The drug-testing methods used by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in detecting human growth hormone use by combat-sport fighters is considered inadequate by one expert.
Travis Tygart, the chief executive officer of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, told commissioners Wednesday during a monthly athletic commission meeting that the urinalysis testing fighters are subject to before and after a match will detect several illegal substances — just not human growth hormone.
“You aren’t going to find human growth hormone in urine,” Tygart said. “If you want to stop (HGH
use), you have to collect blood. There is no other way to detect it.”“When an athlete cheats with drugs, it is fraud,” Tygart said.
Not agreeing on drug-testing methods killed the potential mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao this year. Mayweather would only fight Pacquiao if he would be tested through a blood sample, which he refused.
So, Mayweather and Shane Mosley fought in May, with random blood and urine testing conducted. The fact that the tests were random was significant, Tygart said.
Human growth hormone only remains in the blood for 24 to 48 hours, making the uncertainty of when a test will be conducted a valuable resource in preventing its use, Tygart said.
The commission’s drug-testing plan has evolved in the last decade. It initially only tested a handful of fighters per card for drugs of abuse and steroids, but now tests eight to 10 fighters a card.
Additionally, the commission randomly contacts fighters for tests between matches, giving them 24 to 48 hours to be tested.
Las Vegas physician Robert Voy, who was formerly the chief medical officer for the United States Olympic Committee, has spend a significant portion of his career in the performance-enhancing detection industry. He told commissioners that detecting human growth hormone is still a work in progress.
“They have not been able to develop a reliable test four human growth hormone in blood analysis,” Voy said. “So far, it is not effective. It’s unreliable.”
Tygart, however, points to rugby player Terry Newton of England testing positive for human growth hormone in February using a blood test. It was one of few positive tests worldwide.
Tygart said scientists are working on developing another blood test that would detect HGH for 14 to 21 days after usage. He expects the new test to be ready in four months.
One argument against using blood testing is the potential harm it could have on a fighter’s strength. That is one of the reasons Pacquiao is against blood testing. But Voy said only 15 milliliters of blood is required for a sample, which “amounts to practically nothing.”
The current urine testing costs the commission $40 to screen for drugs of abuse and $155 for steroids. Blood testing would be an added expense but worth it, Tygart said.
“You guys deserve better. Your athletes deserve better,” he said.
Source: lasvegassun.com
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