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World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada): Wada Happening with Drugs in Sport?
Ignorance on drugs
Whilst 'recreational' drugs are certainly banned by sports governing bodies, it isn't generally cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine that are the problem. There's a whole range of modern substances that are prohibited. It is one of these, nandrolone, that Greg Rusedski tested positive for, despite eventually being found innocent of the charge that he administered the substance deliberately, to gain a performance advantage.
Athletes have to be 100% responsible for what they put into their bodies. © iStock.com
All the same, some in sport still seem to be in the dark about drug use. The man in charge of UK men's tennis coaching, Mark Petchey, appears to be confusing performance enhancers with recreational drug use. Speaking about Rusedski's positive test, Petchey was quoted as saying:
"Greg is the ultimate professional. He's not a guy you see out on the party scene, that's why I'm so shocked. He would be the last guy that I would say would take performance-enhancing drugs."
Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid used to build muscle bulk. It is used by bodybuilders to highlight muscle definition. Powerlifters use nandrolone to bulk up their biceps. The way nandrolone works is to increase the amount of protein in muscle tissue, aid bone growth and stimulate red blood cell production, so greater levels of oxygen can get to the muscles.