Human anti-doping
If you're competing at affiliated national or international level, it's vital that you understand the rules and guidance surrounding anti-doping for both humans and equines. This section of the website focuses on the rules around human anti-doping – to find out more about equine anti-doping, click here.
Human anti-doping rules exist to protect the health and welfare of athletes at the same time as protecting the integrity of the sport itself and ensuring a level playing field. British Equestrian supports both the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) and UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) in its human anti-doping work.
The PROHIBITED LIST FOR HUMAN ATHLETES – 2023
New! The World Anti Doping Agency Prohibited List for 2023 is now published which comes into effect on 1 January 2023.
Athletes who take regular medication should recheck their medication against the 2023 List. In case they take a medication that has changed status (is now prohibited) they should apply for a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption) where necessary.
Athlete support personnel should ensure they are familiar with the 2023 List and its changes.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) publishes and maintains a list of the substances and methods which are:
Prohibited at all times (both in-competition and out-of-competition); or
Prohibited in-competition* only (athletes can be tested for these substances or methods during the in-competition period. The substance/method is not forbidden at other times); or
Prohibited in specific sports only.
Within these categories, some substances are "conditional" – athletes are allowed to take up to a specific dose or within a specific dosage range but outside of that dose or range the substance is prohibited (for example, some ingredients found in asthma inhalers). Other conditional substances are those that are only prohibited by the way they are taken (route of administration) - for example, applied as a cream, or swallowed, or inhaled.
* The FEI defines the in-competition period as the period commencing one (1) hour before the beginning of the first horse inspection the day before a competition in which the athlete is scheduled to participate through to the end of the last competition at the event for that athlete or the sample collection process related to such competition.
UKAD has also published a summary of the major changes on their UKAD website.
If you have any questions on the Prohibited List or a medication you may be using, please contact substance@ukad.org.uk.
In the Prohibited List, substances and methods are classified by category (e.g. steroids, stimulants, gene doping). The Prohibited List is updated annually and comes into effect on 1 January. It is published three months before earlier (i.e. 1 October) so athletes have the time to review any changes and apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for their current medical treatment if necessary.
Athletes have a duty to:
- Familiarise themselves with the Prohibited List and make sure to always be updated on the latest version;
- Systematically ask their medical practitioners to verify that no medication, supplement or treatment they are taking (prescribed or not) involves prohibited substances or methods;
- Apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption if a prescribed treatment involves prohibited substances or methods;
- When purchasing over-the-counter medication, consult their national anti-doping agency or ask the pharmacist to check that the medication does not contain anything prohibited on the Prohibited List currently in force;
- Be extremely cautious with and generally avoid dietary and nutritional supplements; never assume that a product is safe to use simply because it is a supplement. Many supplements contain undeclared ingredients including illegal stimulants, steroids, and prescription medications.
World Anti-Doping Code and British equestrian anti-doping rules
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sets out the World Anti-Doping Code – a set of anti-doping rules under which all sports in all countries across the world must operate. It is critical that all athletes competing at both a national and international level, and their support personnel and partners, appreciate that the anti-doping system applies to them and ensure that they are fully aware of the the Code.
Responsibility for human anti-doping at international level in equestrian sport falls to the FEI. At national level, British Equestrian has its own human anti-doping rules, but the programme is managed by UKAD.
Athletes Rights and Responsibilities
Strict liability means that you are solely responsible for any banned substance you use, attempt to use, or is found in your system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was any intention to cheat.
In anti-doping, not knowing is not an excuse!
THE 11 TYPES ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATIONS
There are 11 Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). All 11 apply to athletes, two (in bold) also apply to athlete support personnel and five (in bold) also apply to athlete support personnel and other persons.
Apply to athletes only -
1.Presence
2.Use or Attempted Use
3.Evading, Refusing or Failing to Submit to Sample Collection
4.Whereabouts failures
Apply to athletes and athlete support personnel
5.Possession
6.Administration
Apply to athletes, athlete support personnel and other persons
7.Tampering or Attempted Tampering
8.Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking
9.Complicity or Attempted Complicity
10.Prohibited Association
11.Acts by an Athlete or Other Person to Discourage or Retaliate Against Reporting to Authorities
PARENTS, CARERS AND GUARDIANS
Minors are classified as athletes who are under 18 years of age. I'ts important that parents understand what this means and how it impacts on you and your child. Under the Anti-Doping Rules your child is responsible for any prohibited substance they use, attempt to use or is found in their system, even if they had no intention to cheat.
CLEAN SPORT ESSENTIALS PARENTS AND CARERS OF YOUNG ATHLETES
TESTING PROCESS FOR ATHLETES WITH AN IMPAIRMENT
Key changes for 2022
- Salbutamol – the daily dosing parameters for inhaled salbutamol will also be changing from 1 January 2022
- Glucocorticoid injections – will prohibit local in-competition from 1 January 2022.
2022 SUMMARY OF MAJOR MODIFICATIONS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES
THERAPEUTIC USE EXEMPTION (TUE) FOR GLOCORTICOID
GLUCOCORTICOID TUE POLICY FAQS
UK Anti-Doping warning about Methylhexaneamine
HOW TO RETIRE FROM SPORT - THE HUMAN ATHLETE
How to check if your medication is permitted
Firstly you need to check if the medication is permitted or not.
To do this you will need to check the status of the medciation on Globaldro. The Global Drug Reference Online provides athletes and support personnel with information about the prohibited status of specific medications. If the medication is prohibeted then you need to check to see if you need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Excemption (TUE).
THERAPEUTIC USE EXCEMPTION
Athletes, like all people, may have illnesses or conditions that require them to take particular medications or undergo procedures. If the medication or method an athlete is required to take/use to treat an illness or condition is included in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Prohibited List, a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) makes it possible for the athlete to take the treatment while remaining in compliance with the anti-doping rules.
How to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)
FEI Athlete - Should you apply for a TUE?
Use the UKAD TUE Wizard if you are unsure who to submit your application to. UKAD TUE WIZARD
UKAD Supplement HUB
Dietary supplements can be broadly defined as products containing a concentrated source of nutrients or other substances that have a nutritional or physiological effect.
All athletes are advised to be vigilant in using any supplement. No guarantee can be given that any particular supplement is free from prohibited substances. An important principle of the Code is that of strict liability, which states that athletes are solely responsible for any prohibited substances they use, attempt to use or is found in their system regardless of how it got there and if there was an intention to cheat. Before taking supplements, athletes must therefore assess the need, risk and consequences to their careers.
Checking Supplements
Informed Sport is an assurance certification programme for sports supplements. Products carrying the Informed Sport mark have been regularly tested for substances considered prohibited in sport. In addition, Informed Sport also ensures that products have been manufactured to high-quality standards. All athletes are advised to be vigilant in using any supplement because they could receive a four-year ban.
FEI Clean Sport
All information regarding international anti-doping regulations can also be found on the FEI Clean Sport website. The FEI have a very useful Clean Sport website, which provides information on their two anti-doping programmes – the FEI Rules for Human Athletes and the FEI Rules for Equine Athletes.
International Testing Agency
The International Testing Agency, often referred to by the acronym ITA, is an independent organisation which implements anti-doping programs for international sports federations such as the FEI. The ITA is supporting FEI with the delivery of their anti-doping program since January 2019.
ITA currently delegates the following services on behalf of the FEI...
- In-competiton testing
- Out of competition testing
- Test distributuon planning
- Education
- Therapeutic use excemptions (TUES)
- Long-term storage and re-analysis
- Results management
- Athlete whereabouts
report doping
If you have any concerns about possible doping in sport, we want to hear from you. Even if you think your information seems minor, we want to hear about it.
Please contact us if you:
- are concerned about the behaviour or practices of an athlete, coach or support personnel
- suspect someone might be doping
- have witnessed doping in sport
- have been offered banned substances.
All information is regarded as confidential.
