28 Jun 09 - BBU ADOPTS NEW UK ANTI DOPING RULES

The 30 Jun 2005 BBU Anti Doping Rules which were effectively the "Model Anti Doping Rules of UK Sport" have been updated and slightly amended. For ease of future amendment and reference to all UK sports, the words "BBU" and / or "British Biathlon Union" have been replaced with reference to "NGB" and  / or "National Governing Body". The new UK Rules come into effect for the BBU on 30 Jun 2009.

Click here for UK Anti Doping Rules 2009

Although the Rules & Appendices total some 60 pages and are largely concerned with the procedural and disciplinary aspects of Testing, all athletes and support staff should be conversant with them. Military athletes found to be guilty of doping offences may also be subject to Military Disciplinary procedures.

All athletes and support staff should have access to The WADA Prohibited List at all times; it is a mere 9 pages long! National Senior Squad and NDS "A" athletes who are unsure over the propriety or legality of any medicine, supplement or treatment must request clarification with the OMI, through the National Team Coach. Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) should also be applied for through these channels, but, note in particular Article 4 of the BBU Anti Doping Rules. Other athletes should seek further clarification through their doctor, but remember - many GPs and Military Doctors are not experts on WADA. As ever, the onus is on the athlete and the punishments for failing a test are severe. IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE!

17 Jul 08 - UK SPORT STATEMENT ON SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements Position Statement

Position statement of UK Sport, Version 5, issued in July 2008.

There is an array of supplements available for athletes to purchase through a range of retail sources that have no prohibited substances listed as ingredients.  Despite this there have been several cases whereby supplement products have been contaminated with prohibited substances as defined by the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA) Prohibited List.

UK athletes are advised to be vigilant in their choice to use any supplement.  No guarantee can be given that any particular supplement is free from Prohibited Substances.

Athletes should be aware that any product that claims to restore, correct or modify the body’s physiological functions should be licensed as a medicine, according to current legislation (for further information visit the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency website at www.mhra.gov.uk).

Diet, lifestyle and training should all be optimised before considering supplements and athletes should assess the need for supplements by always consulting an accredited sports dietician and/or registered nutritionist with expertise in sports nutrition and a sports and exercise medicine doctor before taking supplements.

An important principle of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA) is that of strict liability stating athletes are ultimately responsible for any Prohibited Substances found in their system or for the use of any Prohibited Method. Therefore before taking supplements athletes must assess the risk and understand their personal responsibility.

In an attempt to support athletes a number of initiatives have been created globally to identify whether a prohibited substance can be identified within a supplement.  As such, supplements may claim to be drug free or safe for drug tested athletes.  It is not possible to guarantee that specific supplements will be free of prohibited substances but only to reduce the risk of inadvertent doping by making informed decisions. 

In the UK HFL Sports Science has taken the initiative to create a scheme to support athletes in assessing the risk.  The Informed-Sport programme is designed to evaluate supplement manufacturers for their process integrity and screening of supplements and ingredients for the presence of prohibited substances that are present on the WADA Prohibited List.  The supplements industry has been consulted on this approach and supports its development. 

UK Sport believes this risk minimisation service to be a positive step and welcomes the approach being taken by industry and the HFL owned Informed-Sport programme.

Ultimately we wish to remind athletes that strict liability will still apply and the appropriate sanctions provided to any athlete returning an adverse analytical finding from any supplement product as with all other anti-doping case.