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Notable drug scandals
Doping & drug infractions that rocked the sports world
July 27, 2006
 Canadian-born tennis player Greg Rusedski tested positive for nandrolone in 2004. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) |
The shady world of nutritional supplements
Over the past decade, the sporting world has seen a rash of positive tests for the banned steroid nandrolone, giving it the unofficial title as the most common drug used – intentionally or inadvertently – by athletes today.
Nandrolone has been implicated in hundreds of recent doping cases involving athletes in just about every sport, especially track and field, cycling, soccer and tennis.
And almost immediately after these failed drug tests, the denials and excuses follow. The most common reason for a positive test? Contaminated nutritional supplements, vitamins and energy drinks.
Because of the unusual number of positive tests, scientists believe the steroid may be contained in improperly labelled nutritional supplements popular with high-performance athletes. However, the IOC and IAAF, track and field's governing body, stipulate that athletes are responsible for what they put in their bodies.
In January 2004, Canadian-born British tennis star Greg Rusedski joined a long list of athletes who have tested positive for nandrolone. He isn't the only tennis player, either. According to reports, 47 players on the pro tour have tested positive for the banned steroid.