Doping fears rule over TCM

An athlete looking for ways to improve his game in China would probably take a number of herbs and concoctions that are part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but not anymore. Fears that the chemicals in these products might trigger a positive doping result means that Chinese athletes are foregoing their use.

Ai Hua, a doctor for China's gymnastics and weightlifting teams during the Athens Olympics, told Bloomberg that traditional Chinese medicines may contain banned substances such as ephedrine or they could interact with one another to produce positive doping results.

Ai said that while some teams were still using TCM in 2004, athletes are avoiding using it for the Beijing Games.

The Chinese Olympics Committee published a list of banned herbs and animal parts and the commercial products containing them in 2005. The list was updated in December, Bloomberg reported.

TCM, which has been in existence for more than 2,000 years, uses a variety of plants or extracts from animal parts to help cure diseases and improve health.

Ai mentioned, for example, that potions containing deer penis are believed to increase blood flow while turtle blood is used to boost circulation. Angelica root, he pointed out, can help regulate the menstrual cycle while ginseng helps recovery from muscle fatigue.

Ai said that while one herb might not be a natural stimulant, when used in combination, it might produce a concoction with stimulant properties.

When Italian high jumper Antonella Bevilacqua was disqualified from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Bloomberg noted, she claimed that the ephedrine found in her system were from a Chinese weight loss medicine.

Vice Minister for Sports Cui Dalin emphasized how important the doping issue is during the Beijing Games. "We would rather lose gold medals than have our athletes caught doping," he was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.