Findings of Kingston University’s specialists may promote cheating

Sportspersons become more and more sophisticated in application of steroids. They study new ways to mask their application of banned drugs. Some of them take time to study specialists’ conclusions that may help them to hide that they dope. Today a method has been discovered: sportspeople may mask administration of testosterone by drinking of green tea.
Testosterone is a hormone which is produced in body naturally. Thus, it can be difficult for anti-doping agencies to determine that a sportsperson has used testosterone. T: E ratio testing is commonly used by anti-doping organizations. Such tests can manifest uncommon ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in urine. But it is not able to display difference between testosterone that has been created in body naturally and that introduced into body with the help of injections, creams, etc.
 Declan Naughton and his colleagues at Kingston University ( London) have found that green tea contains such substances which are called “catechins”. They have ability to inhibit the enzyme UGT2B17. This enzyme promotes joining glucuronic acid to testosterone. In case UGT2B17 is inhibited, less testosterone glucoronide is excreted in urine.  
Catechins, the substances that are able to mask usage of testosterone, are contained in green and white tea. Black tea doesn’t have such substances.
Naughton and his colleagues have conducted some experiments. They affirm that a cup of strong green tea hides usage of testosterone.
So, those athletes that administer testosterone can reduce amounts of testosterone that are excreted in urine by drinking of green or white tea. Green or white tea is able to block excretion of testosterone, increasing circulating levels of this hormone.
The World Anti-Doping Agency was informed about the findings by the scientists. If this process occurs, it is worthless to subject sportspersons to urine tests. Blood tests should be performed in order to determine that a person has used testosterone.
Olivier Rabin, the WADA’s specialist, confirms that regular checks of blood steroids will be added. Everything will be done by anti-doping agencies in order to avoid fooling of urine tests.