- Athletes testing positive for banned substances
is the biggest blight on modern-day sport,
and in cycling, many of the biggest names
have been brought down and served their time.
Sometimes they will plead guilty,
but other times they will claim that they're innocent
and then try and lay the blame elsewhere,
like with contamination.
But, can you really test positive
through a contaminated supplement?
Because it's like the dog ate my homework excuse
of the sporting world, and yet we hear it all the time,
and if I'm honest, I'm pretty cynical about
what is classed as unintentional doping.
And I'm sure you are, too.
However, there is always that element of doubt.
What if the poor pro cyclist is actually telling the truth,
and they haven't done anything wrong after all?
- And then just having all these people
who didn't know me attack me.
And just being a sensitive guy, and be like,
"No, no, that's not me," you know.
"I had my first beer at age 24.
"I've never smoked a cigarette.
"I've never smoked anything."
- Oh, and just for clarification,
the reason this video is labeled an ad
is because Science In Sport,
one of our partners here at GCN,
have helped to make this video possible,
not, and this is really important,
because they have influenced or changed
the information or the narrative at all.
So we're going to try and tackle this question
and shed some light on this rather shady area.
We've come to the labs of LGC,
who run the Informed Sport program
that analyzes nutrition products
for banned substances and then certifies
those that meet the requirements of the program.
The idea being that if you see the Informed Sport logo,
you know that a product has been tested.
These guys are the experts.
So this is the wet chemistry lab at Informed Sport,
and I'm with Sam Kay, who's the program manager here.
Now Sam, I've given a very brief overview of Informed Sport,
but not exactly what you do and how you do it.
So perhaps you can elaborate
on exactly what Informed Sport does.
- Sure, sure, so we're a globally-recognized
quality assurance program for supplements products.
So the certification process
is based around two key principles,
that of a rigorous manufacturer audit,
and also the testing of the actual product.
So the manufacturer audit is a really essential part
of the process because that allows us to bridge the gap
between the standards of food certification programs
and the stringent requirements in sports anti-doping.
Once the testing is passed criteria
and the manufacturer audit is complete,
that's when we can sign off the product
in terms of certification.
At that point, we can then list the product
on the Informed Sport website.
We can list all the batches that have been tested,
so the athlete can look at the product,
see that the Trusted by Sport logo is on the packet,
and then they can check the website
to see that the batch is on there.
- And so, how often, then, do you see
banned substances crop up, then,
in the supplements that you test?
- Yeah, I mean, if you look at a wider picture really,
we've performed a number of surveys over the years,
actually not related to products that we test,
so they're not on any particular testing program.
And whilst the figures varies from survey to survey,
we typically find around 10%
of those supplements that we test
are found to contain a level of banned substance
that means they wouldn't, for example,
be permitted on the Informed Sport program.
- And what kind of concentration are you looking for then,
for those products?
- Yeah, in a lot of cases
they're quite low level contamination,
but in a number of surveys we have found selected products
that have had such high levels
that they would potentially be considered a health risk.
And actually, a couple of products
have been removed from the market
based on surveys that we've performed.
- Wow.
Paul is the senior team leader,
and so you can take us through the process then,
of how you test each and every sample
that comes into the lab. - Yes, yes, that's right, yep.
- And we're going to do a hypothetical
Science In Sport Go Energy bar.
Go for it, how do we do it?
- Yeah, okay, so the samples will arrive at the laboratory
and what happens is, when they are received,
we have a dedicated team of people
that would inspect those samples,
making sure that any seals that are in place are intact.
And if there's any issues with that product,
they would then notify the customer.
What we then do is we record information
such as product name, batch number, expiry dates, et cetera
onto our LIMS system, and that system then generates
a unique number that is placed on that sample,
and follows that sample throughout its whole life
in the laboratory.
- [Simon] Now in this case, I'm quite intrigued
to know how you get an energy bar
into a substance that you can actually test.
- So what we would do,
we would take a good portion of that bar,
and we would chop it up
and then we'd use a mechanical grinder
to grind it down into a substance such as this.
- [Simon] What's the next step of the process then,
for our sample?
- So once we've evaporated our sample,
we want to reconstitute it into another solvent
so that we can then analyze it.
What we do is we add a known amount of solvent
so we know exactly how much we've got in that vial,
and also then, how much we're injecting.
- So this is a gas chromatography mass spectrometer?
- That's right, yep.
So what this does,
this uses a very, very long, narrow glass tube
with which to do the chromatography aspect.
- [Simon] Okay, and what do the actual results then,
from this machine actually look like?
- In this case here, we can see that this target analyte
has eluted from the column at seven minutes.
- This part of the process isn't automated, presumably.
- No, so what would happen here is an analyst
would come to this instrument.
They would take all the data files that are generated.
They would then use a piece of software such as this
to process those data files,
and generate numerous chromatograms like this.
- And then literally go through it and say,
"This one looks suspicious.
"This one we need further analysis on."
- Absolutely, so once all the testing's been done,
all that data's been reviewed,
and we're happy that there's no positive findings in there,
effectively the sample's considered negative,
and both analysts are in full agreement,
that sample is then further reviewed
just to make sure that all the tests are completed
before a certificate is then generated.
- You ever have those days where you wish
you'd paid more attention at school
and not ridden your bike so much?
I'm having one of those days.
My mind is blown.
(upbeat music)
The next step in our journey is to Science In Sport.
Ensuring that all of their products
are certified by Informed Sport is hugely important to them.
So let's have a look to see just how they operate
to make sure that they make the mark.
And indeed, where they have to be particularly careful
to make sure that it doesn't go wrong,
and don't say by inviting GCM presenters
to make energy bars.
Right, so this is Bernard Sullivan,
who is the technical manager here at Science In Sport.
And as such, I guess, Bernie, it's your role
to make sure that there's no chance of any banned substances
entering Science In Sport products,
and also, therefore, getting that Informed Sport tag.
So where does the process actually start?
- The process actually starts with your supply chain.
First and foremost,
before anybody supplies Science In Sport,
they must be accredited and certified
to a recognized quality management standard.
- If an athlete was to test positive,
and then to come to you and say,
"Well, I think it was my Go Energy drink,"
you are then able to provide them
with a certificate saying,
"Well, no, look, this is clearly not us.
"It's been tested."
- That's correct, there are certificates of analysis,
copies of the test certificates are available,
not just to the athlete.
They are available to the general public on request.
It doesn't have to be test positive.
That's anybody at any time, for whatever you've bought,
we will send you a copy of that test certificate
if required.
- And then the final piece of the puzzle, I guess,
is that they actually then test products that you sell.
So how does that sort of--
- Well, every product that we make is tested
at the start of the production run,
at the middle of the production run,
and at the end of the production run.
And only when they've actually assessed the product
by mass spectrometry do they send the results
through to you, and then we're entitled then
to release the product for sale.
- Ensuring that products are free of contaminants
is a time-consuming process,
and we've now seen both ends of the spectrum,
the manufacturing side and also the testing side
at Informed Sport.
But what then, about our original question?
Is it actually even possible to test positive accidentally?
Well, to answer that once and for all,
we need to head back to Informed Sport.
Now, given what we've just learned then,
about the care and effort
that a manufacturer has to go through
to ensure that their products are free of contaminants,
what is actually the likelihood of an athlete
testing positive through accidentally consuming
something from a supplement?
Is it possible?
- I think there's two sides to that question that I see.
I mean, obviously there's the high integrity brands,
who will subscribe to programs such as Informed Sport
and testing programs.
Those brands, obviously, want to do the right thing
in terms of quality, in terms of minimizing the risk
of anything getting into the food chain
in relation to banned substances.
I'm going to say to that is
no lab can offer a guarantee that the product
is free from banned substances.
It's not possible.
It's not possible to screen for
every single banned substance out there.
The wider list isn't a closed list.
But what testing programs do do,
is offer a very, very good risk minimization process
in terms of providing athletes
with products that are free from banned substances,
and giving them the confidence
to be able to use those products.
- Now what I wouldn't want is
for an athlete to be watching this
and to then start feeling paranoid
about what they were actually ingesting, consuming.
So at what point then, do you draw the line
between a product that needs to be certified
and therefore an athlete can feel comfortable taking,
and actually something that then constitutes
normal food that you might pick up at the supermarket,
and that ordinarily you wouldn't think twice about eating
potentially causing a positive test?
- I think the key thing is what we don't want to do
is go out there and panic,
or as you say, all individuals out there
who are competing or whatever,
because what we do know is people are having healthy diets.
They are sort of eating food.
And then you say we're not aware of
significant doping violations occurring down that route.
I think interestingly though,
if you are choosing to use a supplement product, though,
which is obviously designed to supplement the diet,
and has obviously been composed in such a manner,
make sure that you do do your due diligence.
Check the manufacturer.
Check that they have appropriate
quality control measures in place,
and do all of your checks,
and check that it has been part of a testing program
to reduce the risk to that end user.
- [Simon] Now, before we leave this video,
I also wanted to hear a rider's perspective.
We heard a clip at the beginning
of Tom Zirbel, who is a world-decorated US pro rider,
former national time trial champion, in fact,
and a man who also fell foul of the rules,
testing positive for DHEA,
but maintaining that he didn't know
how he ingested the substance.
Now what is different in Tom's case
compared to many others, is that fellow riders
have been widely sympathetic to his situation.
He was, and is, fiercely outspoken against doping in sport,
and his peers genuinely feel
that he's innocent of wrongdoing.
- It was the first season where everything came together.
I came in with a great base.
I was working with Dr. Testa,
and he just had a different way of preparing riders.
It was the first season that I didn't have
a big sickness or injury, a big crash.
So, yeah, it was a good season.
A lot of disappointments in that season.
A lot of losing the yellow jersey on the last day,
but hindsight, it was definitely my strongest season.
I immediately, the first day I got the positive,
I was on the phone with Vodders.
I was on the phone with my Bissell director from 2009,
and as many people as I could talk to
to figure out what was going on and what I should do.
None of the values really were consistent,
and yeah, I had a problem with that,
especially coming from a chemistry background.
And I was working with one of my
graduate level professors, who helped me out,
who was also a cyclist.
First thing I did was send those off
to my buddy at CU Boulder,
Dr. Philips,
and he tested them and couldn't find anything.
I'm just thinking maybe these levels are so low that
the techniques used weren't picking them up
or it just wasn't homogenous,
and there was a couple pills here
that were contaminated but the vast majority weren't.
Because I was taking that stuff for two or three years.
We were sponsored by them and I got tested a lot.
It was a tough two years.
I lost out on two years of salary,
so that's one thing.
Monetarily that was probably my two biggest earning years
that were coming up, and I lost them.
And then, just having all these people
who didn't know me attack me.
And just being a sensitive guy and be like,
"No, no, that's not me.
"I had my first beer at age 24.
"I've never smoked a cigarette.
"I've never smoked anything."
- And one of the cruel things about Tom's case
is that we as cycling fans don't know,
can't know, in fact,
whether or not he is actually telling the truth.
Although personally, I do feel that he is.
But ultimately, as harsh that it may be,
it does remain the responsibility of the athlete themselves
and it's likely to until sometime in the future
a better solution to this problem
could ultimately be found.
Although I wouldn't want anyone watching this video
to become paranoid.
But I am conscious here
that there are lessons to be learned,
and those lessons are pretty clear
in that you have to know 100% what is going into your body,
because the risks are really real.
You can, indeed, test positive
through a contaminated supplement.
I would like to extend a few words of thanks
before leaving this video.
Firstly to Informed Sport for showing us their super-cool,
albeit mind-blowing, lab.
To our friends at Science In Sport,
also for taking us inside their factory,
and explaining their systems so carefully to us.
And then finally, a very big thank you
to Tom Zirbel himself because he took the time
to explain very honestly and very frankly
about a particularly difficult point in his life.
And so I do really thank him for his time
and his honesty there as well.
Now, make sure you give this video a big thumbs-up for that,
and if you want to watch something else right now,
how about Science In Sport letting a GCN presenter
loose in their factory?
In a controlled environment, I must stress,
but making their energy bars.
Have a look just down there.