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Not all in Indian sport would be aware that the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has put a ban on the use of insulin at the Tokyo Olympics. Unless the athlete is a Type 1 diabetic and has been prescribed insulin to control the blood sugar levels, he or she cannot use it indiscriminately.
According to the WADA website, “Insulin is prohibited under S4 of the WADA Prohibited List – Hormone and Metabolic Modulators. All individuals with diabetes on insulin require a TUE.”
This is the first time the WADA has banned indiscriminate use of insulin at the Olympics, which has now been established as a performance booster. The first research case dates back to 2001, when the New Scientist wrote that insulin usage was being abused by athletes to boost performance.
In the good old days, it was not possible to detect insulin in the normal urine dope test. Just as science has advanced by the day and cheats in sport have become smarter, the WADA has now made it clear that at the Tokyo Olympics, starting on July 23, no athlete can use insulin unless he or she is on prescription and has sought a TUE (theraupetic use exemption).
Data collected over the years suggests that athletes in explosive sport like body building and weightlifting have benefitted from insulin usage, knowing very well the precious hormone can play havoc if abused. Body builders used insulin for years, as it helped in “bulking up.”
At the Sydney Olympics, an Italian athlete who won gold (name not mentioned) was being monitored for long as she had a high level of GH (plasma growth hormones) before the Games began.
For the WADA to come up with a ban on indiscriminate insulin usage needs to be complimented as it is such a wonderful life saver. To be sure, insulin was discovered 100 years ago. So much research has gone into insulin that for a Type 1 diabetic, leading a normal life today is much easier. That was best exemplified by Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram, a diabetic, who played for the better part of his career using insulin on prescription.
Anyone familiar with diabetes will vouch using insulin is very tricky. If its overdosed, then it can lead to a hypo (low sugar) and improper (less dose of insulin) can result in poor blood sugar management.
All athletes who will be in Tokyo will be focussing on how to stay safe from the Corona virus. Yet, anyone who is a genuine diabetic will need to keep all his or her diabetic records intact. Even those not on insulin but taking oral medicines (Type 2 diabetic) to control their blood sugar will have to show how and why they are on prescription drugs.
