E-DRUG: Use of drugs in sports (cont'd)

[Kirsten Myhr <myhr@online.no>]

E-drug: Use of drugs in sports (cont'd)
---------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Achoki,

Below is a list of references which you may find useful. In addition,
the list from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of drugs
forbidden in sport would give you an indication on which drugs are
used. At present, I think anabolic steroids, ephedrine, caffeine and
beta-agonists are among the more popular ones. As you will see from
the references, use of natural hormones such as insulin and growth
hormone is on the increase. Another problem is the use of epoietin
which until now has been difficult to detect. Today, a ceiling has been
set for the hemoglobin level, anyone having higher levels will be
disqualified. If you should need copies of any of them, please let me
know and I will send them to you.

I don't know the situation in East Africa and I cannot remember many
athletes from that region being caught. Here in Scandinavia the
problem is now greatest among body builders using so called health
studios and taking steroids, growth hormone, ephedrine and caffeine.
The drugs very often come from East Europe.

Tucker RT. Abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids by athletes and body
builders: A review. Pharm J 1997;259 (Aug 2):171-9

Honour JW. Misuse of natural hormones in sport. Lancet 1997;349(June
21):1786 (letter)
Predicts natural hormones, (incl. insulin!) to be the scourge of the
next Olympics in Australia in the year 2000. A letter in BMJ in April 97
also quotes insulin as popular and easy to obtain.

Kennedy M. Drugs and athletes - an update. Adv Drug React Bull
1994;no169:639-42

Barron RL, Vanscoy GJ. Natural products and the athlete: Facts and
folklore. Ann Pharmacother 1993;27:607-15

Smith DA, Perry PJ. The efficacy of ergogenic agents in athletic
competition. Part I: androgenic-anabolic steroids. Ann Pharmacother
1992;26:520-8
Part II: other performance-enhancing agents. Ann Pharmacother
1992;26:653-9

An. Effect of Clenbuterol in Athletic Performance. Ann Pharmacother
1995;29:75-7

Graham S, Kenedy M. Recent Developments in the Toxicology of Anabolic
Steroids. Drug Safety 1990;5:458-76

Regards,

Ms Kirsten Myhr, MScPharm, MPH
Bygdoy Alle 58B
0265 Oslo
Norway

Tel: +47 22 56 05 85 (h)
Fax: +47 22 24 90 17 (w) Tel: +47 22 24 88 55 (w)
E-mail: myhr@online.no
or (w): kirsten.myhr@helsetilsynet.dep.telemax.no
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