Education
WADA E-Learning
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SARMs in Sports: UIPM’s Guidance for Clean Competition
Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) have garnered significant attention in recent years for their alleged ability to enhance performance without the risks associated with anabolic steroids. However, for athletes, SARMs represent a grave threat—not just to health but also to their careers and the values of clean sport. The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) is committed to educating athletes about the dangers of SARMs and reinforcing the principles of fair play.
Understanding SARMs and Their Risks
Originally developed for therapeutic use, SARMs were intended to target muscle and bone tissues selectively while avoiding side effects on other organs. However, decades of research have failed to validate these claims, and SARMs have yet to receive clinical approval for any medical application.For athletes, SARMs pose numerous risks, including:
- Liver Toxicity: SARMs can cause significant strain on the liver, potentially leading to damage.
- Hormonal Disruption: These substances interfere with the body’s natural hormonal systems, causing testosterone suppression and long-term reproductive health issues.
- Cardiovascular Effects: SARMs have been linked to cholesterol imbalances and increased risks of heart-related complications.
Why SARMs Are Banned in Sports
SARMs are prohibited under WADA regulations due to their performance-enhancing effects and potential health risks. For UIPM athletes, the use of SARMs constitutes a violation of anti-doping rules and undermines the principles of clean sport. Strict liability ensures that athletes are held accountable for any banned substances detected in their systems, regardless of intent.
The Role of Social Media and Unregulated Markets
Social media has fueled the popularity of SARMs, often portraying them as "safe" alternatives to steroids. Unfortunately, these claims are misleading. Many SARMs products sold online are unregulated, mislabeled, or contaminated with harmful substances. For athletes, consuming these products increases the risk of inadvertent anti-doping violations and severe health consequences.
Recommendations for Athletes
To protect themselves and uphold the integrity of modern pentathlon, UIPM athletes should adopt the following practices:
- Avoid SARMs: Refrain from using any unregulated or prohibited substances.
- Stay Informed: Regularly review the WADA Prohibited List and seek guidance on anti-doping regulations.
- Supplements: Choose products from reputable suppliers that offer third-party testing and certification.
- Educate Your Team: Ensure that coaches, nutritionists, and support staff are fully aware of the risks associated with SARMs.
UIPM’s Commitment to Clean Sport
The UIPM is dedicated to promoting clean competition and safeguarding the health and careers of its athletes. Through education, workshops, and access to anti-doping resources, UIPM empowers athletes to make informed decisions and avoid the pitfalls of substances like SARMs.
In addition, UIPM encourages athletes to report any suspicious marketing practices or products to relevant authorities. By fostering a culture of vigilance and accountability, we can collectively uphold the values of clean sport.
Hydration in Sports: A UIPM Guide for Modern Pentathletes
For modern pentathletes, maintaining optimal hydration is critical not just for performance but also for safety. With events that demand a unique combination of endurance, precision, and mental focus, proper fluid management plays a key role in success. The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) is dedicated to educating athletes on science-backed strategies to optimize hydration while avoiding common pitfalls.
Why Hydration Matters for Pentathletes
During exercise, approximately 75% of the energy generated by the body is released as heat. Sweating helps to regulate this heat, but it also results in fluid loss that, if not replaced, can impair performance and increase health risks. For pentathletes, dehydration can compromise endurance, strength, concentration, and recovery—critical elements in multi-discipline events.Even mild dehydration, as little as 2-4% of body weight loss, can cause:
- Increased heart rate and core body temperature.
- Reduced blood flow to muscles and skin.
- Symptoms like muscle cramps, dizziness, and cognitive decline.
UIPM athletes must prioritize proactive hydration strategies to maintain peak physical and mental performance throughout their events.
UIPM’s Recommendations for Effective Hydration
1. Start Hydrated: Begin each training session or competition with optimal hydration levels.
- Drink water consistently throughout the day
- Include sodium-rich meals, which aid in fluid retention and balance
- Monitor hydration status by checking urine color; light yellow indicates good hydration.
2. During Exercise:
- For sessions under 30-40 minutes, water is typically sufficient
- For events lasting over 90 minutes, use a sports drink with 4-8% carbohydrates and 400-1100 mg of sodium per liter. This combination replenishes fluids, provides quick energy, and prevents muscle cramps.
3. Post-Exercise:
- Rehydrate by consuming approximately 1.5 liters of fluid per kilogram of body weight lost during the session.
- Pair fluids with sodium-rich foods to expedite recovery and restore electrolyte balance.
Risks of Overhydration
While dehydration is a well-known threat, overhydration—drinking excessive amounts of water without sufficient electrolytes—can be equally dangerous. This condition, known as hyponatremia, dilutes sodium levels in the blood and can cause nausea, headaches, muscle cramps, and even life-threatening complications.Endurance athletes are particularly at risk, especially those who drink large volumes of plain water during prolonged exercise. Studies have shown that some marathon runners finish events with a higher body weight than they started, indicating excessive fluid consumption.
UIPM Athletes Should:
- Follow thirst cues rather than adhering to outdated advice to “drink before you’re thirsty.”
- Balance fluid intake with electrolyte replenishment to prevent hyponatremia.
Hydration Challenges in Multi-Discipline Events
Modern pentathlons present unique hydration challenges, with athletes performing in different environments and transitioning between events. Managing hydration during and between disciplines is essential to maintaining performance across the competition.
UIPM recommends:
- Plan Ahead: Prepare tailored hydration strategies for each phase of the competition.
- Use Portable Solutions: Carry electrolyte tablets or compact sports drinks to hydrate effectively between events.
- Practice Hydration During Training: Test your strategies during practice to ensure they work under competition conditions.
Key Takeaways for Pentathletes
Stay Balanced: Hydration is about more than just water—it requires maintaining a proper balance of fluids and electrolytes.
Listen to Your Body: Use thirst as your guide and adjust your intake based on environmental conditions and exercise intensity.
Prepare and Practice: Hydration strategies should be part of your overall competition plan, tested and refined during training.
By prioritizing hydration, UIPM athletes can protect their health, elevate their performance, and compete at their best in the diverse and demanding disciplines of modern pentathlon.
VITAMINS, MINERALS AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamins and minerals (when not consumed in food form) are classified as dietary supplements. Amino acids, botanicals, herbs, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues and glandulars, and metabolites, are also classified as dietary supplements. Many athletes believe they do not get enough vitamins and minerals in their diet and wonder if they should start taking some sort of supplement; while other athletes are on a constant quest to find the latest diet or supplement that will give them a competitive edge.
The reality is that making wise food and beverage choices are crucial for peak performance and contribute to endurance and repair of injured tissues. A good working knowledge and understanding of foods that provide essential nutrients will aid in an athlete reaching their greatest potential.
Athletes have increased energy needs, which allows for more opportunities to obtain the nutrients they need through a balanced diet composed of a variety of natural foods. Most sports medicine professionals agree that unless an individual has a nutrient deficiency, supplementation may not improve athletic performance.
However, the athlete who takes a simple one-a-day type of vitamin or mineral that does not exceed the nutrient levels of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)/Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), is probably not doing any harm. An athlete should consult with his or her physician, or other health care professional, to determine whether vitamin and mineral supplementation is needed to maintain optimal health.
Nutrients that may be low in an athlete’s diet are listed in following chart. Choose a variety of foods in each food category to ensure that all nutrients are included in your diet.
Natural foods contain a matrix of various nutrients that researchers are continuing to discover and learn more about. Often individual nutrients don’t work as effectively when isolated in a pill or supplement form.
Self-prescribed supplement users should heed overdose warnings and look for symptoms of toxic levels of supplementation, such as diarrhea, skin rashes that do not fade, and unexplained joint pain. Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) can be toxic when misused. Unlike water soluble vitamins in which excess amounts are excreted in the urine, fat soluble vitamins are stored in body fat and remain in the body.
Athletes should always choose food over dietary supplementation. The body needs more than 40 nutrients every day and supplements do not contain all the nutrients that are found in food. Supplements cannot make up for a poor diet or poor beverage choices.
Athletes searching for a competitive edge often look to a supplement or a special combination of nutrients to find it. However, there are no quick-fix supplements for improving sports performance. Consuming a wide variety of foods and staying well hydrated are the basic cornerstones to reaching athletic potential.
For athletes subject to sport drug testing, taking nutritional or dietary supplements may cause a positive test for a prohibited substance that may not be disclosed on the product label. In accordance with all applicable rules for a positive test result within a sport, a sanction may be imposed.
Some trade associations and other businesses have programs that include analytical testing and quality assessment of dietary supplements, culminating in a “stamp of approval’ or a “guarantee” that the supplement is safe for use in sport. These programs may reduce the risk that a supplement is contaminated, or contains an undisclosed ingredient. HOWEVER, it does not eliminate this risk. Athletes who take dietary or nutritional supplements, even if claiming to be “approved” or “verified,” do so at their own risk of committing an anti-doping rule violation, or suffering from negative health side-effects.
You can find some advices in your National Anti-Doping Agency pages. example of such guide can be found here.
Risks of supplement use
There are thousands of nutrition supplements offered on the market and there are many claims that make these supplements sound attractive to athletes interested in performance, recovery, weight management, muscle building etc.
These potential benefits of supplements receive a lot of attention, but although supplements may, in some cases, provide an edge, there are also risks associated with the use of nutrition supplements.
- they may not work
- waste of money
- waste time and energy
- low quality
- may have opposite effect
- ingredient may not be present
- ingredient may not be listed
- contamination by prohibited substance such as steroids or diuretics
According to WADA´s principle of Strict Liability, every athlete is responsible for the presence of a prohibited substance or its markers/metabolites in his/her samples , irrespective of whether or not the Anti-Doping Rule violation was committed unintentionally or deliberately.
It is recommended to do a careful risk-benefit or cost-benefit analysis before using a nutrition supplement. This means: understanding the potential benefits and the evidence that the supplement may indeed (or may not) have the claimed effects. With cost it is not only meant financial costs but also the fact that a supplement could have negative effects on performance or on health. A risk could also mean that the supplement does not contain what it should contain. Perhaps there is less of the effective ingredient or there is too much of the active ingredient. It is also possible that there are substances in the supplement that were not listed in the label and it is even possible that some of these substances could result in a positive doping test. For elite athletes the risk of an adverse analytical finding could be devastating and potentially career ending.
Doping Control process
For Athletes
WADA’s Play True Quiz is an interactive game that tests athletes’ knowledge about anti-doping.
For Youth (Under 18)
Welcome to WADA’s Youth Zone, where you can find information on drug use in sport and why it is banned.
For Coaches
In order to cater to the various learning styles of coaches, WADA has created CoachTrue, a computer-based anti-doping learning tool.
IOC ANTI-DOPING RULES RIO 2016
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement and, in particular, the Olympic Games.
Any Person belonging in any capacity whatsoever to the Olympic Movement is bound by the provisions of the Olympic Charter and shall abide by the decisions of the IOC.
The Olympic Charter reflects the importance that the IOC places on the fight against doping in sport and its support for the World Anti-Doping Code as adopted by the IOC.
The IOC has established and adopted these [[{"attributes":{},"fields":{}}]] ([[{"attributes":{},"fields":{}}]]) in accordance with the Code, expecting that it will contribute to the fight against doping in the Olympic Movement.
The Rules are complemented by other IOC documents and WADA documents including inter alia the International Standards.
Scope Of These Anti-Doping Rules
These Rules apply in connection with the Olympic Games Rio 2016. They shall, without limitation, apply to all Doping Controls over which the IOC has jurisdiction in connection with the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
These Rules shall, without limitation, apply automatically to the IOC; all Athletes entered in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 or who have otherwise been made subject to the authority of the IOC in connection with the Olympic Games Rio 2016 (see below):
· all Athlete Support Personnel supporting such Athletes
· other Persons participating in, or accredited to, the Olympic Games Rio 2016 including, without any limitation, International Federations and NOCs
· any Person operating (even if only temporarily) under the authority of the IOC in connection with the Olympic Games Rio 2016
Athletes entered in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 or who have otherwise been made subject to the authority of IOC in connection with the Olympic Games Rio 2016 are bound by these Rules as a condition of eligibility to participate in the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
Athletes shall, without limitation, be subject to the authority of the IOC upon being put forward by their NOC as potential participants in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 in advance of the Period of the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and shall in particular be considered to be entered into the Olympic Games Rio 2016 upon being included in the final NOC delegation list or in any case, upon their signature of the Eligibility Conditions Form.
The Athlete Support Personnel supporting such Athletes and other Persons participating in, or accredited to, the Olympic Games Rio 2016 are bound by these Rules as a condition of such participation or accreditation.
Persons operating (even if only temporarily) under the authority of IOC in connection with the Olympic Games Rio 2016 are bound by these Rules as a condition of their participation or involvement in the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
Result management of anti-doping rules violation will be lead under [[{"attributes":{},"fields":{}}]] ([[{"attributes":{},"fields":{}}]]).
OLYMPIC MOVEMENT MEDICAL CODE – OMMC
IOC has decided to abrogate the current edition of the Olympic Movement Medical Code (OMMC) (- i.e. in force as from 1 October 2009) and replace it with a new version (- i.e. in force as from 31 March 2016). UIPM agreed compliance to the new Olympic Movement Medical Code which came into force 31 March 2016. The code can be found [[{"attributes":{},"fields":{}}]].
The new version of the OMMC conforms with IOC ethical standards, and applies to the Olympic Games, beginning with the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
The OMMC will help doctors to protect the health of athletes by enabling them to properly and ethically practice medicine.
Please note that this new version of the OMMC can be found also in French on the IOC website : http://www.olympic.org/medical-and-scientific-commission?tab-medicalcode