Checking Medication and Substances

The use of some medications is prohibited in curling. If you’re an athlete and you get sick or injured or you need regular treatment for an ongoing condition, you need to check the Prohibited List of Substances and Methods whether your medication is permitted or not.

If it is not, you will need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) before taking any medication. Athletes are advised not to take any prohibited substance without a valid TUE but any established treatment should not be stopped and any urgent medication should be started. In these circumstances submission of a TUE Application and medical evidence must be submitted quickly. If the TUE is granted, you will be permitted to use the medication without committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) during the period of validity of the TUE.

See the Tramadol Factsheet for Athletes & Athlete Support Personnel here.

Medication

For information about the status of the medication, please consult the Prohibited List with your doctor.

You may consult your National Antidoping Organization (NADO)’s drug reference database, one of the following country specific databases or the WCF:

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

For more information on nutritional supplements, please consult the Q&A on Dietary and Nutritional Supplements on WADA’s website.
What are the risks?

  • Supplements can contain banned substances.
  • Contamination (where banned substances are accidentally mixed in with the supplement) can occur during the manufacturing process
  • Ingredients on the label may be listed differently to how they are shown on the Prohibited List.
  • Supplements may be sold as counterfeit products. The risk of fake supplements products is greatest when buying over the internet.
  • A label saying ‘Safe for Sports People’ or ‘Approved by WADA’ is meaningless. WADA do not approve any supplement products.

Our advice: Before you take a supplement you should:

  • assess the need – all athletes should seek advice from a medical professional or nutritionist on their need to use supplement products.
  • assess the risk – undertake thorough research of all supplement products you are considering taking.
  • assess the consequences – you could receive a four-year ban.

You can reduce the risks by:

  • undertaking thorough internet research.
  • only using batch-tested products.
  • checking on the Informed-Sport risk minimisation programme that a supplement has been batch-tested.
  • 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.

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