Doping, a performance-enhancing stimulant, comes in various forms, like medications, supplements, and hormones.
The use of doping has tarnished the titles of many athletes, leading to sanctions like the Indonesian team’s flag prohibition at the 2021 Thomas Cup because the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned the Indonesian team from hoisting the flag as a sanction for inadequate efforts to prevent doping use among Indonesian athletes.
Similarly, at the 2022 National Sports Week (PON) in Papua, several medalists (three gold medalists, one silver medalist, and one bronze medalist) were stripped of their titles due to doping.
Dr. Arko Jatmiko Wicaksono, a researcher at the Herbal Medicine Center and lecturer at UGM’s Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, alongside his team, discovered over 2,500 BPOM (Indonesian Food and Drug Administration) registered medications and supplements suspected of containing doping substances.
“Additionally, unregistered supplements are readily available, especially through online shops,” Dr. Wicaksono informed journalists on Friday (Feb. 16).
He highlighted pseudoephedrine, found in common flu medications, as a doping substance. This alkaloid and sympathomimetic agent, present in at least 318 registered BPOM medications since January 2024, is used to relieve nasal congestion but is strictly regulated and prohibited by WADA for athletes.
“For non-athletes, this compound may be consumed to alleviate flu symptoms. However, for athletes, such medications are heavily regulated and even prohibited by WADA,” Dr. Wicaksono said.
More than 400 doping substances are listed as prohibited by WADA, potentially present in dozens to hundreds of medications each.
“For each type of doping substance, it can be contained in dozens to hundreds of medications,” he added.
Dr. Wicaksono and undergraduate students Santi Andriyani and Christopher William from the UGM Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing compiled a list of medications and supplements containing doping substances circulating in Indonesia to address this. This comprehensive list was then transformed into an online search catalog on a website.
He collaborated with the National Sports Committee of Indonesia in Yogyakarta (KONI DIY) and Indonesian Digital Technology University (UTDI) students to develop the Doping Screening application.
Supported by the Indonesian Anti-Doping Organization (IADO) under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, this app aims to aid athletes, coaches, medical teams, and healthcare professionals determine whether a medication or supplement is safe for athletes.
“Our goal is to prevent athletes from unintentionally consuming doping substances,” Dr. Wicaksono emphasized.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photo: Freepik