What is "doping"?
The use of various prohibited methods and substances to increase performance is called "doping". The use of "doping" substance / method in order to increase performance in sports has been banned by the International Olympic Committee and Sports Federations as it negatively affects human health and prevents fair competition environment. Actions taken to change the results of "doping" tests, not giving / avoiding giving samples are interpreted as "doping" by the athlete. What are these substances and methods? It is handled in 3 titles. 1) Always (racing and non-racing) prohibited substances and methods: anabolic agents (to increase muscle strength and mass), hormones, etc. substances (such as growth hormone, insulin), beta-2 antagonists (other than asthma treatment), anti-estrogens, diuretics, methods that contribute to oxygen transport (such as blood transfusion), gene "doping" (manipulating genetic structure), "doping "Attempts to disrupt the quality of the sample (use of substances to replace urine, etc.). 2) Substances and methods prohibited only in races: stimulants (such as ephedrine used to increase alertness, concentration power and delay fatigue), narcotics (used to treat pain, euphoria), canaboids (used to reduce pre-encounter tension such as marijuana, hashish. ), glucocorticoids (used to prevent inflammation, reduce pain and give euphoric feeling). 3) Prohibited substances for some branches: alcohol (they use it to reduce hand tremors and excitement and increase self-confidence by suppressing the central nervous system before the encounter). Aviation, archery, automobile sports, billiards, karate, modern pentathlon (shooting), motorcycle sports, ski branches are prohibited. Beta blockers (used to control nervousness, reduce heart rate and hand tremors). Shooting, billiards, wrestling, aviation, gymnastics, skiing, modern pentathlon (shooting), motorcycle sports, archery, automobile sports, chess, sailing and swimming are prohibited. What should be done if the athlete has a disease and therefore needs to take medication (a chronic or acute health problem such as diabetes, asthma)? Before the encounter, information about the athlete's disease, the reason for the treatment, the dose, the place of application, the last time it was applied, and the reports should be given to the relevant institution. How is it determined from whom the doping sample will be taken and how are the procedures carried out? All of the transactions regarding "doping" by the relevant parties (from whom it will be taken to the announcement of the results) are carried out with a standard / legal procedure. When the sample will be taken is determined by the relevant federation and / or the Olympic committee. Before the competition, from whom the sample will be taken is determined by random / lot by the parties in an environment where the representatives of the parties are present, and then a document is signed and the person is informed that it should be in the "doping" center / room and give samples within the specified time frame. If the person does not come within this time frame, he is considered to have refused to give samples and is automatically considered "doped". At the doping center, sampling and information about the procedure is provided. Sealed containers to be used for sampling are opened in front of the parties and given to the athlete. The athlete gives the sample under the supervision of the sampler. Liquids such as water / fruit juice are kept in the environment as it may be difficult to give enough urine samples due to fluid losses after the activity. The athlete is kept in the "doping" center until enough samples are taken. As it will be remembered, in the last Olympics, our athlete Elvan was reflected in the media where he waited for hours to give enough urine samples. Then, in an environment with related parties, the sample is transferred to 2 separate containers (A and B) and their mouths are sealed. A samples and B samples taken from the athletes are put together in separate larger boxes and resealed. A samples are sent to the "doping" sample testing center approved by the "World Antidoping Doping Agency, WADA" within the framework of legal procedures. If a determination is made that "doping" is made in the studied A sample, the B sample of the same athlete is sent to another center for testing. If a similar result is obtained there, it is declared by the relevant persons that the athlete is "doping" and the necessary legal investigation and punishment procedures are carried out. The whole process is conducted confidentially, respecting personal rights and within the framework of determined rules. Are these substances harmful? Has. Besides, there are damages that threaten our health seriously and even lead to death. For example, "anabolic steroids (taken to increase muscle mass) cause many health problems such as increased risk of liver and prostate cancer, changes in sex characteristics, cessation of growth, decreased chance of having children. (taken with the aim of increasing and delaying fatigue) may cause a series of health problems ranging from extreme irritability, anorexia, insomnia, headache, confusion, paranoia, and cerebral hemorrhage. Are creatine, amino acid, vitamin and carbohydrate intake included in doping? Are there any problems that can be caused by taking these substances in our body? All of these substances are considered as natural substances in foods and are not considered within the scope of "doping". Those with liver and / or kidney problems should be careful about creatine, amino acid and vitamin intake and use of these substances. Therefore, it is beneficial for those who take these substances to have tests / examinations that reveal the kidney and liver function at regular intervals. "Doping" or banned substance use is an important issue that should be taken seriously in our country where sports are popular and widespread. Elite (at the national team level) athletes are heavily followed by the Federations or the Olympic Committee during the competition or externally. On the other hand, a significant number of amateur licensed athletes and athletes participating in activities in sports halls consciously or unconsciously use these prohibited drugs without supervision. The primary issues that need to be resolved are the easy availability of such drugs from pharmacies without a prescription, and illegal drug entries from abroad. I believe that training activities to be carried out by relevant institutions such as Federations, the Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Education will also contribute to the solution of the problem.