Sunday 27 November 2011

USEF made changes to Drugs and Medication Rules

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has been reminding members and competitors of the rule changes surrounding drugs and medications in competition horses.
USEF is encouraging every exhibitor, trainer, coach, and owner to take the time, prior to competing, to carefully review the "Guidelines for How Long Drugs Remain Detectable" that can be accessed online or requested on call by calling 800/633-2472.
Also effective Dec. 1, 2011, anabolic steroids will be considered a forbidden substance under the USEF therapeutic drug rule. No anabolic steroid is to be administered to a horse or pony in the time before competition such that it, or any metabolite of it, might be present in the animal, or might be detectable in its blood or urine sample at the time of competition. This means that, if anabolic steroids are administered and/or any surgical implants are removed, the administration and/or procedure occurs sufficiently in advance of competing to ensure these substances are not present in the blood or urine at the time of competition.
The new competition year starts December 2011.

Monday 21 November 2011

Arthritis sufferers get relief from steroids

Symptoms of arthritis can be relieved by a simple therapy using an optical illusion, according to scientists.
It was revealed by scientists that mirror therapy that has been used successfully to treat amputees suffering from phantom limb pain could now be used for other medical conditions.
Lead researcher Laura Case said: 'Our findings suggest that simple and inexpensive materials like mirrors could be used to reduce the pain and suffering caused by this common disease.
'Many patients reported a reduction in pain and stiffness during this illusion.'
Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK applauded the study, presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, and said mirror therapy was a promising line of research and potential treatment.
The cost-effective treatment could offer an alternative to millions of sufferers who currently rely on high doses of painkillers and steroids.

Saturday 19 November 2011

Laraque bio attacks steroid use

Laraque bio attacks steroid useDuring a 13-year career, Georges Laraque said he fought not only against the National Hockey League's toughest players, but also against the use of performance enhancing drugs.
"Quite early in my career I started asking the (National Hockey League Players' Association) to take action against all the performance enhancing drugs some players would use to become bigger in order to stop feeling the pain," Laraque writes in The Story of the NHL's Unlikeliest Tough Guy, a new autobiography, excerpts of which were reprinted in the Toronto Star.
"The job was hard and harsh enough not to have to compete against 'killers' swollen with steroids. The NHLPA listened to me, but refused to take any action on that front, for obvious political reasons. They wanted to keep drug testing as a card in their negotiations with the league."
Laraque, who piled up 1,126 penalty minutes as one of the NHL's most feared fighters, writes that the use of drugs created an uneven playing field for pugilists.
"The use of steroids by tough guys makes it unfair for the ones who decide to remain clean," he writes.
"In my final years in the NHL, the league finally decided to set clear and precise rules against the use of any performance enhancing drugs," he writes. "I was relieved, and found it funny how much weight some players had lost in just one year."

Thursday 17 November 2011

Clenbuterol find a place with most players

A majority of the players tested at the Under-17 World Cup in Mexico had traces of clenbuterol in their bodies because they ate contaminated meat, as per FIFA.
FIFA medical officer Jiri Dvorak termed the results as "highly surprising" but insisted that teenage footballers were not cheating.
"It is not a problem of doping, but a problem of public health," Dvorak told reporters, adding that none of the players was harmed or put in any danger.
FIFA and the World Anti-Doping Agency declined to prosecute any cases because the weight of evidence pointed to contamination.
Mexican authorities have acknowledged the country has issues with feeding banned steroids to livestock.
"Since day one we knew the players were innocent and we are happy with this result," Justino Compean, the Mexican Football Federation president.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

More than hundred tested positive for stimulants

More than 100 players at the Under-17 World Cup in Mexico tested positive for stimulants due to contaminated meat, according to FIFA.
Jiri Dvorak, chief medical officer for world football's governing body, said samples provided by players from 19 of the 24 squads at the tournament - that ended in July - tested positive for banned substance clenbuterol.
After four players at the youth competition tested positive, FIFA opted to analyse all 208 urine samples collected, with the steroid found to be present in more than half of them.
Suspicions were aroused by the fact five players from Mexico's senior squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup had previously tested positive for the same substance in May.
The players were later deemed to have unwittingly ingested the drug through tainted food consumed on a training camp in Mexico.
"FIFA was very alarmed and it was highly surprising to see something like this – I had not seen anything like it in my 20 years in this post," Dvorak said.

Saturday 12 November 2011

Timothy Sigman Surrenders His Medical

Dr. Timothy Sigman has surrendered his medical license and is on a leave of absence from his Sebastian practice while facing federal steroid distribution charges, according to an official with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami.
The 40-year-old doctor was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents after he allegedly approved steroid and human growth hormone prescriptions illegally.
From Tcpalm.com:
At Health Transformations, a Sebastian business registered at his 110th Street home address, Sigman employed medical professionals and salespeople — including the receptionist and office manager — to sign off on orders for steroids and other prescriptions, according to the indictment.
As a condition of his bond, Sigman has handed over his medical license and DEA registration while the case is ongoing, according to U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida spokeswoman Annette Castillo.
Sigman was one of 13 people arrested earlier this month on various charges related to distributing steroids, human growth hormone, and pain pills.

Monday 7 November 2011

Sri Lanka sacks sports medical unit

Over allegations that staff members were associated with banned steroids used by cricketers and national athletes, Sri Lanka sacked their entire sports medical unit.
Sports minister Mahindananda Althugamage ordered the complete overhaul of the unit.
Official sources said Mendis was sacked after repeated allegations against his unit, though no direct evidence of its involvement in the positive tests has been made public.
Opening batsman Tharanga, 26, was given a three-month ban earlier this year after testing positive for a banned substance.
He claimed he had been unwittingly given the drug by a high-profile Colombo-based faith healer who was reported to have links to the medical unit.
In June, three Sri Lankan national rugby players admitted taking banned steroids during the Asian Five Nations tournament in Colombo in May.
"The minister wants to revamp the sports medical unit and have a separate anti-doping section to provide a full range of services to national sports men and women," ministry spokesman Harsha Abeykoon said.

Thursday 3 November 2011

Ten defendants have been sentenced for their involvement in a large scale conspiracy to possess and distribute anabolic steroids in the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Texas and Louisiana, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley.
Bryce Thomas Meaux, 24, Christopher Keith Gass, 25, Tyler Jordan Kuykendall, 20, Shane Patrick Hinton, 23, all of Lake Charles; Blake Meche, 25, of Rayne; Canien Lee Matte, 24, Terry Duane Kuykendall, 24, both of Baton Rouge; Troy Newton Broussard, 27, of Lafayette; and Shane Keith Weekly, 24 of Lake Arthur were sentenced conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and the distribution of anabolic steroids.
Charles, is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 27, 2011. The facts surrounding the defendants sentenced in this case are attached.
According to court testimony, these defendants were involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for receiving several hundred 10 milliliter (10 ml) vials of anabolic steroids, numerous packages of anabolic steroid cream, and approximately 35 kilograms of raw steroid powder which was shipped from China and Germany.
Once the internationally shipped packages of anabolic steroid powder were received by members of the organization, the powder was then converted into an injectable form, bottled, labeled for distribution, and sold. This drug trafficking organization sold anabolic steroids to individuals located in the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana and Texas. In total, approximately 7,000 10-milliliter (10 ml) vials of anabolic steroids were manufactured, possessed, and distributed by this drug trafficking organization.
Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Jim Lee said, “Today's sentencing is a direct result of the excellent partnership IRS-CI has with the U.S. Attorney s office and other federal agencies. Together, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who are involved in money laundering activities in our community.”