The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- May 24, 1999

Anabolic agents continue to be prevalent in drug-testing results

Drug-testing results for the January-June 1998 semester indicate that 60 of 5,986 NCAA student-athletes tested were ruled ineligible as the result of a positive drug test.

Twenty-two additional student-athletes were ruled ineligible during the August-December 1997 period for a total of 82 (of 10,562 tested) -- or 0.8 percent -- ruled ineligible during 1997-98. That number compares to about 1 percent in 1996-97 and 1995-96.

The January-June results include testing from championships in 10 NCAA sports, as well as year-round testing results in Divisions I and II football and Division I track.

Of the 60 positives for the January-June period, most were for anabolic agents (or masking agents), while 18 of the ineligibles involved marijuana. Three involved cocaine.

"Many and perhaps most of the nandrolone (anabolic agent) positives are actually positives for the banned steroid norandrostenedione," said Frank D. Uryasz, NCAA director of sports sciences. "We can't emphasize enough that athletes must avoid the use of supplements -- they contain banned drugs and can result in loss of eligibility. Norandrostenedione is often found in these supplement products."

Uryasz also said another banned substance, ephedrine, is found in many supplement products. Ephedrine showed up in eight of the positive test results.

"It's also called ephedra or ma huang," he said. "Regardless, the product is banned."

While the results for the January-June 1998 period showed no significant change in the number of positive test results, Uryasz did say that the types of banned substances caused some concern among the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.

"Three cocaine positives are disturbing," Uryasz said. "We haven't seen positive cases for cocaine in many years."

NCAA drug-testing policies stipulate that any student-athlete failing the test is ineligible for at least one year after testing positive, subject to appeal.

Uryasz also noted that the Association does not attempt to analyze the test results, and that it should not be inferred that the percentage of positive tests necessarily represents the percentage of student-athletes who are using drugs.

The report, however, is among data included in the NCAA Study of Substance Use and Abuse Habits of College Student-Athletes, copies of which may be obtained from the sports sciences staff at the national office.

The competitive-safeguards committee will review drug-testing results for the August-December 1998 period this summer.

NCAA banned-drug classes 1999-00

The following updated list of banned-drug classes is subject to change by the NCAA Executive Committee. Contact NCAA sports sciences or www.ncaa.org for the current list. The term "related substances" comprises substances that are included in the class by their pharmacological action and/or chemical structure. No substance belonging to the prohibited class may be used, regardless of whether it is specifically listed as an example.

Bylaw 31.2.3.1 Banned Drugs

The following is the list of banned-drug classes:

(a) Stimulants:

amiphenazole amphetamine

bemigride benzphetamine

bromantan caffeine1

chlorphentermine cocaine

cropropamide crothetamide

diethylpropion dimethylamphetamine

doxapram ephedrine

ethamivan ethylamphetamine

fencamfamine meclofenoxate

methamphetamine methylphenidate

nikethamide pemoline

pentetrazol phendimetrazine

phenmetrazine phentermine

picrotoxine pipradol

prolintane strychnine

and related compounds

(b) Anabolic Agents:

anabolic steroids androstenediol

androstenedione boldenone

clostebol dehydrochlormethyl-testosterone

dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) dihydrotestosterone (DHT)

dromostanolone fluoxymesterone

mesterolone methandienone

methenolone methyltestosterone

nandrolone norandrostenediol

norandrostenedione norethandrolone

oxandrolone oxymesterone

oxymetholone stanozolol

testosterone2

and related compounds

Other anabolic agents

clenbuterol

(c) Substances Banned for Specific Sports:

Rifle:

alcohol atenolol

metoprolol nadolol

pindolol propranolol

timolol

and related compounds

(d) Diuretics:

acetazolamide bendroflumethiazide

benzthiazide bumetanide

chlorothiazide chlorthalidone

ethacrynic acid flumethiazide

furosemide hydrochlorothiazide

hydroflumethiazide methyclothiazide

metolazone polythiazide

quinethazone spironolactone

triamterene trichlormethiazide

and related compounds

(e) Street Drugs:

heroin marijuana3

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)3

(f) Peptide Hormones and Analogues

chorionic gonadotrophin

corticotrophin (ACTH)

(HCG -- human chorionic gonadotrophin)

growth hormone (HGH, somatotrophin)

All the respective releasing factors of the above-mentioned substances also are banned.

erythropoietin (EPO) sermorelin

(g) Definitions of positive depends on the following:

1 for caffeine-if the concentration in urine exceeds 15 micrograms/ml.

2 for testosterone-if the administration of testosterone or the use of any other manipulation has the result of increasing the ratio of the total concentration of testosterone to that of epitestosterone in the urine to greater than 6:1, unless there is evidence that this ratio is due to a physiological or pathological condition.

3for marijuana and THC -- if the concentration in the urine of THC metabolite exceeds 15 nanograms/ml.

Bylaw 31.2.3.1.1 Drugs and Procedures Subject to Restrictions

The use of the following drugs and/or procedures is subject to certain restrictions and may or may not be permissible, depending on limitations expressed in these guidelines and/or quantities of these substances used:

(a) Blood Doping. The practice of blood doping (the intravenous injection of whole blood, packed red blood cells or blood substitutes) is prohibited and any evidence confirming use will be cause for action consistent with that taken for a positive drug test.

(b) Local Anesthetics. The Executive Committee will permit the limited use of local anesthetics under the following conditions:

(1) That procaine, xylocaine, carbocaine or any other local anesthetic may be used, but not cocaine;

(2) That only local or topical injections can be used (i.e., intravenous injections are not permitted), and

(3) That use is medically justified only when permitting the athlete to continue the competition without potential risk to his or her health.

(c) Manipulation of Urine Samples. The Executive Committee bans the use of substances and methods that alter the integrity and/or validity of urine samples provided during NCAA drug testing. Examples of banned methods are catheterization, urine substitution, and/or tampering or modification of renal excretion by the use of diuretics, probenecid, bromantan or related compounds, and epitestosterone administration.

(d) Beta 2 Agonists. The use of beta 2 agonists is permitted by inhalation only.

(e) Additional Analysis. Drug screening for select nonbanned substances may be conducted for nonpunitive purposes.

Drug-testing results -- Five-year comparison by program by year

PROGRAM		1993-94			1994-95			1995-96			1996-97			1997-98
	PI	PE	TOTAL	PI	PE	TOTAL	PI	PE	TOTAL	PI	PE	TOTAL	PI	PE	TOTAL
CHAMPS/BOWLS	6	6	1,670	17	1	1,275	31	5	2,270	24	8	2,220	27	5	1,927
YEAR-ROUND I FB	30	31	4,624	40	47	4,752	31	22	5,339	38	21	5,138	35	17	5,071
								35						18
YEAR-ROUND I TR	3	4	1,475	3	1	1,584	11	2	1,583	7	5	1,832	5	4	1,343
								4
YEAR-ROUND II FB				27	12	2,301	33	6	2,306	24	5	2,391	15	5	2,221
								8
TOTAL	39	41	7,769	87	61	9,912	106	35	11,489	93	39	11,581	82	31	10,562
								52						32