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World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada): Wada Happening with Drugs in Sport?
How can nandrolone be 'given' to athletes by accident?
The problem lies in the use of dietary supplements: as science has progressed, we know more about the effect of training and performance on athletes' bodies. In particular, it is recognised that it is important to replace vital minerals and electrolytes that are lost through exercise.
An IOC (International Olympic Committee) survey in 1992 tested more than 600 nutritional supplements, from many different countries of origin and found that almost a quarter of them contained anabolic steroids, or similar.
The question remains: why do modern professional athletes continue to take these supplements, when they know that there is a considerable risk that they will be caught?
This isn't easy to answer; it could be that athletes are prepared to take the risk that their supplement of choice is safe. Rusedski claimed that he knew that the supplements he used were safe, because he kept a record of all the products he used and, at his own expense, had them tested to guarantee their safety.
Putting aside any cynicism over action such as this, it's clear that some athletes are also badly advised over their use of supplements. In some cases, it is actually in the athlete's own commercial interests, in the short term at least, to use these products, due to sponsorship deals with suppliers. Then of course, there are the performance or training related benefits that may boost athletes' commercial value.