Don’t create Creatine says Dr. Seevali

It is a well accepted fact that the game of rugby is all about power and strength. Any player who represents his school, club or country – wants to perform at his best or perhaps even beyond that level. This can result in that respective player taking supplements and various other substances to enhance his performance.

A substance called Creatine is apparently used by many in various sports. This is not a banned substance. There are those who allege that Ventolin is also used. What do these substances do? And what is the long/short terms effects of taking these substances? With The final Rugby Asiad just over a month away, The Sunday Times posed these two questions among others to Sports Physician Dr. Seevali Jayawickrema.

The explanation was not short. Dr. Seevali began -- “Creatine is generally used by sprinters and body builders because it gives the person who takes it a burst of extra energy. No it is not banned by the WADA (World Anti Doping Agency). The primary may well be that every individual’s system produces a certain amount of Creatine. Thus when a urine sample is taken it impossible to tell whether the level of Creatine was what the body produced or whether it was taken orally. If the amount of Creatine taken is given by a doctor and as long as it not used for a lengthy period of time, it does not cause any harm. The problem arises if person takes too much for too long. Abuse of Creatine can result in dehydration, problems to the excretory system, other areas in the body, stones in the kidney and the worst case scenario would be kidney failure.”

He then added: “Ventolin on the other hand is a completely different story. Theoretically it should only be used by patients suffering from asthma or breathing difficulties. But unfortunately it is abused because it raises the oxygen level in the system. According the regulations of WADA, Ventolin can only be taken in the inhaler form. It cannot be taken orally. And even to be taken in the inhaler form a TUE(Therapeutic Use Exemption) signed by the consultant doctor has to be given to the authorities prior to the start of the game or event. A urine sample taken after the respective event or match will reveal whether Ventolin was taken orally or not. If it has been taken orally the sports person is liable to sanctions according to WADA regulations.”

It is common knowledge that all recognised sports organizations are signatories to the WADA convention. Thus the taking of urine samples is a common occurrence at practically any international event. Thus this begs the question as to why a sports person would risk a life ban just to perform well at one event/tournament.

Dr. Jayawickrema said: “You must understand the financial rewards involved. Yes there is more than a 50 per cent chance that a sports person taking banned substance will be caught. But people take these banned substances because the level of competition is so high and the reward for success is so big. Another factor is just plain ignorance. For example a sports person might take supplement because he or she sees a flyer with the benefits of taking that respective supplement. Some flyers even say their product has been endorsed by the IOC(International Olympic Council). The IOC will not endorse any product. As you well know the IOC is not a commercial organization. Furthermore some of these supplements can contain ingredients which have substances that are banned. The person who takes it may not know it. But one cannot use ignorance as an excuse at an inquiry. That is why I believe that before taking any supplement the person should have the product checked very thoroughly by a physician of repute. Of course steroids can be used to treat an immediate injury. In this instance as I stated before a TUE certificate must be submitted. In addition to the factors I mentioned there are also reasons such as – a belief that their competitors are taking drugs, direct or indirect pressure from coaches, parents and friends and the possibility of prestige and fame. This is why I believe that everybody should be educated.”

In conclusion Dr. Jayawickrema said: “As far as rugby goes we had workshop last year for clubs and schools. But it has to be an ongoing process.”

When asked about drug testing at the forthcoming Asiad, President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union Nimal Lewke said: “We have contacted the IRB(International Rugby Board) and asked for financial help for these tests. As you know each test costs around US$250. We cannot afford this as we will need to do quite a few tests. As far as participating countries go we are still in touch with Korea, Hong Kong and Arabian Gulf. We expect to know about their participation by the end of this week. Japan of course have refused citing the fact that the World Cup is still going on.”