Acronyms/Glossary
ADAMS - the Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) is a web-based database management system that records athletes’ information, required to fulfil the World Anti-Doping Code. Fancy Bear illegally obtained the data from an account in ADAMS, created especially for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and had access to the TUE history of athletes that participated in the Games.
ADRVs - Anti-Doping Rule Violations. In the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code, there are 10 ADRVs: The presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample; Use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method; Evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection; Whereabouts failures: any combination of three missed tests and/or filing failures within a 12-month period by an athlete in a registered testing pool; Tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control; Possession of a prohibited substance or prohibited method; Trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited method; Administration or attempted administration to any athlete in-competition of any prohibited method or prohibited substance, or administration or attempted administration to any athlete out-of-competition of any prohibited method or any prohibited substance that is prohibited out-of-competition; Complicity—assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of intentional complicity involving an ADRV or any attempted ADRV; Prohibited Association—associating with a person such as a coach, doctor or physio who has been found guilty of a criminal or disciplinary offence equivalent to a doping violation.191
Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) - The ABP enables the capture and recording of the results of blood tests on individual athletes, over time. Athletes can be banned purely on their blood test results if a panel of experts agree that a series of off-scores suggested an “overwhelming likelihood” of doping. The ABP program is administered through WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS), a secure online database whose purpose is to assist stakeholders and WADA in their anti-doping operations.192
Blood doping - consists of increasing the number of circulating oxygen-carrying red blood cells, either by transfusing the red blood cells directly into the bloodstream or by stimulating the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells than it normally would. Having more red blood cells increases the amount of oxygen that can be transferred to exercising muscles and so helps an athlete’s performance. It is of most benefit to middle or long-distance runners, or those competing in other endurance sports such as cycling or the triathlon, as it can reduce the time taken to run 1500 metres by several seconds.193
British Cycling - the main national governing body for cycle sport in Great Britain. It represents Britain at the world body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and selects national teams, including the Great Britain (GB) Cycling Team.
Budesonide - a medication of the corticosteroid type. The inhaled form is used in the long-term management of asthmas and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Calcitonin - a hormone produced and released by parafollicular cells (known as C-cells) of the thyroid gland. It can be used unconventionally, to prevent stress fractures in athletes.
Corticosteroid - a class of steroid hormones, taken either as tablets, through intramuscular or intravenous injection, or rectally. It is commonly used to treat illnesses such as asthma, inflammatory arthritis and joint problems, severe allergy, bowel inflammation and skin rashes. It can result in increased effort and energy, due to higher amounts of glucose during exercise, can reduce muscle swelling and pain due to its anti-inflammatory properties, and can decrease the feeling of tiredness. Prolonged use of cortisone leads to muscle and tendon injuries. Used without good cause it is a banned drug under the WADA Code, and a TUE is needed if it is to be used.
Erythropoietin (EPO) - a drug that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells than it normally would, and is used in the treatment of anaemia related to kidney disease. WADA states that its misuse can lead to serious health risks for athletes who use EPO, simply to gain a competitive edge.194 Risks include heart disease, stroke, and cerebral or pulmonary embolism, and the most dangerous time for athletes who have taken EPO is at night, as an excess of red blood cells in circulation can thick and clot when the athlete is inactive.195 The misuse of recombinant human EPO may also lead to autoimmune diseases.
Fancy Bear - In September 2016, a Russian cyber espionage group called Fancy Bear used an IOC-created account to gain access to WADA’s Anti-doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) database. The hackers used the website fancybear.net to leak Olympic drug testing files of several athletes who had used TUEs, from across the world.
Ferrous sulphate – a supplement used to treat iron deficiency anaemia. It increases levels of testosterone.
Fluimucil - a decongestant, which removes mucus from the airway. It is unlicensed in the UK, but there are licensed tablets since July 2016.
International Association of Athletics (IAAF) - the international governing body for the sport of athletics. Sebastian Coe has been president of the IAAF since 2015.
L-carnitine - a naturally-occurring amino acid derivative, involved in metabolism in most mammals, plants and some bacteria. A research group at the University of Nottingham found that recreational athletes who had received carnitine supplementation “reduced perception of effort and increased work output during a validated exercise performance test […] a major finding of the present study has to be that the increase in muscle [total carnitine] content after 24 weeks of supplementation resulted in a 35% increase in work output compared to Control (and an 11% increase from baseline).196 Infusions of more than 50ml in the space of six hours are prohibited.
Nike Oregon Project - The Nike Oregon Project was formed in 2001, at the request of Alberto Salazar, to increase the performance of elite US athletes. Mo Farah joined the programme in 2011.
NutraMet - The Nottingham group developed a patented product called NutraMet, developed by the Nottingham group to monetise their research into L-carnitine (see above). NutraMet has to be taken over a prolonged period, with noticeable results after 24 weeks usage.
Off-score - a variable in athlete’s blood analysis, calculated from the haemoglobin (a protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood) concentration, the reticulocyte (immature blood cells) percentage, to indicate abnormal results.
Salbutamol -a medication that opens up the medium and large airways in the lungs, used to treat asthma, including asthma attacks, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It may also be used to treat high blood potassium levels. It is usually taken with an inhaler or nebulizer, but can also be taken in pill form, and intravenously. Salbutamol was on the TUEs list, under the 2010 WADA prohibited list. This requirement was relaxed in the 2011 list, which stated that the use of salbutamol (maximum 1600 micrograms over 24 hours) and salmeterol (taken by inhalation) was allowed.
Team Sky - A British professional cycling team established in 2010, with the major sponsorship previously provided by BskyB. It competes in the UCI World Tour. The team is managed by British Cycling’s former performance director Sir Dave Brailsford.
Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) - Therapeutic Use Exemptions enable athletes to obtain authorisation to use a prescribed prohibited substance or method for the treatment of a legitimate medical condition.197 The list of prohibited medication is decided by WADA.198 For a national governing body to approve a TUE, there are strict rules: that the athlete would suffer significant health problems without taking the substance; that it would not be significantly performance-enhancing; that there is no reasonable therapeutic alternative; and the need to use it is not due to prior use without a TUE. Some substances are prohibited at all times, while others are prohibited only during competition periods. Some substances are prohibited in certain sports: alcohol is prohibited for motorsports competitors while in competition; beta-blockers are prohibited at all times in archery; but neither alcohol nor beta-blockers are prohibited in cycling or in football.
Thyroxine – The main hormone secreted into the bloodstream by the thyroid gland. It can be used to increase levels of testosterone.
Tramadol - a painkilling opiate, used by cyclists for pain reduction, inflammation, injury, and performance gains. There are concerns over the side effects, including reduced awareness, dizziness, drowsiness, addictive qualities, and psychological dependence.
Triamcinolone - a corticosteroid, given orally, by injection, by inhalation, or in a cream. It is used to treat medical conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, allergies, and asthma. Kenacort is one of its tradenames. Triamcinolone causes the breakdown of muscle (in contrast to anabolic steroids, which cause the breakdown of muscle mass). This means that triamcinolone is highly effective for cycling, where the need for low mass and high strength is important.
UK Anti-Doping Ltd (UKAD) - a non-departmental public body, accountable to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is responsible for implementing and managing the UK’s national anti-doping policy, and ensuring that all sports bodies in the UK comply with the World Anti-Doping Code, as set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). UKAD is responsible for charging athletes or athlete support personnel who have committed an ADRV, which the athlete or support personnel can either accept or challenge through an established legal process.
UK Athletics - the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom, responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK. It was rebranded in 2013 as British Athletics, although it remains legally known as UK Athletics and continues to use the name UK Athletics in internal governance.
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) - the world governing body of cycling for sports cycling. It was founded in Paris in 1900, is now based in Switzerland, and is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Tour de France is the UCI’s flagship event. The UCI’s licence commission overseas the registration of professional cycling teams. The Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) defines and implements the doping control strategy on behalf of the UCI.
United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) - The national anti-doping organisation in the United States for Olympic, Paralympic, and Pan American sport. It is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code.
Vitamin D – Vitamin D is important for optimal skeletal and muscle function. High concentrations of Vitamin D are thought to increase levels of testosterone.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) - A foundation formed in 1999 by the International Olympic Committee to promote, co-ordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. Its 38-member foundation board comprises of the IOC and national governments representatives. The World Anti-Doping Code aims to harmonise anti-doping regulations in all sports and countries, and published an annual list of prohibited substances and methods that sports people are not allowed to use or to take.
World Anti-Doping Code - a document that harmonises anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport organisations and across public authorities around the world. It works in conjunction with five international standards, which aim to foster consistency among anti-doping organisations, in: testing; laboratories; TUEs; the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods; and the protection of privacy and personal information.
191 UKAD, About ADRVs
192 The ABP program is administered through WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS), a secure online database whose purpose is to assist stakeholders and WADA in their anti-doping operations: Q74 [name needed]
194 WADA, What are the side effects of EPO misuse?
195 Qq 9 and 43 [Dr Ashenden]
196 Benjamin T. Wall, Francis B. Stephens, Dumitru Constantin-Teodosiu, Kanagaraj Marimuthu, Ian A. Macdonald and Paul L. Greenhaff, “Chronic oral ingestion of L-carnitine and carbohydrate increases muscle content and alters muscle fuel metabolism during exercise in humans”, J. Physiol, 589.4 (2011), pp.196-973. First published online January 4th 2011.
2 March 2018