Idman.biz
A few days ago, it became known that Azerbaijani cyclist Artyom Proskuryakov was temporarily suspended from the national team due to a positive doping test. The athlete's "scouting test" was conducted at the UCI Road World Championships held in Kigali (Rwanda) in September this year. Methamphetamine and its metabolites were found in the athlete's blood.
This news has caused widespread discussion on social networks.
Idman.Biz decided to investigate in which products methamphetamine can be found and how it affects the human body.
Methamphetamine is a powerful psychostimulant belonging to the amphetamine group, which has a serious effect on the central nervous system and can cause great damage to health. It is a highly addictive substance. Methamphetamine is not registered as a drug and its use is prohibited in most countries, including Azerbaijan. There are exceptions in some countries for rare preparations used in ADHD or obesity treatment. However, experts say that even the medical use of methamphetamine carries a high risk of addiction and can have a devastating effect on the body.
Dietitian Nargiz Ahmadova said in a statement to Idman.Biz that methamphetamine is not found in any legal weight loss product and is not found in legal nutraceuticals, vitamin complexes and sports nutrition:
"Methamphetamine is a synthetic psychostimulant belonging to the amphetamine group and is completely prohibited by anti-doping regulations. It is impossible for this substance to accidentally enter the body from standard weight loss products or pharmacy teas."
At the same time, the expert noted that there are many uncertified supplements, "fat burners" and slimming teas on the market. They may contain undeclared synthetic stimulants:
"These include phenethylamine derivatives, DMAA, DMBA, BMPEA and ephedrine analogues. The metabolites of these substances can cross-react in laboratory tests, creating an amphetamine-like profile, which is sometimes interpreted as the presence of methamphetamine. Such cases are especially common among teenagers and young athletes who use poor-quality energy or weight loss products purchased outside pharmacies. Stimulants in these products are usually not indicated on the packaging. Therefore, the detection of amphetamine traces in the blood of an 18-year-old athlete does not necessarily mean that he intentionally took a prohibited substance."
As for the effect of methamphetamine on sports results: psychoactive stimulants of the central nervous system can reduce the feeling of fatigue for a short time and create the effect of increased strength. However, their real impact on physical performance has not been fully studied.
A study published in the "British Journal of Sports Medicine" (2009) shows that small doses of L-methamphetamine (a non-abused amount of the substance) do not improve physical performance indicators on a stationary bike, but may slightly increase diastolic blood pressure.
A systematic review on the topic published in "Sports Medicine - Open" (2022) states that there is only one study examining the effect of methamphetamine on physical activity - namely the above-mentioned study. The authors emphasize that the data is not sufficient and that the effects of the substance need to be studied in more detail.
It should be noted that an investigation is currently underway into how prohibited substances entered Artyom Proskuryakov's body. The athlete has the right to demand a retest of sample B.
Leyla Eminova
