Since March 1, 2019, the UCI has banned the use of tramadol in all competitions, arguing that it is to protect the health and safety of cyclists. This analgesic derived from opium is used to relieve pain and acts at the level of the central nervous system, although it is not part of the black list of prohibited drugs by the AMA (World Anti-Doping Agency).
As reported by the UCI, Nairo had two dry blood samples taken on July 8 and 13 at the Tour de France and the presence of tramadol and its two main metabolites was revealed. These results forced the disqualification of the Colombian from the French competition in which he finished sixth overall.
What is tramadol?
“It is a drug derived from opiates that is used as an analgesic and has great penetration at the muscular level, the main action of the drug is to reduce pain, it is indicated for muscle pain. Although it is an opioid and a derivative of morphine, it does not have the addictive effects that it generates,” he told Diario AS ColombiaDiego Andrés Parga, Doctor Mg occupational medicine and Mg senior management in health.
In addition, he added that it is not proven that it improves the level of athletes. “It has been used experimentally in mental-type treatments, but it has not had good results. Its greatest use is for analgesia and no other factor that produces an improvement in the sports performance of any human being has been described. It is basically an analgesic medication that is used only for muscle pain.”
Why does the ICU ban tramadol?
For 2 years it is prohibited, “to protect the health and safety of cyclists from the side effects of this substance.” The International Cycling Union ensures that each test is done by drawing a small blood sample from the competitors and from there the study is carried out in the laboratory to determine if it has the substance.
“Samples are collected by the International Testing Agency (ITA) using the Dried Blood Spots (DBS) reference method. Developed by the Swiss company DBSSystems, the sampling kits are used to perform this minimally invasive test, which involves drawing a small amount of blood from the cyclist’s fingertip.”
Also. “The analysis of the samples is carried out independently at the Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology of the University of Geneva, using a peer-reviewed method to determine the presence or absence and amount of tramadol and its two major metabolites.
“The results are finally sent to the ICU Medical Director, who performs the management of results in accordance with the UCI Medical Rules”, complemented the report.