is defined as the
breaking of one or more of the following anti-doping rules:
1. Presence of a prohibited substance or method.
2. Use or attempt to use a prohibited substance or method.
3. Refusing to submit sample collection after being notified.
4. Failure to file athlete's whereabouts after being notified.
5. Tampering with any part of the doping control process.
6. Possession of a prohibited substance or method.
7. Trafficking a prohibited substance or method.
8. Administering or attempting to administer a prohibited substance or method
to an athlete.
 substance or metho
not only using a prohibited thod t
n ract, it is very clear that doping is or m o r e anti-doping rule/sl
enhance the sports performance but breaking
any one
les is
also included under doping.
refers to the use of a pertormance enhancing substan.
Hence, it can be concluded that doping ance
or method that is not approved by
the law or violates the World Anti-Doping Code.
Classification of Doping
Doping can be classified into the following two types.
A. Performance enhancing substances
B. Physical methods
Performance Enhancing Substances

1. Stimulants: Stimulants are related to a

group of drugs that enhance
alertness and
physical activity by increasing heart and
breathingrates and the functions of the
brain. Indeed stimulants stimulate the
body both physically and mentally. They
improve the reaction time and reduce
the feeling of fatigue. They also increase
aggresS1on. Amphetamines, cocaine,
ephedrine and adrafinil are commonly used
stimulants by athletes. These are taken
Performance enhancing drugs
orally, by nasal spray and by injection.
2. Anabolie Steroids: Anabolic steroids stimulate the growth of muscles and
help athletes to train harder and recover rapidly. By increasing the muscle size
and strength, they enhance the performance in sports. Drostanolone, metenolone
and oxandrolone are common anabolic steroids. These are taken orally or by
intramuscular injection.
3. Peptide Hormones: Peptide hormones are substances that are produced by glands
in the body. These substances circulate in the blood. These can improve the growtn
of muscles, change the balance of other hormones and increase the production
of red blood cells, which increases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. These
hormones are prohibited in and out of competitions. Examples of such hormones are
erthropoietin, human growth hormones, insulin, etc.
4. Beta-2-Agonists: These drugs are generally used to treat asthma. So, drug is found
in asthma inhalers. These drugs relax the muscles that surround the airway ana
opening of the air passages. Indeed, these drugs allow more oxygen to reachthe blood.
Owing to the endurance that this drug provides, athletes usually take such drugs to
enhance the respiratory function, increase their capacity for strenuous efforts and
resistance and shorten recovery time. These drugs also stimulate the will to win
sports competition.
5. Narcotics: Narcoties are used to reduce or eliminate pain from injuries or allow
athletes to make persistent efforts for a longer time. If narcotics, such as morphin
heroin, pethidine, etc., are used in order to ignore injury, athletes obviously 1s
enduring further damage. Theseare also taken to reduce anxiety, which may helpi
competition.
enhancing sportS pertormance. These drugs are usually taken during
 6. Diuretics: Though diuretics are not perfortaance enhancing drugs, these are used
in sports to remove fuids from the body, particularly water. These are aBso taken to

reduce weight rapidly in weight lifting, boxing, wrestling, etc. These drugs
as also
are
taken to evade anti-doping tests as these remove the traces of other doping substances
from the body. Examples of diuretics are dextran, diuretics, etc. These are taken by
athletes in and out of competitions.
7. Glucocorticosteroids: These drugs relieve fatigue and pain. These ennalce
tolerance for pain and prepare the athletes to continue the efforts.
8. Cannabinoids: Cannabinoids are psychoactive chemicals that cause a feeling of
relaxation. Examples of cannabinoids are hashish and marijuana. Their use in
competition is banned.
Physical Methods
Physical methods include blood doping, chemical and gene doping.
1. Blood Doping: Blood doping is
defined by World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA) as the misuse of techniques
or substances to increase one's red
WORLD
blood cell count. Usually two units of
athlete's blood is taken some weeks
ANTI-DOPING
prior to competition. Then the blood is AGENCYY
frozen until one or two days before the
competition when it is injected into the
athlete. This is known as autologous blood doping. Homologous blood doping is the
injection of fresh blood, taken from a second person, straight into the athlete. By
increasing the number of red blood cells, the oxygen carrying capacity to the muscles
is increased, so the muscle endurance is increased which ultimately enhances the
sports performance.
Use of artificial oxygen carriers is also a second method of blood doping which involves
the use of artificial oxygen carriers. Haemoglobin oxygen carriers are chemicals
or purified proteins which have the ability to carry oxygen. These are helpful in
nhancing aerobic capacity.
2. Gene Doping: Gene doping is the manipulation STOP DOPING
of cells or genes to enhance the body's sports
performance. Modifying genes enables faster
reaction and increases physical strength.
Gene doping is based on the principles of
gene therapy. The process of gene doping is
likely to be used by athletes in future in an
attempt to enhance the function of normal
healthy cells. Gene therapy may play a vital1
role in future in the growth and development
of musculo-skeletal structures. It will speed up
the repair of the injuries of muscles, tendons,
ligaments, etc. Creating a drug-free environment