Running and the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs): an ongoing dilemma?

With regard to Kenya, it was reported in 2012 that its athletes were not blood tested at the domestic level, despite blood testing being crucial to help detect the endurance booster erythropoietin (EPO), blood transfusions, and human growth hormone. While the IAAF indicated it only took blood samples when Kenyans compete or train abroad, WADA highlighted the difficulty of testing in Kenya because of its remote location, transport difficulties, and costs (Jacquelin Magnay and Simon Hart, 'Wada says there is no blood testing for EPO in Kenya's big training centre for distance runners', The Telegraph, 31 Oct 2012).

In May 2013, research (funded by WADA) indicated that both Kenyan and Scottish runners improved their 3000-meter times by an average of 5% after taking EPO for four weeks with 3% improvement still evident after stopping use for four weeks. This was despite the Kenyans having higher hemoglobin and hematocrit values, markers that are related to red blood cell quality and density, and being based in Eldoret (elevation of close to 8,000 feet) compared to sea level for the Scots (Scott Douglas; Study: Kenyans Get Performance Boost From EPO, Runnersworld.com, May 31, 2013).

Tougher drug testing elsewhere may also explain why some countries have experienced a dramatic decline in terms of global running medals won. For example, after a unified Germany won 3 sprint medals at the 1991 World championships, it has won just 5 running medals since 1993 in 16 global championships (none since 2001).

Similarly, Western European countries, which won 26 sprint medals during the 1990s, have won just 9 medals since 2008. In the longer events, the decline has been from 40 to 19 medals for the same periods.

But it would be a mistake to imply that winning medals depends merely on the extent and scope of drug tests, including both in-competition-testing (ICT) and out-of-competition testing (OCT). For example, USA sprinters, subject to an extensive testing program which has caught several of its champions), have won an average 12.2 sprint medals per championship since 2008 compared to 10.8 during the 1990s (see table 1).

Testing loopholes remain evident. During 2013, WADA's director general David Howman noted the need to monitor the ongoing development of designer drugs and the use of smaller doses with regard to synthetic testosterone, HGH and EPO. With hopes for a new 'steroid passport' system, similar to the biological passport, WADA wants to detect changes in athletes' blood given that smaller doses can be undetectable in three to five hours (Colin Armstrong Drug Cheats in Sport Taking Smaller Doses to Avoid Being Caught Out', Addiction Helper, Courtesy of Press Association, Oct. 16, 2013).

It remains essential that all IAAF national affiliates commit to stringent testing for both domestic and international athletes. During 2012, a Kenyan doctor, caught in a sting operation by undercover German television reporters, claimed that foreign athletes came to his high altitude medical practice to access a cocktail of illegal drugs such as steroids, EPO and HGH (Jacquelin Magnay and Simon Hart, Wada says there is no blood testing for EPO in Kenya's big training centre for distance runners', The Telegraph, 31 Oct 2012).

Third, the importance of international testing is not only made evident by Jamaica conducting just 35 OCT for its track and field athletes during 2012, or Kenya conducting none. Rather, 2012 WADA data indicates that only ten national drug testing bodies conducted 200+ OCT urine tests, 19 100+, and 31 50+. Of OCT blood tests, only six national bodies conducted 50+ OCT, 12 20+ tests, and 16 10+.

Testing by the IAAF is even more crucial for nations who lack the will or resources to adopt an effective testing strategy. While 2012 WADA data indicates that the IAAF was responsible for 5817 of the total 27836 ICT and OCT tests for athletics in 2012 (20.9%), the IAAF's importance with regard to blood OCT was more important with 2215 of 3412 OCT tests (64.9%).

Table 3, which refers to data from the IAAF's Registered Testing Pool, indicates that athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia and Jamaica represent a significant portion of the 525 athletes subject to extensive testing.

Table 3: Selected countries from 2012 IAAF Registered Testing Pool data