WADA: "We can't test for Human Growth Hormone."
November 16th 2007 13:46
WADA Director General David Howman has admitted that abuse of Human Growth Hormone in sport is out of control.
“Not only is (HGH) used probably with total impunity, it's probably being used in conjunction with other bad substances.”
He also admitted that the current testing procedure for HGH is all but useless.
When quizzed by BBC journalists at the anti-doping summit in Madrid Howman said,
“At the moment, there's a time span during which you can be detected if you've taken it. Outside that time zone, it's undetectable.”
That time zone is just twenty-four hours.
Human growth hormone occurs naturally inside the body but an artificial increase can lead to huge strength increases, increase in fat burning capability and less chance of injury.
The revelations come as a leading voice on HGH, Dr. Sönksen, a professor of endocrinology at St Thomas' Hospital in London stated categorically that the current testing procedures are faulty and that as many as half of all athletes are doping,
“The test we have is imperfect and it's probable that an awful lot of people who appear to be negative are in fact doping,”
"We don't know how many (athletes are using HGH), because there isn't a reliable test out there to tell us,"
"All we've got is hearsay. The hearsay is that it's very prevalent. The estimates are that most athletes think that at least half their colleagues are doping.
Dr. Sönksen then explained that coaches know how long a performance enhancing substance will take once injected to be rendered undetectable by drugs testing.
They then plan their athletes doping programme around these clearance times.
“With growth hormone, as there isn't an effective test, they don't have to bother. They just have to make sure they don't get caught with the drug in their bag."
Help is at hand however with UK Sport confirming that it is part of a research team that is close to formulating a much improved test for Human Growth Hormone abuse.
“We have been working with this group, led by Professor Sönksen, for about a year and we are confident the solution being developed can fill the gap," Said John Scott of UK Sport.
Until an effective test is developed and implemented Sönksen is convinced that Human Growth Hormone will be an athletes ‘drug of choice’.
“Not only is (HGH) used probably with total impunity, it's probably being used in conjunction with other bad substances.”
He also admitted that the current testing procedure for HGH is all but useless.
When quizzed by BBC journalists at the anti-doping summit in Madrid Howman said,
“At the moment, there's a time span during which you can be detected if you've taken it. Outside that time zone, it's undetectable.”
That time zone is just twenty-four hours.
Human growth hormone occurs naturally inside the body but an artificial increase can lead to huge strength increases, increase in fat burning capability and less chance of injury.
The revelations come as a leading voice on HGH, Dr. Sönksen, a professor of endocrinology at St Thomas' Hospital in London stated categorically that the current testing procedures are faulty and that as many as half of all athletes are doping,
“The test we have is imperfect and it's probable that an awful lot of people who appear to be negative are in fact doping,”
"We don't know how many (athletes are using HGH), because there isn't a reliable test out there to tell us,"
"All we've got is hearsay. The hearsay is that it's very prevalent. The estimates are that most athletes think that at least half their colleagues are doping.
Dr. Sönksen then explained that coaches know how long a performance enhancing substance will take once injected to be rendered undetectable by drugs testing.
They then plan their athletes doping programme around these clearance times.
“With growth hormone, as there isn't an effective test, they don't have to bother. They just have to make sure they don't get caught with the drug in their bag."
Help is at hand however with UK Sport confirming that it is part of a research team that is close to formulating a much improved test for Human Growth Hormone abuse.
“We have been working with this group, led by Professor Sönksen, for about a year and we are confident the solution being developed can fill the gap," Said John Scott of UK Sport.
Until an effective test is developed and implemented Sönksen is convinced that Human Growth Hormone will be an athletes ‘drug of choice’.
| 69 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by LukeS
Athletics News
However if you check back later on today hopefully i'll have a few more bits for you guys to read!
Cheers!
Luke.