Hi All,
Welcome to the sixth topic for 624EHS - Contemporary Issues in Equine Science.
This topic is all about drug use and abuse in sport. Make sure that you look at the launch video, which has been posted in the Classroom. Distance learning students have from now until 1 pm on Thursday 9th May to contribute to this blog, to debate the issues surrounding drugs in sport. Ensure you can also evidence your opinions and remember that you are also required to submit a reference list (word document emailed to module leader) by 1 pm on Thursday 9th of May. You will be graded on the quality and quantity of both your blog contributions and your reference list. Remember, the point of this is to debate the issues, so you should be replying to each other's posts. I will be keeping an eye on the blog, but if you have any issues, you should email me.
Rosa
Rules and regulations concerning drug use in equestrian sport are abundant. This has obvious benefits for equine welfare, however due to the sheer volume of rules it is becoming increasingly easy for people to accidentally break the rules, especially with increasing prevalence of prohibited substances in everyday feeds (Horse and Hound, 2018). The FEI sets the most thorough rules, which are closely mirrored by the BEF. These rules apply to all horses and ponies at all levels if they are competing under national rules in dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, para dressage, showjumping, reining and vaulting (BEF, 2019). However, this gives rise to the question of how well regulated lower or unaffiliated levels of competition are monitored. Although at these levels there are smaller prizes and often results do not affect qualifications for higher level competitions, the welfare of horses competing at these lower levels must be considered.
ReplyDeleteAbove comment by Emily Jolliffe
Deletethe FEI and the BEF both go off the same set of regulations regarding banned substances and testing in horses. however, these regulations of what is banned or controlled is extensive. due to this many may overlook the list and regulations, especially at lower levels. could it be argued that the regulations have gone too far? (FEI, 2019. BEF, 2019).
DeleteThe list of banded substances was established in 1967 by the IOC and has only grown since then (FEI, 2019; Motram, 1999). Yet, the amount of substances and methods banned in equine sport that must be detected far outweighs the amount in human sports (Fragaki et al, 2017). These may also be major factors in overlooking banned substances.
DeleteAbove by Lauren M
DeleteAt national championships with the British Riding Clubs within the rules it states that there is random drug tests. However this occurs rarly. This shows that at unaffliated level (although quite a high level of unaffliated) there is drug testing. But as Emily has said above it does not regulary occur at unaffliated level which concerns the welfare of the horse. Horses competing at an unaffliated level sometimes are older, or have previous injuries that prevent them from competing to a high level. A key issues is the use of NSAIDs such as bute which has been proven to comprimise the welfare of the horse. So maybe there should be a push to introduce drug testing at lower levels and at unaffliated competitions.
DeleteIt is clear that doping in the equine sport is an ongoing issue. There have been previous high profile cases of riders being eliminated at the 2008 Olympic games in Athens. This has also been seen to be an issue across all disciplines including endurance which between 2010 and 2012 reported 41 cases of equine doping. It is also seen in racing where 22 horses at the Godolphin training establishment were tested with a positive result to banned substances (Horsejournals, 2013).
ReplyDeleteDrugs are defined as a substance which has a psychological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body (Oxford Dictionary, 2019) and Doping is defined as the use of a substance to illegally improve athletic performance (Mirriam-Webster, 2019). By these definitions doping has been a recognised serious issue for over 30 years and it is still ongoing.
DeleteIn agreement with Mia's point, this can be seen in 2017 when the German team lost their silver medal at Europeans, 2 British showjumping champions lost their titles and 3 top US eventing riders were banned for 1 year when their horses tested positive for banned substances (Horse and Hound, 2017a; Horse and Hound, 2017b; Horse and Hound, 2018a; Horse and Hound, 2018b).
Doping is defined as the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers’ banned; the use or the attempted use of a prohibited substances or a prohibited method; the refusing or the failing, without compelling justification, to submit to sample collection; the violation of applicable requirements regarding athlete availability for out-of-competition testing; the tampering or the attempting to tamper with any part of doping control; the possession of prohibited substances and prohibited methods; the trafficking or the attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited methods; the administration or the attempted administration to any athlete of any prohibited methods or prohibited substances, or the assisting, the encouraging, the aiding, the abetting, the covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or any attempted anti-doping rule violation (WADA, 2017).
DeleteDoping is defiantly an ongoing issue and seems that since the 2004 and 2008 Olympics there is more awareness and alot more cases that have come out. Also, not just the Olympics or racing but Endurance, showing and Eventing.
DeleteA lot of doping issues focus on riders and horses who were disqualified, banned or lost their titles because they were doping, however, there is also the issue of other riders doping the competition. In early 2018, 2 Hungarian riders had their horses doped by a rival in order to get onto the European championship team. Therefore, doping is not just an issue perpetuated by riders wishing to boost their horses performance, but also by rivals wanting to weaken the performance of other's horses (Horse and Hound, 2018c); FEI, 2018).
ReplyDeleteHowever, who is to blame for the doping? Recently the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the governing body of equestrian sports in America, has clarified and extended the responsible parties in doping situations. Previously those responsible when the horse tested positive for performance enhancing drugs was just the trainer. Under the new rule those responsible would also include the rider, owner of the horse, and support personnel (including grooms, handlers, and veterinarians) (Jordan, 2016)
DeleteHowever it is not only a problem in equestrian sport, but additionally human sport. The use of doping agents is evident within competitive sport in both senior and junior age categories, where they are taken by non-elite as well as elite participants. They are also taken in non-sporting contexts by individuals seeking to improve their physique through an increase in muscle or decrease in fat mass (Bird et al, 2015).
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ReplyDeleteI agree Daisy. In other non equine sports, drug use is far more likely (in the human) due to success in competition being solely reliant on the athlete themselves. The use of drugs in humans for the equestrian sport is also still a prevalent matter however, due to the physical demand riding inflicts, with some athletes wanting to reduce fatigue or improve their strength to increase success. Prohibited substances for humans in competition are grouped into Stimulants, Narcotics, Cannabinoids and Glucocorticoids (Inlcuding mainstream substances such as Cannabis, Hydrocortizone, Morphine etc.) (WADA, 2019).
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with is as this is quite clear and putting it that way that Cyclist only have to think about their performance. However, its about rider and horse and should be as important in both
DeleteNot only in equestrian sport, but in general an athlete is rarely tested for prohibited substances. According to (Savulescu, 2004), only 10-15% of athletes get tested at an event. This low test rate, combined with the increased possibility of success and the effectiveness of the drugs available are all factors of persuasion toward the use of drugs, for both the human and horse athletes. The study completed by (Savulescu, 2004) also looked at the use of anabolic steroid androgen levels in the human athlete, and found that even doses much lower than permitted amount could increase muscular strength by as much as 5%!!
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, doping can have other severe health consequences. There is evidence that the use of doping agents such as anabolic androgenic steroids, growth hormone and other anabolic agents, erythropoietin and stimulants conveys considerable health risks that include, but are not limited to: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, mental health issues, virilisation in females and the suppression of naturally produced androgens in males (Bird et al, 2016).
DeleteAs Daisy mentioned, anabolic steroids can have severe health consequences. What is concerning, however, is how little regulation there seems to be of anabolic steroids on the market. Anabolic steroids are a type of drug which can be used to create 'designer drugs'. These are drugs which have been adapted to make them undetectable from other legal substances. This can be done in both humans and equines, and most worryingly they can be easily purchased online by anyone (Bird et al., 2016; Fragkaki et al., 2017). Thus there needs to be stricter regulation of drugs being sold online without the need for any identification or qualifications to buy them. The responsibility for this may fall to drug manufacturers, and online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay.
DeleteThe use of prohibited substances is considered to be a major global problem among sports players in and out of sports events. For several decades, many professional athletes were using performance enhancing drugs especially during competitions. The use of these prohibited substances can lead to serious and harmful health hazards, including anti-social behavior, dependencies and even deaths. Several cases died as consequences of such use. For example, in 1967, the post mortem analysis of Tom Simpson–a professional British cyclist- found that he had taken amphetamines and alcohol combination. Some athletes are aware of the substances’ health hazards at variable degrees; however, others need more awareness and education on numerous prohibited substances, as doping is becoming more common in not only elite athletes, but student and recreational athletes (Ghobain et al, 2016).
DeleteWithin the equine industry it is often the horse testing positive for phobitited substances. There is not always a focus on the rider. Atricles from websites such as the Horse and Hound generally focus on any postitive drug tests on the horses and very little information is avaliable on the human aspect. But if the riders took phobitied substances this can improve the performance so it is recommended that the rider should be tested more often.
ReplyDeleteI agree that although there should absolutely be a focus on equine welfare, as horses do not get a choice in what (if any) drugs their owner chooses to administrate, there seems to be a lack of focus on human drug testing in equestrian sport. In 2018, the FEI conducted a review into Regumate products. This product contains altrenogest and is used to reduce mareish behaviour in competition mares. However traces of some steroids have been found in altrenogest products which could alter athletic performance (BEF, 2019). Thus, the rules surrounding drug use in horses are regularly being reviewed by governing bodies, however rules surrounding human doping in equestrian sport are harder to find and receive far less attention in equestrian media. This needs changing, because as the FEI state, doping is fundamentally contrary to the spirit of sport (FEI, 2019). Thus it doesn't matter if the horse, rider or both have drugs in their system, the competition must remain fair to ensure that competitions are won based on the merits of the athlete (Fragkaki et al., 2017).
DeleteTotally agree with the first statement. There is alot of research and information on horse doping in the industry and not much on riders doping as said doping of rider is just as important as could affect the performance of the rider.
DeleteAs has been discussed, there is often little focus on human doping in equine sports. However one area which has been focused on is the use of diuretics by racing jockeys. Jockeys have to weight in before and after racing to ensure they meet weight requirements and have not cheated. If they do not meet the requirements, they are disqualified (McGuane et al., 2018). Thus there is extreme pressure on jockeys to closely monitor their weight. This has lead to use of 'wasting' techniques to lose large amounts of weight in short periods of time. This includes the use of diuretic drugs, which serve to dehydrate the individual taking them and thus 'water weight' is lost. Extensive use of diuretic drugs has been suggested to have long-term impacts on the kidneys and liver (McGuane et al., 2018). As a result, many diuretic drugs are banned during competition. However due to the pressure on jockeys to meet weight requirements, many may use them in the run up to a race. Thus it could be argued that weight requirements in racing need changing to reduce the use of wasting techniques by jockeys.
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DeleteAn argument to change the weight requirements is also the psychological effects on Jockeys. Rapid weight loss and eating to maintain this weight has proven to have negative effects on the mood and overall psychological well-being off jockeys. This could have severe impacts on their overall health; physical, emotional and psychological; in the long term. Also, drugs can often have negative mental side effects. Diuretics do not have these side effects but the side effects that they can cause could worsen the mental health of a jockey (Caulfield and Karageorghis, 2007).
DeleteYes, the mental consequences of a jockey's lifestyle are severe. Although a change in weight requirements would be ideal to reduce the issue, a problem with allowing heavier jockeys is that this may have impacts on the welfare of the horses. Racehorses are often young and their growth plates often haven't fully closed. As such, placing additional weight on the back may cause issues such as kissing spines, arthritis or behavioural issues due to pain.
DeleteThere have been some recent challanges in detection of substances in the equine athlete. There are two main methods of detection these include, urine samples and plasma samples. The latest developments in analytical instruments permit the direct injection of urine samples into the LC–MS systems (dilute-and-shoot methods) avoiding the time-consuming sample pretreatments. However, few dilute-and-shoot methods have been established for the initial screening tests in equine urine. This is due to the complexity of equine urine matrix and the caused ion suppression and the extensive drug metabolism in horses, which is not well- known in every case (Fragkaki et al, 2017).
ReplyDeleteIn a recent case of positive testing of drugs under investigation completely understands that it was a mistake and that being very careful in the timing of taking horses of certain supplements is important. Also that a clean sport is important and that looking at the different rules is important.
ReplyDelete(Robinson,2019)
Social media plays a massive role in publishing doping in the industry and some cases it makes the situations worse as some of the facts may not be fully correct or expanded on. However, it is good to make is aware and more understanding of doping and the effects it has on owners, riders and around the world.
ReplyDeleteAdding on to this Horse and Hound are the main source of knowing whats happening and the positive tests of doping. There are Pros and Cons of this
DeleteThe fact that social media does play a large part in making the public aware of positive drug tests this should make a lot of high profile riders think twice before partaking in the pratice as even if the positive drug test is later revoked, the publics opinion of that rider will always be reduced. This could then sop sponserships. However as high profile riders still provide their horse's with illegal substance shows that there is only a small chance of these pratices ever being completely removed from sport.
DeleteTechnology like in most sports is becoming more envoloving over the years and at a faster rate. So with new methods of drug using maybe in the pipe lines which maybe being used will new methods of illegal drug use emerge ?
ReplyDelete(Hallas-Kilcoyne, 2016)
Or is this an indication that new horse doping practices, which are more difficult to detect, are being used?
And if this is the case how might the FEI combat the new methods so as to safeguard the welfare of elite performance horses?
As I discussed earlier, designer drugs seem to be the newest way of doping for competition. These drugs are adapted to be undetectable from other, legal, substances (Fragkaki et al. 2017). As discussed by Waller and McLeod, (2017), one of the biggest concerns surrounding these modified drugs is that there is little documentation of their use in horses. As such, their consequences on equine welfare are unknown and potentially severe. One known side effect in horses is delayed epiphyseal growth plate closure. Obviously, this leads to a hugely increased risk of injury during training, especially in racing where horses start training at a very young age (Waller and McLeod, 2017).
DeleteIn regards to the horse, it could be said that equine welfare is compromised when an athlete (the rider) gives the horse drugs to improve performance, as the horse itself cannot make a conscious decision to take or not take the given drugs (Jordan, 2016). A British rider was falsely accused of doping her horse, however accusation was revoked due to the cause of the positive androgenic steroid originate from feed contamination (Horse&Hound, 2018).
ReplyDelete**Anabolic
DeleteAnother high profile rider's horse obtained a positive drugs test due to the rider giving the horse prition to reduce its coughing. Vets often prescribe this for animals as it does not have any large health risks. Ideally the vet should of known what level the horse was and not prescribed the medication and the rider should of known it was an illegal substance. This shows that more education is needed. But like the British rider above sometimes it is not a mallicious thing when a horse is tested positive sometimes it is an unaviodable thing or the rider was trying to help the horse (Horse and Hound, 2018).
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ReplyDeleteA drug is defined by the English dictionary as a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. The use of performance enhancing drugs in the modern Olympics is on record as early as the games of the third Olympiad, when Thomas Hicks won the marathon after receiving an injection of strychnine in the middle of the race.The first official ban on “stimulating substances” by a sporting organisation was introduced by the International Amateur Athletic Federation in 1928 (Savulescu, J. 2004) (leanne bull)
ReplyDeleteAs athletic pursuits became more competitive, and more lucrative, any additional improvement in performance leads to increased individual recognition, greater rewards, and increased acclaim—perhaps worldwide accolades. Thus performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) were developed to improve athletic numbers by enhancing cognition, stamina, strength, and power above and beyond what accepted traditional training methods produced, Athletes reportedly now abuse compounds affecting cellular organelles and biochemical processes down to the nuclear transcription/translation level. However, all substances that enhance performance will also cause side effects with potential serious or lethal consequences. It behooves athletes, coaches, and trainers to educate themselves on the risks—legal, biological, psychological—in using these substances.(Gary R.Gaffney.2017)
ReplyDelete(above comment by leanne bull)
ReplyDeletethe most common use drug used in men is anabolic steroids which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and as such, because they present a serious health threat to athlete.
ReplyDeletePhysical side effects may arise. In men, these include baldness, infertility, prominent breasts, shrunken testicles, and impotence. In women, enlarged clitoris, baldness, deeper voice, increased body hair, and infrequent or absent periods. In both genders, dependence, heart problems, liver abnormalities, enlargement of the prostate gland, inhibited growth, acne and aggressive behaviour. Although in higher level competitions drug tests are taken, this does not mean that for athletes of a lower level that the drugs are not being used to try and enhance performance (Moore.2018) (Leanne bull)
A Trainer was fined £2,000 after human hair product causes positive dope test on racehorse,
ReplyDeleteA hair regrowth product was to blame for two racehorses failing drug tests, the British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) disciplinary panel. considering the use of this shampoo was unknown to be against competition rules, a fine of £2000 seems harsh also the ingredients which flagged up on the drug test. However, on the other hand the serious precautions taken are positive as they send a message out to other owners and trainer to take extra precautions and that drug use will not go un noticed or un-punished. (Hourse and hound 2018) (Leanne bull)