Thoughts from the President: Be a Good Drug Testing Consumer
Larry Maile, Ph.D.
March 27, 2005

Drug testing is the future of sports. To know this, one only has to look at the news. Baseball players are testifying before Congress. Olympic athletes have too many cases in arbitration or before various courts to keep track of. What seems to be coming is a groundswell of sentiment that drug testing is both necessary and desirable. But then if you are reading this, you have already "put your money where your mouth is" by joining an organization that is dead serious about drug testing. This organization is one that was started on the premise that there is a need to clean up powerlifting, and to provide an outlet for those who wish to lift on a clean platform. Drug testing in USA Powerlifting has evolved over the years to take advantage of the most effective methods in the most cost effective manner possible to catch those using strength aids.

A Brief History of Drug Testing in USA Powerlifting:

At the time of the formation of USA Powerlifting (1981), there was no efficient technology of testing for anabolic steroid use. While the International Olympic Committee called for testing for doping agents after the 1968 Olympics, the technology did not exist to put these procedures into place until long after that. Powerlifting at the international level did not consider drug testing until the early 80's with implementation starting after that. None of these technologies were available to USAPL at our inception. The polygraph was the only possible mechanism to test for use of anabolic steroids. While a sensitive instrument in the hands of skilled examiner, there were concerns for the reliability and defensibility of the results the polygraph yielded.

In the later 1980's, with the emergence of the interest of forensic pathology laboratories in testing for drugs of abuse, a test for anabolic steroids became available at an affordable rate. This testing used a model that was similar to the one used in criminal or employment related cases and so began the era of urine testing for anabolics. With the implementation of improved technology and procedures, the system we follow today was perfected. This system included split (A and B) sample testing, accredited laboratories, use of the B sample as the first avenue of appeal when a positive A sample is found, and development of procedures for review of positive cases to assure that all parties have been treated fairly. I would note that with the proliferation of easily available, over the counter steroids, the International Olympic Committee has defined the responsibility for use of banned substances as being with the athlete. What that means, in blunt terms is if you have a banned substance in your system, you are responsible whether you knew it was there or if the substance was not allowed.

Questions for You to Ask to be An Informed Drug Test Consumer:

1. How many drug tests do you do? Our experience in USA Powerlifting has been that unless you do a high volume of tests, your testing program is ineffective. The minimum threshold is USAPL is 10%, although we end up doing more over the course of the year to assure that the appropriate people are tested. During 2004, USAPL did more than 800 drug tests.

2. Does testing occur at every level? Testing concentrated at the top levels of competition is not effective, nor is testing that only targets athletes at National Championships. Many drug test failures occur at the local and state level in USA Powerlifting. This makes sense when you consider that is the entry level, whether you are an elite athlete or a novice, you have to start out locally. Further, it is not defensible that local level lifters do not benefit from having their peers subject to testing. It is no more fair to lose to an athlete doping at your home gym meet than it is at the World Championships. The doping program must apply to all, otherwise, it does not serve as a deterrent to athletes using drugs but rather provides a haven for them to use until they are good enough to compete at the elite level. While elite athletes may be the targets of more frequent testing as befits their performance, every athlete who joins USA Powerlifting and who enters a competition is subject to drug testing.

3. Are all anabolic agents tested for? If drug screens do not test for all known or testable anabolic agents, athletes may pick and choose the drugs they want to use. For example, if the agents that are contained in over the counter steroids (the most common example is nandrolone) are excluded, then athletes may use these related substances rather than those that are being tested for. Likewise, if a "short panel" is being used, i.e. one that focuses on the most abused substances, athletes will substitute other drugs knowing that they aren't being tested for. Both of the laboratories used by USA Powerlifting use complete steroid panels.

4. Does the organization do Out of Meet Testing (OMT/OCT)? Out of competition testing, specifically that with minimal notice to the athlete is likely the only way to deter athletes who are inclined to use anabolic agents and "clean up" from doing so. If an athlete knows that he or she is only subject to testing during a competition, they are free to use drugs in the "off season" and taper off for the meet. If an organization does not do OCT, the commitment of that organization to eliminating doping must be questioned. Those athletes who attempt to avoid OCT must be suspect as to their use of doping agents, and are subject to penalties for that avoidance under the World Antidoping Code.

5. Is drug testing done through a reputable, accredited laboratory? Laboratories that are neither accredited or well thought of by peers in the industry must be suspect in terms of accuracy. Both of the laboratories used by USA Powerlifting have received accreditation by the relevant bodies. The UCLA Lab is WADA approved. Quest Diagnostics is an accredited Forensic Laboratory and subject to re-inspection and must be reaccredited every 90 days.

6. Is drug testing done with a split (A and B) sample? The current "state of the art" is split sample testing. The A sample is tested first, and if banned substances are detected, the athlete has the option of requesting that the B sample be tested. This provides protection for the athlete if he or she believes that a mistake was made, and protection for the organization in that it gives confirmation that the substance was actually detectable at the time the sample was collected. USAPL does only split sample testing.

7. Is there a defined appeal procedure beyond the B sample? If the athlete does not have access to procedures for appeal after a positive B sample is detected, it cannot be guaranteed that he or she has every opportunity to either explain or contest the findings. In USAPL, those who have received notice of a positive B sample are provided information on appeal procedures. These involve, potentially, two levels of appeal: the Custodial Board and an Executive Committee hearing. Those who receive a positive result in international competition may access the appeal procedures of the International Powerlifting Federation. The procedures at the two levels mirror each other. If appeal procedures are not available, you, the athlete must question if the procedures being used are defensible or whether they are even being done.

8. Are drug test positives ever reported? One of the unfortunate consequences of the availability of doping agents is that athletes use them. Knowing that, if an organization does not report positive results, we must conclude that either drug testing is not being done, or is not being done with great enough volume to find those using substances. The more testing done, the greater the chance of finding those using.

9. Is the drug testing program transparent? Finally, a viable drug testing program must be sufficiently transparent that athletes can see who is being tested, that positive lifters are being caught, and that testing is being applied across all levels of participants. USA Powerlifting publishes drug testing results via our drug testing data base: http://www.usapowerlifting.com/committees/drugtesting/drugtestingdb/index.php. Negative results (those that are "clean") are published as soon as received. Positive results are published as soon as the athlete in question has exhausted or failed to exercise their privilege to appeal. A question raised that speaks to transparency is whether specific lab results are returned, including values of substances detected. The WADA approved laboratories have made it a policy NOT to release specific amounts of a banned substance in an athlete's system to make it more difficult for athletes who use to taper use so that they fall below the accepted threshold. Most other laboratories that test for anabolics follow the WADA precedent. If a lab chooses to ignore this measure which is protective of drug testing accuracy, they are, in essence helping educate those who would use banned substances. Athletes are notified if positive as attested to by the laboratory, but not at what level.

To summarize, USA Powerlifting is committed to effective doping control. Our more than 20 years experience has allowed us to refine procedures and to adjust the amount of testing to maximize effectiveness. We are dedicated to a drug free platform. You, as informed consumers help us in continuing to improve our program and to recognize its effectiveness. Asking these questions of any drug tested sports organization will allow you to determine whether they REALLY want to eliminate drug use in their participants. If you see a tendency to avoid these questions and focus on flashy methodology, beware.

You may not be getting what you expect.

In health,
Larry