Masters Athletes Represent One-Third of Steroid Users Caught by USADA

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Over one-third of athletes testing positive for anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs are masters athletes. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has suspended nine masters athletes for doping violations in 2011; four of those athletes were in their fifties and sixties. Many of those athletes were only guilty of using steroids therapeutically as part of a testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) protocol.

USADA has only caught a total of 25 athletes at all levels of competition. But they are unrepentant about targeting elderly steroid users competing in sports. They point to the need to eradicate doping at every level of sport.

Critics believe that USADA’s pursuit of masters athletes is petty and represents a waste of limited resources that could be better used to tackle the problem of doping in high-level, elite sports.

Masters athletes are more likely to use TRT to maintain their health and well-being as their naturally-produced testosterone levels tend to drop with age. Many critics feel USADA is penalizing athletes who use medications for health purposes only.

“I think it’s a bigger issue that masters track needs to fess up to,” according to masters athlete Craig Shumaker. “People want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and there are medicines that can help you, so why should that ban you from competing?”

The World Anti-Doping Code requires a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) before an athlete is allowed to use any drug that is listed on the prohibited substances list. Anabolic steroids, like testosterone, are theoretically permitted if a TUE is granted.

The 63-year old Shumaker was suspended for two years after using  steroids for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). He did not seek a TUE. He still has no intentions of discontinuing TRT. He would rather be banned from competition indefinitely rather than compromise his health and well-being.

Shumaker argues that the process required to obtain a TUE is too extensive and burdensome for masters athletes who are primarily motivated by comraderie rather than a big pay day.

Gary Snyder, the chair of the masters competitions for USA Track and Field, defends steroid testing as good for the sport and blames masters athletes for being too lazy to learn about the doping policies.

“People had ample opportunity to listen in, ask questions, find out if they were possibly taking medication they shouldn’t have,” said Snyder. “My opinion is these three folks apparently didn’t attend them, or didn’t spend the time and energy to go online.”

Source:

Associated Press. (November 24, 2011). Masters at cheating: Suspensions go up after doping police ramp up testing on older athletes. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/