Unintentional use of doping refers to a situation where a prohibited substance enters the athlete’s body accidently, for example, through a nutritional supplement, food, medicine or physical contact. This means that the substance has not been intentionally consumed to improve performance, instead it may be due to unintentional exposure or the unpredictability of the product content.
According to the principle of strict liability, the athlete is always responsible for what is found in their body in connection with a doping test. Accidental exposure does not release from liability in the event of an anti-doping rule violation, but due care and preventive measures reduce the risk of an accidental anti-doping rule violation. Comprehensive documentation and due care may mitigate the consequence of a potential anti-doping rule violation.
Following the guidelines described below reduces the risk of an unintentional use of doping and may mitigate the consequences of an adverse analytical finding.
Nutritional supplements
Nutritional supplements are food products intended to supplement the normal diet of a healthy person. An athlete must check the list of prohibited substances themselves to see whether any prohibited substances are listed in the ingredients of the nutritional supplement in question. Nutritional supplements may occasionally contain prohibited substances even if they were not mentioned in the list of ingredients. Therefore, athletes should seriously consider the necessity of using nutritional supplements and assess the necessity and risks of use with an expert. FINCIS does not maintain a list of nutritional supplements categorising them as prohibited or permitted.
Instructions for athletes
- Keep a record of all nutritional supplements you take.
- Take a photo of the product so that the label, list of ingredients, manufacturer and batch number are visible.
- Record the products you use and the use date and report them in the doping control form in connection with the doping test.
A link to more detailed instructions on nutritional supplements can be found in the right-hand menu of the page.
Contaminated meat
The use of growth promoters in livestock farming can result in meat containing small amounts of anabolic agents such as trenbolone, zeranol or clenbuterol.
Instructions for athletes
- Be careful if you eat meat in high-risk countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, China, Colombia and Peru.
- Keep a record of where and what you ate (name of restaurant, photo, food diary).
- Avoid eating offal.
- Choose organic or “hormone-free” labelled meat.
- When abroad, eat in places you can trust, such as hotels, athlete villages, famous restaurants, and avoid street food and exotic meat dishes.
Positive doping tests results caused by contaminated meat are extremely rare. There are no known anti-doping rule violations related to meat sold in Finland.
Medicines
Medicines may also contain residues of other pharmacological substances. Contamination can occur in pharmaceutical companies if, for example, the equipment has not been properly cleaned between different production batches. In the EU, there is a high level of control of medications that have been issued with a marketing authorisation and there is practically no risk of contamination.
Instructions for athletes
- Record the names of all your medications
- Also retain the batch numbers if you purchase the medicine from outside the EU.
The Prohibited Substances and Methods in Sports, i.e. the products listed in KAMU and sold in Finland, are not contaminated with substances prohibited in sports on the basis of doping tests.
Physical contact
A prohibited pharmacological substance may also enter the athlete’s body through contact, for example, when handling another person’s or pet’s medicines or equipment. Contact with areas of skin or mucous membranes that have been coated with ointment containing a prohibited pharmacological substance may also lead to contamination. Residues may absorb through the skin or oral mucous membranes, which may be sufficient to produce an adverse analytical finding.
Instructions for athletes
- Always wash your hands after handling medicine.
- Wear protective gloves when handling other people’s or pets’ medicines.
- For example, do not touch another person’s skin areas where a product containing a prohibited pharmacological substance, such as testosterone gel, has been administered.