VCB: B-sample is Positive!!!

I agree that outright banning diuretic is in order. As mentioned earlier, the job of an athlete is to play their sport and play it clean. It is their duty to ensure that the samples they provide testing agencies are clean. Remember, they have doctors, coaches and more knowledge than us on what is banned/not banned or borderline risky etc., testing frequencies, procedures, and possibilities. Additionally, they know what to do if there was a medical reason to take a drug that contains a banned substance, or a masking agent. Now, I wonder if someone drugged you with a diuretic, and you were a professional athlete, wouldn't you suspect it if you peed like a horse all day?

I don't see why this is such a surprise. The powers that be have been turning a blind eye to " 3rd world countries " for years.

The IAAF and IOC have no interest nor is it in their best interest to catch cheats.If they were truly serious about cleaning up sports the first infraction would be a lifetime ban or at best a six year one.

Two Words:

LANCE BRAUMAN!!

The ultimate in "dirty" do-anything for success

Too bad for VBC

wejo wrote:

Can someone with a science background give me a 5 sentence overview of how diuretics work?

And is this a 2 year ban drug or 6 months?

Not jumping to any conclusions, but Lasix (Furosemide) is a strong diuretic and is well known as an effective PED masking agent for athletes in many sports and even race horses. It is also known by laboratories who conduct tests for law enforcement and pre-employment. Listed as a category S5, Furosemide is a diuretic which is prohibited both in and out of competition, and its presence in urine merits a sanction of two years suspension, stripping an athlete of medals, ranking and the like. Although Furosemide is used is a variety of medical treatments, every professional athlete and doctor treating professional athlete should know this is a banned substance and the WADA Code clearly states that "an athlete is responsible for any substance found in their body".

wejo wrote:

Can someone with a science background give me a 5 sentence overview of how diuretics work?

And is this a 2 year ban drug or 6 months?

Wejo-

Sorry if someone beat me to it. Lasix block your kidneys from reabsorbing sodium by blocking a sodium reabsorption transporter. Because water follows sodium, blocking sodium also blocks water reabsorption in the kidney. This allows urinary excretion of body water, helpful in some disease states like heart failure but also in diluting urine samples positive for drugs.

The phrase "pee like a race horse" comes from the lasix given to horses prior to racing to shed some water before a race and to loose some weight. The jockeys have also been known to do the same.

More than the requested five sentences but some may be interested in a more detailed primer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2962812/

MS4 wrote: ....

The phrase "pee like a race horse" comes from the lasix given to horses prior to racing to shed some water before a race and to loose some weight. The jockeys have also been known to do the same.

It was worth following and re-reading this thread just to learn this. Cool. Thanks.

You’re wrong. The B sample is not a “formality”. The B sample is the only sample that matters.

It’s not because of the infallibility of the test.

You’re still wrong.

Not a second opinion. The result of the B sample is the only result that matters.

Science fiction. Or junior high lunchroom musings.

This entire thread is what’s wrong with the message boards. The opinions of idiots can get legitimized and become a truth of their own. All of the above posts is wrong.

The purpose of an A and B sample is to provide proof that the chain of custody hasn’t been broken and to provide expediency of the testing procedures along with proper due process for those who would test positive.

When an athlete provides a blood or urine sample it is split into two portions, A and B. Each of those samples is sealed in the presence of the athlete. Each sample is assigned a specific identifying code which is logged into a journal. The athlete signs the log, the identifying code is affixed to the sample package and sealed and signed by the athlete. The athlete is given a receipt with the code numbers. The Doping authority (WADA) has possession of the log. The samples are then sent to a certified laboratory for testing.

Lets say you had 1000 urine samples. The lab tests them and 8 of them are “positive”. WADA then matches up the code with the logs and notifies the athlete and the athlete’s federation.

The athlete then has two choices. He/she can issue a mea culpa and say “ya got me”, or he/she can say it’s not correct and I want to be present for the B sample. The B sample is not to verify the result of the A sample it is to provide the athlete assurance that the chain of custody hasn’t been broken and to give the athlete or his representative the opportunity to be present to make sure the testing procedure is done correctly. The B sample is Game, Set and Match.

Chain of custody verification. Has the B sample package seal been broken? If it is, the athlete goes free regardless of the result of the A sample. Procedural laboratory verification. Again, if the athletes representatives can provide a compelling argument that the testing procedure of the B sample wasn’t done correctly the athlete also goes free.

Now imagine a WADA policy that relied on only one test. For each of those 1000 samples to be tested you’d have to allow all 1000 athletes to verify and view the testing. The logistics, costs, and massive inconvenience for all involved would be impossible to manage.