In 2015 the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) informed DFSNZ about the results of Medsafe’s investigation into an internet drug supplier NZ Clenbuterol and provided DFSNZ details about the internet purchase in 2015 of a prohibited substance made by the rugby player Tautini Hopa.

Hereafter in October 2018 Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) has reported two anti-doping rule violations against Tautini Hopa for the use and possession of the prohibited substance Testosterone.
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered and the Athlete failed to file a statement in his defence. When contacted by DFSNZ the Athlete admitted the violation, waived his right to be heard, accepted the provisional suspension and the sanction proposed by DFSNZ.

The New Zealand Rugby Union Judicial Committee considers that there were substantial delays in the proceedings not attributed to the Athlete and decides on 21 March 2019 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting backdated on 26 April 2018.

Related case:
NZRU 2018 DFSNZ vs Paratene Edwards
November 26, 2018

On 26 November 2018 the New Zealand Rugby Union Judicial Committee decided to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the rugby player Paratene Edwards for the use and possession of the prohibited substances Clenbuterol, Metandienone and Testosterone as a result of New Zealand’s Medsafe’s investigation into an internet drug supplier NZ Clenbuterol which revealed Paratene’s internet purchases in 2014 and 2015 of these prohibited substances.

When notified by DFSNZ in May 2018 the Athlete gave a brief and laconic admission about the violations. He submitted that he had no time and was not involved anymore in sport for years. Thereafter the Athlete did not respond to the communications of DFSNZ and the New Zealand Rugby Union Judicial Committee.

Hereafter the Athlete’s request for Review of the NZRU decision of 26 November 2018 was granted by the NZRU Post Hearing Review Body (PHRB).

The Athlete demonstrated with evidence that in August 2018 he had sustained from serious head, wrist and leg injuries in a motor accident. Considerable hospitalization and ongoing treatment was required, which had led to considerable disruption of his normal life and communications. Only in December 2018 he took notice in the media of the NZRU decision of 26 November.

Further the Athlete argued that the NZRU had no jurisdiction and that he was not bound by the NZRU ADR due to he was medically unfit to play since 2010 after the serious injuries he suffered. Specifically he asserted with evidence that in the 2015 season he had not trained with, played for or coached any team, let alone the MAC rugby teams in question.

The PHRB accepts that in light of the Athlete’s injuries and continuing disabilities after his motor accident he was not in a position to make reasonable enquiries and put evidence before the original hearing.

Considering the Athlete’s evidence the PHRB established that the Athlete indeed was not a participant in the 2015 rugby season under the NZRU ADR and that none of the alleged registrations for the seasons 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 were authorised, or known of by the Athlete. Further the PHRB is comfortably satisfied that the Athlete did not become in the 2016 season, in any event a participant through some coaching role.

Therefore the PHRB deems that the Athlete’s challenge to jurisdiction was successful, decides on 8 May 2019 to set aside the NRZU Decision of 26 November 2018 and to annul the 4 year period of ineligibility imposed on the Athlete.

In July 2023 Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) reported an anti-doping rule violations against the rugby player Isaia Walker-Leawere after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Cannabis in a concentration above the WADA threshold.

After notification the Athlete gave a prompt admission, waived his right to be heard, accepted a provisional suspension and the sanction proposed by DFSNZ.
The parties in this case reached an agreement and filed a joint memorandum in relation to the sanction for approval into a decision of the New Zealand Rugby Union Judicial Committee.

The Judicial Committee considers that the Athlete gave a prompt admission about his out-of-competition use of Cannabis. Further the Committee considers that the Athlete completed a Substance of Abuse treatment programme approved by DFSNZ.

Therefore the New Zealand Rugby Union Judicial Committee decides on 4 August 2023 to impose a 1 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete, ending on 5 August 2023.

Octodrine : New Questions and Challenges in Sport Supplements / Valeria Catalani, Mariya Prilutskaya, Ahmed Al-Imam, Shanna Marrinan, Yasmine Elgharably, Mire Zloh, Giovanni Martinotti, Robert Chilcott, Ornella Corazza. - (Brain Sciences 8 (2018) 2 (February); p. 1-13)

• PMID: 29461475
• PMCID: PMC5836053
• DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8020034

Abstract

Background: Octodrine is the trade name for Dimethylhexylamine (DMHA), a central nervous stimulant that increases the uptake of dopamine and noradrenaline. Originally developed as a nasal decongestant in the 1950's, it has recently been re-introduced on the market as a pre-workout and 'fat-burner' product but its use remains unregulated. Our work provides the first observational cross-sectional analytic study on Octodrine as a new drug trend and its associated harms after a gap spanning seven decades.

Methods: A comprehensive multilingual assessment of literature, websites, drug fora and other online resources was carried out with no time restriction in English, German, Russian and Arabic. Keywords included Octodrine's synonyms and chemical isomers.

Results: Only five relevant publications emerged from the literature search, with most of the available data on body building websites and fora. Since 2015, Octodrine has been advertised online as "the next big thing" and "the god of stimulants," with captivating marketing strategies directed at athletes and a wider cohort of users. Reported side-effects include hypertension, dyspnoea and hyperthermia.

Conclusions: The uncontrolled use of Octodrine, its physiological and psychoactive effects raise serious health implications with possible impact on athletes and doping practices. This new phenomenon needs to be thoroughly studied and monitored.

Keywords: DMHA; ambredin; anti-obesity agents; dimethylhexylamine; fitness; novel psychoactive substance; octodrine; performance and image-enhancing drugs; weight loss.

Following analysis of the so-called "Vrijman report" submitted to the International Cycling Union (UCI) in relation to the August 2005 L’Équipe article that concluded Lance Armstrong had used EPO during the 1999 Tour de France, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issues its official statement highlighting a number of the unprofessional, inaccurate, unfair and misleading elements of the report.

Content:

- Background
- Process
- Substance of report

Official statement regarding the presence of Boldenone in beef in Colombia = Comunicado oficial respecto a la presencia de Boldenona en la carne vacuna en Colombia / Comité Olímpico Colombiano. - Bogotá : COC, 2018

the Colombian Olympic Committee issued a warning to athletes in November 2018 regarding the widespread use of boldenone in cattle farming in Colombia, the possibility that meat from Colombian farms might contain boldenone, and the consequences that could apply for athletes subject to anti-doping rules.

Older men are as responsive as young men to the anabolic effects of graded doses of testosterone on the skeletal muscle / Shalender Bhasin, Linda Woodhouse, Richard Casaburi, Atam B. Singh, Ricky Phong Mac, Martin Lee, Kevin E. Yarasheski, Indrani Sinha-Hikim, Connie Dzekov, Jeanne Dzekov, Lynne Magliano, Thomas W. Storer

• Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 90 (2005) 2 (1 February), p. 678-688
• PMID: 15562020
• DOI: 10.1210/jc.2004-1184

Abstract

Although testosterone levels and muscle mass decline with age, many older men have serum testosterone level in the normal range, leading to speculation about whether older men are less sensitive to testosterone. We determined the responsiveness of androgen-dependent outcomes to graded testosterone doses in older men and compared it to that in young men. The participants in this randomized, double-blind trial were 60 ambulatory, healthy, older men, 60-75 yr of age, who had normal serum testosterone levels. Their responses to graded doses of testosterone were compared with previous data in 61 men, 19-35 yr old. The participants received a long-acting GnRH agonist to suppress endogenous testosterone production and 25, 50, 125, 300, or 600 mg testosterone enanthate weekly for 20 wk. Fat-free mass, fat mass, muscle strength, sexual function, mood, visuospatial cognition, hormone levels, and safety measures were evaluated before, during, and after treatment. Of 60 older men who were randomized, 52 completed the study. After adjusting for testosterone dose, changes in serum total testosterone (change, -6.8, -1.9, +16.1, +49.5, and +101.9 nmol/liter at 25, 50, 125, 300, and 600 mg/wk, respectively) and hemoglobin (change, -3.6, +9.9, +20.9, +12.6, and +29.4 g/liter at 25, 50, 125, 300, and 600 mg/wk, respectively) levels were dose-related in older men and significantly greater in older men than young men (each P < 0.0001). The changes in FFM (-0.3, +1.7, +4.2, +5.6, and +7.3 kg, respectively, in five ascending dose groups) and muscle strength in older men were correlated with testosterone dose and concentrations and were not significantly different in young and older men. Changes in fat mass correlated inversely with testosterone dose (r = -0.54; P < 0.001) and were significantly different in young vs. older men (P < 0.0001); young men receiving 25- and 50-mg doses gained more fat mass than older men (P < 0.0001). Mood and visuospatial cognition did not change significantly in either group. Frequency of hematocrit greater than 54%, leg edema, and prostate events were numerically higher in older men than in young men. Older men are as responsive as young men to testosterone's anabolic effects; however, older men have lower testosterone clearance rates, higher increments in hemoglobin, and a higher frequency of adverse effects. Although substantial gains in muscle mass and strength can be realized in older men with supraphysiological testosterone doses, these high doses are associated with a high frequency of adverse effects. The best trade-off was achieved with a testosterone dose (125 mg) that was associated with high normal testosterone levels, low frequency of adverse events, and significant gains in fat-free mass and muscle strength.

Olympic Doping, Transparency, and the Therapeutic Exemption Process / Luke Cox, Andrew Bloodworth, Michael McNamee. - (Diagoras 1 (2017) 31 October; p. 55-74)

Abstract:

Within anti-doping policy, the Therapeutic Use Exemption policy enables athletes with a range of medical conditions to compete within elite sport even after receiving prohibited medication substances or methods. It has been claimed, however, that the policy is being misused as a means to enhancing performance in healthy athletes, or athletes who do not suffer from a relevant pathological condition. To counter misuse of TUEs, it has claimed that the data captured in the TUE process should be transparent, even though this would reveal medical information concerning the athlete that would normally be thought of as private. There are further concerns regarding the sharing of medical data within sports organisations, between medical professionals and performance directors or coaches. We critically explore the TUE process, and argue against proposals for a transparent TUE policy on grounds of privacy and concerns for athlete welfare .We conclude that the notion of sports integrity, the threat of doping, and the extension of anti-doping policy, need to be considered within a broader context that also concerns the goals of sports medicine and athlete welfare.

On the Compatibility of Brain Enhancement and the Internal Values of Sport / Alberto Carrio Sampedro, José Luis Pérez Triviño. - (Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 11 (2017) 3 (26 May); p. 307-322)

• DOI: 10.1080/17511321.2017.1320687
  
  

Abstract

Elite athletes are characterized by their high level of performance in sport. Since the very beginnings of sport, it has been understood that physical and physiological abilities influence the performance of athletes. Advances in scientific knowledge, especially sport psychology and neuroscience, seem to confirm this intuition and consequently it is possible to characterize elite athletes as having an extraordinary combination of physical and mental abilities. Techniques and substances that contribute to enhancing physical characteristics of athletes have also been well known for ages. But it is now possible to make use of other techniques and substances that not only enhance physical abilities but also cognitive capabilities, which seem to require greater consideration given their direct impact on the athlete’s brain. In this article, we examine two such techniques, cognitive enhancers and transcranial stimulators, and highlight the potential advantages and drawbacks that applying each one may have on sport. Given the relative novelty of these enhancement techniques and substances and the absence of conclusive evidence regarding their short- and long-term effects, we deem that their use ought to be strictly governed by cautionary principles. But due to that same lack of evidence, we believe that the possibility of examining the feasibility of applying these techniques to sport should not be denied.

Ongeteste recreatieve drugs gewoon te koop in webshops / Michiel Olijhoek, Willem Koert. - (Pharmaceutisch Weekblad 155 (2020) 38 (18 September); p. 20-23)

Nederlandse webwinkels verkopen tientallen nieuwe varianten van recreatieve drugs die chemici classificeren als cathinonen, blijkt uit een onderzoek van de Dopingautoriteit. Deze drugs zijn niet getest, zelfs niet op proefdieren. Politie en justitie staan machteloos, maar een op handen zijnde modernisering van
de Opiumwet brengt mogelijk uitkomst.