Anti-Doping Research: A Conversation with the Partnership for Clean Competition.

At Drug Free Sport, we believe that a balanced approach to sports drug testing and anti-doping involves testing and education. However, there are several elements that factor into the development of such testing and education, like proper research. With scientific advancements happening both for doping and anti-doping efforts, it’s important to be on top of developments to protect the integrity of sport. 

We recently exchanged with Jenna Celmer at the Partnership for Clean Competition about their work toward improving the detection of performance-enhancing drugs. Our organizations share the spirit of fair and safe sport. It was a great conversation that we’re proud to share with you. 

How did the Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) come to be? 

Back in 2008, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the United States Olympic Committee, and the United States Anti-Doping Agency came together to discuss how to better deter and detect performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and encourage a culture of clean sport.

These organizations understood that what the anti-doping movement needed was the collaboration and commitment of leading sport organizations willing to fund scientific breakthroughs which advance anti-doping policy. The initial (and subsequent) financial contributions of these four founding PCC members catalyzed the anti-doping research collaborative known as the Partnership for Clean Competition.

The decision was a vocal stand for sporting integrity, and an investment in clean sport and in the health of athletes worldwide.

Tell us more about your focus on “the science of doping.”

While a robust approach to anti-doping policy involves several aspects (such as the education that Drug Free Sport provides), the PCC focuses on advancing the science and technology surrounding anti-doping sample collection, detection, and analysis. Our science varies based on emerging priorities, but could involve the creation of new testing methods that are less invasive and expensive, reference materials for WADA-accredited labs, or innovative tests for new substances. With new doping agents and methods being created every day to try and evade current testing capabilities, it’s paramount that the PCC continues to fund the research that produces sound responses to imminent anti-doping challenges.

What is something that you’d like the public to know about the PCC? 

The PCC funds PhD scientists all over the world (we currently have projects ongoing in 14 different countries), and we are always looking for additional investigators to contribute their unique acumen and scientific perspective to anti-doping challenges. A common misconception is that only dedicated ‘anti-doping scientists’ advance technology in this domain. The truth is, while there are certainly some incredible researchers who have devoted their careers to clean sport, many of the investigators we fund are taking the important work they develop or study in their scientific discipline and applying it to an anti-doping context. We have chemists, biologists, endocrinologists, pathologists, physiologists, food scientists, toxicologists, exercise scientists, and many others currently working on new and exciting developments. There are truly few areas of science that do not play a role, and we’re happy to talk through projects with scientists who aren’t certain if their work is a good fit.

What are some of the research-related findings that the PCC has contributed toward recently?

The PCC has granted over $18 million in research to 100+ investigators around the world; many recent advancements in PED detection and analysis are due to PCC funding. To understand how important this is, newly-found positives during reanalysis of samples from past Olympic games are possible, thanks to the more precise scientific methods developed by scientists.

While this type of research will always be a priority, the PCC has recently invested significant amounts of funding in alternative matrices – or new ways to collect and analyze samples. Currently, most drug testing is done on blood or urine, but two emerging technologies are on our radar:

      1. Breath testing. The PCC has invested in SensaBues breath tests as a quick, easy, and low-cost alternative to current in-competition testing. Athletes simply breathe into the device, which has been proven to detect not only drugs of abuse, but many classes of anti-doping substances, with lab analysis using existing WADA approved methods. PCC investment in the tests is ongoing, and we hope to do a pilot study in 2018.

      2. Dried Plasma Spot Card Testing. While current blood tests involves the use of phlebotomists to  draw blood (a process which may be perceived as invasive by athletes), the PCC has developed cards that require only a finger prick of blood to perform several different analyses. Not only is sample collection quick and easy, but the cards are easy to store, analyze, and transport, potentially providing a significant cost savings over blood testing.

We believe that developing lower-cost, less invasive sample collection methods may increase overall testing, thus enhancing overall deterrence. The PCC is investing in the scientific validation that would be required to protect clean athletes at the same level as blood and urine matrices currently used.

As an organization that funds research, you have a grant cycle deadline coming up. Care to talk about your grant processes and programs?

Absolutely! To begin a PCC grant, investigators must first fill out our 1 – 2 page “Pre-Application”, designed to gather high-level information about the intended project to ensure it fits the PCC mission and priorities. We do this so that investigators presenting research outside of our scope don’t spend time filling out our (lengthy) full application. For instance, the PCC does not currently fund social science research, even on the topic of anti-doping. We always encourage interested researchers to review our research priorities before submitting a pre-application. 

Pre-applications are due March 1^st, July 1^st, and November 1^st of each year.

As soon as pre-applications are approved (and most are), investigators are invited to submit the full PCC application, now available to them via their project site on our website. This application ranges in length from around 10 pages, to upwards of 75 pages, depending on the level of detail the investigators provide, the complexity of their research, and the amount of supplemental information they provide (for instance preliminary studies and data). Hint: the more experimental detail provided in an application, the more likely it is to be approved.

Full applications are due April 1^st, August 1^st, and December 1^st of each year (one month after the pre-application of that cycle).

Once full applications are received, they are reviewed by two members of our 10-member Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), which consists of scientific experts representing a diverse array of disciplines (from endocrinology to exercise physiology). The SAB meets every cycle to then collectively discuss the applications, and the feedback provided by each reviewer. As a unit, the SAB then makes funding recommendations for each application submitted during the cycle to our Board of Governors (consisting of a representative from each of our Founding Members) for final approval before successful investigators are notified.

At this point, the PCC will negotiate terms and conditions with the researcher’s host institution. Unsuccessful investigators will receive feedback on their application, and may be invited to re-submit their project with changes (often more detail is required). The entire process from pre-application to funding and/or feedback takes 3-5 months.

What has research shown that may be next, in terms of doping to gain an athletic advantage?

This is a difficult question to answer and one that is constantly changing. The PCC does get applications from scientists and lab directors who have concerns about specific substances and propose research on those substances. We also incorporate input from our sponsors, who are often on the front lines with regards to new perforamnce-enhancing substances. If researchers from labs, academia, or the private sector believe they have identified a need in the anti-doping community, we would encourage them to apply for a grant or micro-grant. 

Sport Exchange Summit: Background & Purpose

Drug Free Sport is a sport drug-testing company, so why are you hosting an educational conference?

Drug Free Sport is in a unique position to bring all sport professions together to further our mission to ensure fair and safe sport, and help to champion athlete well-being and collaboration among all athletic staff within a sport organization.

Education remains a large component of Drug Free Sport’s mission and business model and we are often on campus or in sport organization facilities observing and interacting with a variety sport professions. The programs that really shine in our eyes when it comes to complete athlete care and performance are those that fulfill a complete spectrum of sport disciplines, AND successfully work together. This appears in many ways including the collaboration between the athletic trainer and sports dietitian regarding an athlete with disordered eating; the strength and conditioning specialist noticing changes in the athlete’s energy and performance in the weight room and communicating concern to the athletic trainer for assessment of proper joint function and range of motion; the team physician sharing post-op reports with the sports dietitian and trainer to complete a full recovery plan for the athlete; and more.

What makes the Sport Exchange Summit different from other sport conferences?

Unfortunately, we find that many sport organizations currently do not operate with the full incorporation, sharing, and communication needed to engage all professions integral to athlete care and performance. Internally, operations are riddled with interdepartmental competition rather than collaboration and effective communication.

We felt that hosting a conference on some of the most important topics surrounding athlete well-being was a start, but only if we could encourage multidisciplinary participation. Compared to other specialty conferences where similar vocations learn with like-minded peers, we strive to bring variety to this unique learning opportunity. How many times have athletic trainers, sports dietitians, team physicians, strength and conditioning specialists, coaches, sports psychologists, administrators, compliance personnel, and other disciplines gathered together under one roof to discuss some of the most pressing issues related to athlete performance and well-being?

The conference will promote valuable discussion and networking opportunities for participants to learn from a variety of programs (high school, collegiate, professional) and professions. Content is driven to provide cutting edge developments and hot topics in sport, as well as the opportunity to showcase “what works” for successful athletic programs.  

So you want to encourage collaboration? How did this idea come about?

Collaborative engagements seem rare in the sports industry. Just like the athletes they serve, athletic personnel work more often in competitive environments. Limited sharing of expertise or communications regarding athlete well-being can limit athlete potential and the success of the greater organization or team. The Sport Exchange Summit hopes to change this mindset by offering a multidisciplinary concept for continuing education and professional development. Ideally, this approach will bring people from different backgrounds and sport professions together—allowing for shared learning and enhanced discussion on important topics in the industry.

Who do you want to collaborate?                             

The Sport Exchange Summit will bring together athletic directors, certified athletic trainers, team coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, sports dietitians, sport psychologists, team physicians, and other personnel to learn, discuss, and engage with one another on relevant topics.

What do you hope the attendees will get out of the Summit this July?

Ultimately, the hope is they learn something new that they can take back to their program and discuss effective opportunities to improve current models for athlete care. AND, the idealist in all of us hopes that they begin to shift their thinking and welcome the added expertise of other disciplines within their organization when looking to positively influence athlete performance and recovery gains.

But, for the avid conference attendee, we also have set forth the following learning objectives.

Attendees will be able to:

• Summarize current, pressing topics affecting athlete health and performance at all levels of competition. 
• Identify challenges and opportunities in creating a more collaborative (versus competitive) professional environment within sports organizations to enhance player development, health, and performance. 
• Consider the significance and psycho-social relevance of race and diversity, transgender, prescription and recreational drug abuse, drug-testing, and “life after sports” concerns for athletes within today’s sports organizations.  
• Describe the importance and impact of building a collaborative sports medicine and performance family that includes sports nutrition, sports psychology, and effective player engagement. 

The Sport Exchange Summit is a dense one-and-a-half day conference with hot and relevant topics that will help to grow athlete health and wellness. We hope you’ll consider joining us and take a positive step to increase collaboration at your respective program. Visit sportexchangesummit.com for more information and to register. Only 5 weeks left!

Continuing education credits are available for sport dietitians, certified athletic trainers, strength and conditioning specialists, and licensed psychologists.

Sports nutrition part 2: Foods that = success and when to eat them

We understand that time is at a premium for most student-athletes. Lack of time is the number one reason many people give for failing to eat sensibly. Don’t let your on-field shortcomings be a result of a poor diet; time does not need to dictate your diet. Proper planning, educating yourself on performance enhancing foods, and working with a sports nutritionist are all ways to fuel your body and reach your peak athletic goals while meeting your own personal health goals.
If you must eat on the go, eat on the go with a plan! Develop a weekly menu with the “basics,” things are constantly changing so be prepared for change. Include, whole wheat breads, lean meats (vegan alternative), and plenty of produce. Find a cooler that can fit in your bag, and include portable foods and snacks; sliced fruit, low sugar yogurt, string cheeses, and protein bars and nuts make great travel buddies.

Breaking Your Fast
Eating breakfast every morning is key; the level of glycogen in your liver can be substantially lower in the morning, so you need to refuel your body to replace the energy it used while you slept.
• Student-athletes who eat breakfast perform better in the classroom than those who skip. A lot easier to think when your body has energy fuel.
• Eating last night’s left over’s is okay (i.e. pizza, Chinese food with rice or even cheese and crackers)
• Traditional breakfast food choices:
o Instant grits/bowl of cereal
o Fruit or yogurt smoothie
o Egg and cheese sandwich
o Waffles with fruit
o Hard- boiled eggs

Pre-workout
3-4 hours before practice, workout or competition keep these tools in mind:
• Consider choosing foods with lots of carbohydrates, such as
o Rice
o Pasta
o Potatoes
o Yogurt
o Fruit smoothies
o Vegetables
o Muffins
o Crackers
o Bread
• Drink tons of water and sport drinks!

1 hour before a practice, workout or competition keep these tools in mind:
• Have a snack:
o ½ a bagel
o Granola bar
o Large banana
• 12 ounces of sport drink

Breaks/Post-Game/Practice
• Halftime/timeouts
o Drink water and/or your favorite flavor of sport drink.
• Post-workout
o Drink approximately 24 ounces of sport drink or water for every pound of body weight that is lost during competition/practice.
o Monitor you urine color. Apple juice color = dehydration and you need more fluids. Lemonade color = hydrated.
o Eat something within 30 minutes of competition/practice.

What about fast food?
• Pizza with thick crust, vegetables, and Canadian bacon, instead of “meat lover’s”
• Single burgers, instead of “double” or “Monster” with bacon and cheese
• Grilled chicken sandwiches or grilled chicken salads instead of fried chicken
• Stir-fried veggies and steamed white rice, instead of meals with large portions of meat or fried egg rolls.
• Grilled meats verses fried meats
• Waffles, pancakes, grits, scrambled eggs, or grilled ham, instead of bacon, sausage or biscuits.
• Avoid these sandwiches: tuna salad, chicken salad or salami. Try turkey, chicken or roast beef and load up on the veggies.
• Avoid the pasta dishes with large amounts of meat, cheese and cream. Opt for lots of pasta and red sauce.
Remember: Aim to be consistent in your eating habits, go for quality foods and remember timing of meals will impact your performance. Know your schedule and plan ahead by bringing or purchasing appropriate foods and beverages. Try to eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day to maintain energy levels but don’t have a large meal right before an event. Good eating habits are important at all times (before the game, after the game, and during the off-season)

Sports nutrition part 1: Does your food = success?

Superior athletic ability comes from genetics and training. However, witout good food choices and the correct timing of meals, your training and performance will suffer. You need a fueling plan that includes the right balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, enough vitamins and minerals, and the correct amount of fluids.

Nutrition is one of the corner stone’s of athletic success, combined with training, skill set and rest. You cannot train harder to make-up for a poor diet, or sleep, less and expect to compete at an elite level. Eating for performance equals eating on a schedule; this does not mean you have to clock in for meals, but it does mean that you should get a better understanding of what, how much, and when you eat for optimal performance.

Eating for Performance Goals:

1. Keep a high energy level throughout workouts

2. Repair and strengthen muscles

3. Avoid illness, infection, or any outside force that could suppress immune
system during training

4. Recover from training and prepare for practice, or event

Athletes must fuel the body with calories and nutrients from “healthy” foods. Sports scientists generally recommend a high-performance diet – in moderation – consisting of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates and fats provide the raw material that creates ATP (adenosine triphosphate) that is the true energy source inside the cell. Your daily food intake must contain adequate amounts of calories and nutrients to meet this demand.

• Carbohydrates – Play a vital role in many functions of the body, but one of the main functions is to provide energy for the contracting muscle. The storage form of carbohydrates is called Glycogen; found mainly in muscle and the liver. Muscle glycogen is a readily available energy source for the working muscle. Athletes require Carbohydrates in all phases of working out and competition. The brain is highly dependent on glucose as a fuel, so remember carbohydrates are not the enemy.

• Fats – Contrary to belief fat is a contributor to health and performance for athletes. You need fat for energy,and to move substances in and out of cells, and it helps keep your brain and nervous system healthy. Lastly, fat helps your body to use some vitamins as well as plant chemicals known as "phytochemicals."

• Protein – Major functions include build, repair and maintain your body’s muscle tissue and provide energy, if necessary. Protein is also responsible for healthy blood cells, Key enzymes and strengthening the immune system. Protein cannot build muscle alone, it requires carbohydrate calories to provide the body with energy.

•Vitamins and Minerals - do not give you more energy, but they help to unlock the energy stored in food so your body can use it as fuel.

•Fluid - Water is the most important nutrient; be sure to replace the fluids you lose through sweat when you are active.


Aim to be consistent in your eating habits, go for quality foods and remember timing of meals will impact your performance. Know your schedule and plan ahead by bringing or purchasing appropriate foods and beverages. Try to eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day to maintain energy levels but don’t have a large meal right before an event. Good eating habits are important at all times (before the game, after the game, and during the off-season)

Part 2 will focus on foods that = success and when to eat them, stay tuned!

Helpful websites:
www.gssiweb.org
www.eatright.org
www.scandpg.org
www.mypyramid.gov
www.drugfreesport.com/rec
NCAA Nutrition and Performance