The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) with its continuing commitment to the health and safety of its athletes is now implementing a mandatory pre-contract screening for performance enhancing drugs. This decision is aimed to address the bad publicity brought about by the positive steroid test of former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “King Mo” Lawal and Strikeforce women’s 145-pound champ “Cyborg” Santos.

According to White, the policy had actually been in effect for the past season in TUF. They were encouraged to adopt the said rules for all other fighters. All Zuffa fighters – regardless of whether they are in the UFC, Strikeforce, or “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series will now be required by the new drug testing policy to pass a pre-fight drug test for anabolic steroids before they can sign a contract and be able to compete.

Negative Side Effects of Steroids to Young Fighters

The new drug testing policy for performance-enhancing drugs will show how important it is for the UFC to even out the playing field of athletes. But White believes that more significant issue of possibly controlling the dangerous side effects of steroids can be addressed through this more intense measure of steroid drug testing. Young athletes that are lured into using steroids to be able to compete in MMA can also be prevented.

“So if we can stop that stuff early with these athletes that are young and have the talent to be here, we feel we’ll win half the battle,” White told an MMA site.

Keeping the fighters away from banned substances for good is considered as the other part of the battle against steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. But White said that such things are the responsibility of the state athletic commissions and not of the UFC. He further cited that the commissions’ testing procedures are far more stringent as compared to other pro sports leagues like the NFL and the MLB.

There might have no single way of clearing out steroid users in MMA but UFC will at least going to try to make it tougher for them to get in with this new drug testing policy.

Zuffas’ Decision Not Enough But Not A Bad Move

Regardless of the purpose or the timing of an instant pre-qualifying steroid drug testing rule of Zuffa, its effect would be substantial to address the growing number of athletes that are into steroids. But to seriously clean up the sport from steroids and performance-enhancing drugs a random out-of-competition testing is a better option.

However, in the history of MMA such provision is something that the athletic commission or other sanctioning body has not effectively, seriously and consistently pursued.

If Zuffa intends to deal with drug issue on a deeper level, they should carry out more stringent policies and punishments for PED users. Zuffa being a powerful entity in the MMA could do so much to fight the battle against steroid use. It surely can implement something that would finally make the UFC fighters think twice before using steroids because of the bigger chances of getting caught.

Here’s another doping controversy. This time a top Swiss sprinter blamed his doctor for his failed steroids tests. According to the Associated Press report, Swiss sprinter Pascal Mancini will be facing a probe after he failed the steroid tests twice. Sanction has yet to be given to the track and field athlete because the Switzerland Anti-Doping Agency will still conduct investigation on the case.

Injected with Anabolic Steroids

Based on the information given by the Swiss athletics federation, Mancini was injected with the wrong type of medication. Instead of injecting cortisone, Mancini’s doctor allegedly injected the sprinter with the steroid nandrolone. Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory painkiller medication but nandrolone is a type of anabolic steroid commonly used by athletes to build muscles and enhance performance. The other type of steroid was not disclosed. The sprinter will be filing a case against his doctor.

Mancini was also reprimanded by the IAAF last year for taking the ADHD drug Ritalin without permission from the athletics federation. Ritalin is a stimulant which can boost the energy of an athlete. As a result, the federation refuses to recognize the record of the Swiss team in the 4×100-meter time run in the Zurich Diamond League meet where Mancini is a team member.

Mancini Competes in World Competitions

The 22-year old track athlete has been competing in various local and international competitions representing the country. Though Mancini has no championship medals in world competition, he competed in all major track competitions. He participated in the 2007 European Junior Championships, the 2008 World Junior Championships, the 2009 European Indoor Championships and the 2010 World Indoor Championships. Pascal Mancini also competed in the 2011 European Indoor Championship in Paris

With the pending investigation on his positive steroid test, Mancini will be barred from competing in the World Championships in March which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Doping Scandal in Germany will Put 28 Athletes under Investigation

Meanwhile, Germany’s anti-doping authorities will also conduct further investigation on at least 28 professional athletes who were allegedly treated by a sports doctor involved in a doping scandal. Dr. Andreas Franke, who worked at the German Olympic Sports Confederation training elite athletes, is now facing charges for using unapproved and illegal treatments. The doctor allegedly administered blood transfusions on Germany’s elite athletes which is a banned procedure under WADA rules. It is considered as doping since the blood transfusions help athletes improve their performance in endurance competition like cycling.

The AP reported that 28 names are already on the watch list of the anti-doping officials but they still need to gather more information. Some of the top athletes include former 800-meter Olympic champion Nils Schumann, former Olympic speed skating champion Claudia Pechstein, German cyclist Marcel Kittel and Jamaican long jumper James Beckford. NADA already brought a case against cyclist Jakob Steigmiller.

Officials said that some of the athletes who received blood transfusions from the doctor were still minors during that time. The names of other athletes were not disclosed publicly.

Most MMA fighters who were caught using banned substances will always defend themselves by blaming dietary supplements. It is true that many dietary supplements available in health stores may contain ingredients that are banned by sports commission and other professional sports bodies. And it is a fact. There are already many cases where the FDA intervened and even charged some manufacturers of dietary supplements for selling products that contains anabolic steroids.

However, it is baffling that most athletes still blame their supplements after failing a steroid test. Using this alibi is the least viable defense. Existing rules on doping states that the fighter is responsible for any supplement or medication that he is taking. He must ensure that it does not contain any banned substances.

The Case of Cyborg and King Mo

Supplement contamination is the culprit in the recent failed steroid tests of Cyborg Santos and King Mo Lawal. Both fighters claim that the steroids found in their system was caused by the dietary supplements that they were taking. Cyborg admitted that she was taking a supplement to help her shed more weight. On the other hand, King Mo blamed an over-the-counter supplement he used to aid him during trainings.

According to health experts the steroids taken by the two fighters were really intended to help them get an unfair advantage over their competitor. Though it may not appear on the label, as King Mo claims, they should have at least conducted a research on the said supplement.

Stanozolol and Drostanolone

A combat sports specialist, Dr. Johnny Benjamin wrote in his column in MMAJunkie that the steroids found in Cyborg’s system is not used by accident. Stanozolol, also popular Winstrol, is commonly used anabolic steroids by weight-restricted female athletes. Dr Benjamin identified the various benefits of stanozolol to user. The said steroid does not retain fluid as compared to other anabolic steroids. It acts as a diuretic which help in the rapid weight loss. A perfect supplement for a fighter who wants to achieve certain weight.

Aside from helping an athlete increase her muscle mass, Stanozolol is noted to have fewer masculinizing and virilizing side effects. Female athletes will not encounter deepening of the voice, facial hair and other unwanted side effects.

Drostanolone, known as masteron, is also commonly used by athletes who want to cut weight but with leaner muscle mass. Another reason why this steroid is popular to combat sports is it helps increase the strength and stamina of an athlete. Drostalonone is also used during cutting cycles and stacked with steroids like trenbolone and winstrol. So the alibi of King Mo that he is not aware of the contents of the supplement is hard to believe. In fact, online information about the said supplement describes it as a designer anabolic steroid.

Countering the Effects of Failed Steroid Tests

According to Dr Benjamin, the positive test of Cyborg will harm the women’s MMA especially that it is still fighting for mainstream acceptance. It will also bolster the rumors that Brazilian athletes are into PED’s use. But Zuffa is quick to counter the effects of steroids in the MMA. Zuffa implemented a new drug testing policy that will affect the UFC, Strikeforce and TUF fighters. Every fighter who will sign a contract on any of these promotion companies must undergo steroid testing. This is in response to the failed tests of two best fighters in Strikeforce.

Under the league’s anti-doping policy, players are tested during the spring training and the regular season. These are conducted at random and unannounced. The league through its Health Policy Advisory Committee can administer additional testing if deemed necessary. But usually, baseball players are only tested 2-3 times per season.

It’s true that the league is serious in finding those cheaters in the field. They really wanted to end the stigma of the steroid era where majority of their players are dependent on performance enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids and amphetamines. Through the years, the number of positive tests is dwindling but from time to time there are still a few players who are caught using banned substances. Just recently, left handed pitcher Dustin Richardson was given a 50-game suspension for violating the anti-doping rules of the major league. The league found at least 5 banned substances in his urine sample. Three of these banned substances were anabolic steroids.

Intensive Drug Testing on a Star Player

Most sports leagues now adopt a more comprehensive policy when it comes to drug testing which usually depends on a lot of factors. A player may be required to undergo a more frequent drug testing if he is suspected of using PED’s or the performance dramatically increase in a short period of time. This could be the reason why Blue Jays Jose Bautista is tested more than the usual number of test for a player.

Bautista recently claimed that he was on the radar of the anti-doping officials of the league. He’s been tested at least 16 times during the past two seasons. He told the people in a gathering in the Dominican Republic that the tests seem not random anymore. The number of tests could be a sign that he is being targeted by the league for possible steroids use.

Hitting More Home Runs

The Blue Jays player compared this with his tests in the previous seasons where the league only tested him thrice. But his performance during that time is not something to be questioned with 28 home runs. Bautista’s inclusion in the 50 home run club and a 2 time home run champion in the league will definitely put him on the spotlight. In just two seasons, he got 107 home runs. Bautista already showed his dismay in previous interviews especially that he is being suspected of using performance enhancing drug.

But Bautista assured his fans that he is not doping. With those 16 drug tests, he was able to pass them without any positive test for steroids or any other performance enhancing drug. The Toronto Blue Jays slugger is confident that this steroid issue will wane.

For some skeptics, the tests are not enough to prove that Bautista is really a clean athlete. The current tests only look for anabolic steroids but not for human growth hormone which is also becoming a popular choice of some professional athletes. As long as the league fails to implement new and more stringent anti-doping policies, players like Bautista will always face suspicion even if the player is hitting it the right way.

The league will be implementing HGH testing in the new season. Let us wait if they can catch HGH users.

In the history of Major League Baseball, they haven’t caught a player who used a concoction of anabolic steroids and other drugs. The implementation of rigid steroid testing by the league also lessened the incidence of steroid use both in the minor and major league. A 50-game suspension is not the type of punishment any player wants. The league is imposing this tough punishment for steroid users to discourage them from using performance enhancing drugs.

But a report from the New York Times will put a major league player on baseball’s history. According to the NY Times, the league confirmed that a baseball player was given 50-game suspension for failing the anti-doping test of the league. However, this is not an ordinary failed test. The league said that they found 5 banned substances in the player’s system. Its five different substances!

Of course, you become interested on the identity of this player. If you are asking if he is one of the star players in baseball, he is not. Some baseball fans may not be even familiar with this left handed pitcher because of his short stint in the majors and last year he played in the minors. He is Dustin Richardson.

Richardson played for the Red Sox and Florida Marlins. But he only played for more or less 30 games in the majors. Last year, he was acquired by the Marlins and Atlanta Braves in the minors. The pitcher is now a free agent after the Braves released him this month.

5 Banned Substances, Including 3 Anabolic Steroids

According to the NY Times report, Richardson’s drug test result showed 3 different types of anabolic steroids, prescription drug letrozole and amphetamines. The anabolic steroids were methenelone, methandienone and trenbolone. Letrozole is a drug that counters the side effects of steroids while the source of amphetamines is not yet clear. It could be from a famous ADHD drug which is also a popular PED in baseball.

The league can allow players to take prescription medication provided they apply for therapeutic exemption. It was learned that Richardson did not apply any.

Anti-Doping Experts Stunned by the Result

Former chairman of WADA’s prohibited list and methods committee, Dr Gary Wadler, said that it was unusual that these steroids were found in a single test. Though he admits that most users stack steroids to get better results and use it in combination to maximize the benefits and minimize the side effects. “There are protocols from supposed gurus you can find by searching on the Internet. But there’s no real science behind any of it,” said Wadler. Sources from the league also said that the case of Richardson is unusual.

Don Catlin, an anti-doping scientist, was also stunned by this report. “I’ve never seen a case like this, and we’re talking about 30 years I’ve been doing this kind of work,” Catlin told Andrew Keh of the NY Times. He added that there were some cases of athletes who used up to 3 banned substances but Richardson’s case is new. Ingesting 3 different subclasses of drugs is not normal. With this kind of doping, the athlete is at greater risk because each type of steroid has its own side effects and it can increase the chance of adverse reaction of the drugs.

Richardson Hoping for another Chance

Since the left handed pitcher is a free agent now, it will be hard for him to find a new team especially that he will be sidelined for the first 50 games. Richardson avoided the media but her mother told the newspaper that his son already admitted his mistakes and is hoping that he will be able to comeback in the field. The steroid test was conducted last November and Dustin was informed of the test result two weeks ago.

After mistakenly accusing a beach volleyball player of doping, Ladetec, the only WADA accredited laboratory in Brazil received 6-month suspension.

The penalty pertains to the case of the Brazilian player, Pedro Solberg, who was drawn into the issue of using testosterone. Ladetec reported a positive drug test result after testing Solberg’s urine sample last year. Based on the test conducted by the laboratory, the volleyball player is positive for steroid Androstanediol.

This was however strongly contested by Solberg, claiming that he is not into steroids. The incident was later investigated by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). The organization decided to conduct a repeat test at a German laboratory to verify the drug test result. But the second test showed a negative result, clearing Solberg on any drug related issue.

Suspension Still Allow Brazil’s Anti-Doping Lab to Conduct Other Doping Test

The suspension apparently cover only the test that is responsible for detecting anabolic steroids and synthetic testosterone called isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Penalty imposed to the Rio laboratory does not include other tests that are offered by the laboratory. The anti-doping laboratory will continue to receive and test samples. They are only required to transfer any IRMS test to other laboratories.

As per reference to the statement released by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Ladetec can still conduct all other forms of doping test and remains to be considered an accredited laboratory. WADA further states that in the course of the suspension period, they would be conducting a re-evaluation of the status of the Rio laboratory. In any case that a laboratory does not meet ISL (International Standard for Laboratories) requirements, WADA has the right to suspend the laboratory’s accreditation.

Francisco Radler, Ladetec’s boss did not release any statement regarding the decision imposed by WADA. An appeal can still be filled by the doping control laboratory within 21 days.

Brazil’s representative at WADA Eduardo de Rose, who at the same time acted as the head of the medical commission at the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), regard the suspension normal and acceptable rather than facing a much worse situation of the revocation of Ladetec’s accreditation.

“It is important to understand that not all labs are proficient in every technique. This is something normal that can happen to laboratories. The problem would have been if (Ladetec’s) accreditation had been revoked,” Radler said.

Anti-Doping Lab Must Meet WADA’s Standards

The penalty however, came as a hard blow to Brazil since the Olympic Committee chose their country to host the 2016 Olympics. On top of that, the country will also host the 2014 Soccer World Cup.

The Rio laboratory is then expected to test samples for all athletes participating in the said events being the only WADA-approved facility in Brazil. All athletes participating in any international and national competition are subjected for steroid tests under the WADA rules. This is applicable in any type of sports being held at the world cups and Olympics. The WADA rules further include that all qualifying matches leading to the Olympics will undergo doping tests.

With two gigantic sports event on their plate, it is very important for Brazil to have an accredited anti-doping lab within the country to facilitate testing of athletes. With Ladetec, on suspension and re-evaluation phase, Brazil should keep their fingers crossed. They must hope that the anti-doping lab will meet WADA’s requirements with regards to steroid testing.