In May 2008 the Agenţia Naţională Anti-Doping (ANAD), the National Anti-Doping Agency of Romania, has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete Iosif Andrei Bartha after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance 19-norandrosterone (nandrolone).
Therefore on 2 July 2008 the ANAD Sanction Committee decides to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the decision.
In April 2008 the Agenţia Naţională Anti-Doping (ANAD), the National Anti-Doping Agency of Romania, has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete Nicolae Laurentiu Chircu after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance furosemide.
Therefore on 2 July 2008 the ANAD Sanction Committee decides to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the decision.
Rechtbank Utrecht
Sector civiel recht
July 2, 2008
557845 UC EXPL 08-1098 JS
ECLI:NL:RBUTR:2008:BD6001
Related cases:
Facts
Michael Rasmussen, the cyclist, appeals against his immediate dismissal from the RABO Wielerploegen (RABO team).
History
The cyclist didn't provide correctly his whereabouts data which is required as a member of the designated testing pool. Claiming he was in Mexico an Italian television commentator saw him in the Dolomites. RABO viewed this as evading doping controls and withdrew him from the race (Tour de France) and later terminated his contract. The immediate dismissal was not on the correct legal grounds, the time between the dismissal and reason for immediate dismissal was to long.
Decision
1. The immediate dismissal was illegal
2. The RABO team has to refund his remaining salary, compensation costs and immaterial damage. Also the interest over these costs has to be paid.
Long-term psychiatric and medical consequences of anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse : a looming public health concern? Gen Kanayama, James I. Hudson, Harrison G Pope Jr. - (Drug and Alcohol Dependence 98 (2008) 1-2 (1 November); p 1-12
Abstract
Background: The problem of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse has recently generated widespread public and media attention. Most AAS abusers, however, are not elite athletes like those portrayed in the media, and many are not competitive athletes at all. This larger but less visible population of ordinary AAS users began to emerge in about 1980. The senior members of this population are now entering middle age; they represent the leading wave of a new type of aging former substance abusers, with specific medical and psychiatric risks.
Methods: We reviewed the evolving literature on long-term psychiatric and medical consequences of AAS abuse.
Results: Long-term use of supraphysiologic doses of AAS may cause irreversible cardiovascular toxicity, especially atherosclerotic effects and cardiomyopathy. In other organ systems, evidence of persistent toxicity is more modest, and interestingly, there is little evidence for an increased risk of prostate cancer. High concentrations of AAS, comparable to those likely sustained by many AAS abusers, produce apoptotic effects on various cell types, including neuronal cells--raising the specter of possibly irreversible neuropsychiatric toxicity. Finally, AAS abuse appears to be associated with a range of potentially prolonged psychiatric effects, including dependence syndromes, mood syndromes, and progression to other forms of substance abuse. However, the prevalence and severity of these various effects remains poorly understood.
Conclusions: As the first large wave of former AAS users now moves into middle age, it will be important to obtain more systematic data on the long-term psychiatric and medical consequences of this form of substance abuse.
Muscle Dysmorphia, Self-esteem, and Loneliness among Gay and Bisexual Men / Michael P. Chaney. - (International Journal of Men's Health 7 (2008) 2 (Summer); p. 157-170)
Abstract
Although past research indicates gay and bisexual men are more concerned with muscularity than their heterosexual counterparts, studies investigating psychosocial factors contributing to muscle dysmorphia (MD) among gay and bisexual men are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-esteem, loneliness, and MD among gay and bisexual men. Participants (N = 304) completed the Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale (MASS), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-version 3). A relationship among self-esteem, loneliness, and MD was found. Gay and bisexual men who reported more symptoms of MD also reported lower self-esteem and increased feelings of loneliness, than men who reported fewer MD symptoms. Psychological and environmental variables associated with gay and bisexual men are explored to help explain these results. Implications for future MD research among other oppressed populations also are discussed.
Doping Test Results Dependent on Genotype of Uridine Diphospho-Glucuronosyl Transferase 2B17, the Major Enzyme for Testosterone Glucuronidation / Jenny Jakobsson Schulze, Jonas Lundmark, Mats Garle, Ilona Skilving, Lena Ekström, Anders Rane. - (The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 93 (2008) 7 (1 July)p. p. 2500-2506)
Abstract
Context: Testosterone abuse is conventionally assessed by the urinary testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, levels above 4.0 being considered suspicious. The large variation in testosterone glucuronide (TG) excretion and its strong association with a deletion polymorphism in the uridine diphospho-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 2B17 gene challenge the accuracy of the T/E ratio test.
Objective: Our objective was to investigate whether genotype-based cutoff values will improve the sensitivity and specificity of the test.
Design: This was an open three-armed comparative study.
Participants: A total of 55 healthy male volunteers with either two, one, or no allele [insertion/insertion, insertion/deletion, or deletion/deletion (del/del)] of the UGT2B17 gene was included in the study.
Intervention: A single im dose of 500 mg testosterone enanthate was administered.
Main Outcome Measures: Urinary excretion of TG after dose and the T/E ratio during 15 d were calculated.
Results: The degree and rate of increase in the TG excretion rate were highly dependent on the UGT2B17 genotype with a 20-fold higher average maximum increase in the insertion/insertion group compared with the del/del group. Of the del/del subjects, 40% never reached the T/E ratio of 4.0 on any of the 15 d after the dose. When differentiated cutoff levels for the del/del (1.0) and the other genotypes (6.0) were applied, the sensitivity increased substantially for the del/del group, and false positives in the other genotypes were eliminated.
Conclusions: Consideration of the genetic variation in disposition of androgens will improve the sensitivity and specificity of the testosterone doping test. This is of interest not only for combating androgen doping in sports, but also for detecting and preventing androgen abuse in society.
Determination of 13C/12C ratios of endogenous urinary steroids: method validation, reference population and application to doping control purposes / Thomas Piper, Ute Mareck, Hans Geyer, Ulrich Flenker, Mario Thevis, Petra Platen and Wilhelm Schänzer. - (Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 22 (2008) 14 (July); p. 2161-2175)
The application of a comprehensive gas chromatography / combustion / isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS)-based method for stable carbon isotopes of endogenous urinary steroids is presented. The key element in sample preparation is the consecutive cleanup with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of underivatized and acetylated steroids, which allows the isolation of ten analytes (11beta-hydroxyandrosterone, 5alpha-androst-16-en-3beta-ol, pregnanediol, androsterone, etiocholanolone, testosterone, epitestosterone, 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol, 5beta-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol and dehydroepiandrosterone) from a single urine specimen. These steroids are of particular importance to doping controls as they enable the sensitive and retrospective detection of steroid abuse by athletes. Depending on the biological background, the determination limit for all steroids ranges from 5 to 10 ng/mL for a 10 mL specimen. The method is validated by means of linear mixing models for each steroid, which covers repeatability and reproducibility. Specificity was further demonstrated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for each analyte, and no influence of the sample preparation or the quantity of analyte on carbon isotope ratios was observed. In order to determine naturally occurring (13)C/(12)C ratios of all implemented steroids, a reference population of n = 61 subjects was measured to enable the calculation of reference limits for all relevant steroidal Delta values.
Nutritional supplements cross-contaminated and faked with doping substances / Hans Geyer, Maria Kristina Parr, Karsten Koehler, Ute Mareck, Wilhelm Schänzer and Mario Thevis. – In: Journal of mass spectrometry, 7 (2008), vol. 43 (July), p. 892–902
Since 1999 several groups have analyzed nutritional supplements with mass spectrometric methods (GC/MS, LC/MS/MS) for contaminations and adulterations with doping substances. These investigations showed that nutritional supplements contained prohibited stimulants as ephedrines, caffeine, methylenedioxymetamphetamie and sibutramine, which were not declared on the labels. An international study performed in 2001 and 2002 on 634 nutritional supplements that were purchased in 13 different countries showed that about 15% of the nonhormonal nutritional supplements were contaminated with anabolic-androgenic steroids (mainly prohormones). Since 2002, also products intentionally faked with high amounts of ‘classic’ anabolic steroids such as metandienone, stanozolol, boldenone, dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone, oxandrolone etc. have been detected on the nutritional supplement market. These anabolic steroids were not declared on the labels either. The sources of these anabolic steroids are probably Chinese pharmaceutical companies, which sell bulk material of anabolic steroids. In 2005 vitamin C, multivitamin and magnesium tablets were confiscated, which contained crosscontaminations of stanozolol and metandienone. Since 2002 new ‘designer’ steroids such as prostanozol, methasterone, androstatrienedione etc. have been offered on the nutritional supplement market. In the near future also cross-contaminations with these steroids are expected. Recently a nutritional supplement for weight loss was found to contain the b2-agonist clenbuterol. The application of such nutritional supplements is connected with a high risk of inadvertent doping cases and a health risk. For the detection of new ‘designer’ steroids in nutritional supplements, mass spectrometric strategies (GC/MS, LC/MS/MS) are presented.
Sanctions for Anti-Doping Rule Violations in the Revised Version of the World Anti-Doping Code / Alessandro L. Celli, Lucien W. Valloni, Dmitry A. Pentsov. – (International Sports Law Journal (2008) 3-4 : p. 36-42)
Content:
1.) Introduction
2.) The definition of “Doping” and the principle of strict liability for anti-doping rule violations
3.) Innovations concerning sanctions on individials
3.1.) New definition of “specified substances” and its impact on the existing system of sanctions
3.2.) Broadening the possibilities of elimination or reduction of period of ineligibility based on no fault or nog significant fault or negligence
3.3.) Strengthening of incentives to come forward
3.4.) Greater flexibility of sanctions in case of multiple violations
3.5.) Introduction of aggravating circumstance which may increase the period of ineligibility
4.) Innovations concerning consequences of anti-doping rule violations to teams
5.) Lessons for the future
On November 17, 2007, the World Anti-Doping Foundation Board has approved a revised World Anti-Doping Code, which will enter into force on January 1, 2009 (the “WADC-2009“).
The revised version of the Code contains a number of major innovations, notably as concerns sanctions for anti-doping rule violations. These innovations reflect two general themes which emerged during the Code’s review - firmness and fairness - both targeted at strengthening the fight against doping in sport.
Correspondingly, the purpose of this Article is to analyze the most important innovations concerning sanctions focusing on their practical consequences for athletes and teams.
Anti-Doping in and beyond the European Commission’s White Paper on Sport / Jacob Kornbeck. – (International Sports Law Journal (2008) 3-4 : p. 30-35)
Content:
1.) Introduction
2.) Discussion of anti-doping and the EU in legal literature
3.) The White Paper on Sport: nature, structure and rationale
4.) Proposals regarding the fight against doping
5.) Beyond the White Paper
6.) Conclusion
The White Paper on Sport has allowed the EU to make an entry on the anti-doping scene. This move has been generally well received by stakeholders. Although the White Paper does not propose legislative
action at EU level, it may have an informal impact on legislation nationally, and it certainly confirms the impression that a stronger role for governments is increasingly becoming acceptable. In the field of sport, this is more epochal than it might seem at first glance.
Although the EU does not have the ambition to step in and become a regulator of sport, the White Paper may later prove to have been part of a wider trend, and its doping section may have proven the point with particular clarity.
