News
Food supplements a hidden devil for sports stars
Sporting bodies have raised concerns over hazardous food supplements as the Sri Lanka Anti–Doping Agency (SLADA) prepares this year to present a gazette on anti-doping for parliamentary approval.
In addition to anabolic steroids, peptide hormones, growth-related substances, diuretics and masking agents, SLADA this year included melodonium, found in cough syrups, and insulin receptor agonists as prohibited substances in sports.
Although SLADA has been intensely policing sportsmen over performance-enhancing substances since November 2013 (the date Sri Lanka signed the UNESCO World Anti-Doping Convention) sporadic incidents continue of athletes using prohibited substances.
There have been several incidents of Sri Lankan sporting stars who have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in the sport and been penalised.
Many of them did not apparently know they had prohibited substances in their bloodstream until they tested positive. They suspect the substances came from food supplements freely available in the market.
It is an accepted fact that sportsmen consume food supplements to boost stamina and energy. Sports coaches, trainers and instructors encourage players to take food supplements.
SLADA now believes the food supplements are the culprits that deny them their potential win in the game. SLADA head Dr. Seevali Jayawickrema said research in the West has shown that food supplements have “impurities” that contain banned substances.
He said food supplements do not list about 15 per cent of ingredients and that manufacturing companies often use performance-enhancing drugs to boost the efficacy of their products.
“Food supplements are not registered under the Food and Drug Authority and also do not fail to have the composition of the ingredients on the label,” he said.
Moreover, food supplements do not come under the Food and Drugs Act and are often imported and sold freely.
SLADA said it is not only concerned about players being “clean” when performing overseas but also about the adverse effect the prohibited substances have on the health of athletes.
Dr. Jayawickrema explained that fat burners and stimulants are banned in sports and these are the very substances found in athletes who are tested for doping.
He went on to say that food supplements are not listed under pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals (products derived from food sources with extra health benefits in addition to the basic nutritional value found in foods) and as such are difficult to monitor. SLADA is considering introducing legislation to control their availability.
“We are having discussions with Customs, Immigration, National drugs Control Board, Atomic Energy Board on what could be done to prevent food supplements that contain banned ingredients coming into Sri Lanka,” he said.
Sadly, most sportspeople are not aware of the problems and consume the supplements believing they enhance the chances of shining in their chosen fields of sport.
Others who can be affected are fitness freaks, Dr Jayawickrema said, pointing out that people who engage in recreational sport in gyms and clubs are vulnerable to harm and that it was common for coach and trainers to promote these supplements.
“They prescribe these without even considering the age and body mass of the person,” he said.
The Chairman of the Rugby Tournament, S.W. Chang, said food supplements were important for sportspeople, particularly Sri Lankans who are small in stature and therefore lack the extra stamina needed to work long hours in sports. “For this we need food supplements to sustain us,” he said.
“Everybody says what not to eat but nobody tells us what we can eat,” he lamented.
Mr. Chang, who also leads the Women’s Development Team in rugby, said the players need food supplements to boost their stamina. “It is hard to find food items to recommend to women players who need the protein supplement. The food we eat daily does not have enough nutrition,” he said.
He called on the Sports Ministry to test and recommend certain food supplements to players. “We have to keep testing. It is by trial and error that the right food supplement can be found.
Dr. Maiya Gunasekera, surgeon and rugby personality, agreed with SLADA that food supplements can have impurities and said that the responsibility of choosing the food supplement lies purely with the player.
“It is wrong to put the entire responsibility on the coach. They are not with the players for 24 hours,” he said.
He also called on the sportsmen to keep the doctor informed and seek advice when changing medications taken for any sicknesses.
Dr. Gunasekera believes even the common painkiller Panadeine, which has the reactive agent codeine, can put a player out of a competition. “He may be totally innocent. If the banned substance is found in the urine the sportsman is a dead duck,” he said.
Players and athletes preparing to participate in world sports have to be tested continuously to maintain Sri Lanka’s image, he said, adding, “Random checks have to be done often. It is a huge responsibility, and expensive, but it has to be done.”
He said it was important to reach out to sportsmen at grassroots level: education should start in schools and clubs. “The health hazards of taking food supplements should be driven into them early,” he said.
Dr. Gunasekera said an athlete needed 20-40 calories of creatine protein to build up his or her body and for this it was important to have food supplements – but not by consuming adulterated food that would land players in trouble.
He said that it was the responsibility of the Sports Ministry to green-label certain food supplements as safe. Food supplements should be tested regularly to ensure their purity.
Players should always be wary and double-check with the Ministry of Sports on the quality of the supplementary food they take. “Don’t trust your coach only,” Dr. Gunasekera stressed.