In a new study, it is claimed that asthma medication has a significant performance-enhancing effect.
At the same time, the Norwegian cross-country team’s doctor confirms that 50-70 percent of their skiers are diagnosed with asthma and use medication.
– Doper!, Russian coach Yuri Borodavko thunders.
The use of asthma medication in cross-country skiing has long been a sensitive topic.
It is already widely known that many Norwegian – and certainly Swedish – national team skaters use it.
However, they do not break any rules, because Wada (the international anti-doping organization) has a high limit for what is allowed -1,600 micrograms of salbutamol per day.
But now comes new research that is sparking debate.
“Gigantic difference”
Norwegian newspaper VG referred last week – in the middle of the World Cup – to a new study soon to be published in full which purported to prove that asthma medication has a “significant performance-enhancing effect”.
Tests were carried out on twelve healthy sportsmen and women and showed, according to the study, that asthma medication can help improve performance by up to three percent in a competition lasting between 60 and 90 minutes.
– In endurance sports, that difference is gigantic and can make the difference between victory and defeat, says Jürgen Steinacker, who led the research study at the University Hospital in Ulm, Germany.
Russian coach rages
The new research arouses anger … in Russia.
The nation, which is currently banned from all international competitions in skiing due to the war against Ukraine, and which over the years has had its own problems with doping, to say the least, reacts strongly to the results of the study.
National team coach Jurij Borodavko singles out Norwegian skaters in particular, but believes that all elite athletes who take asthma medication are involved in doping.
– Everyone who has a medical exemption is a doper, including the asthmatics. They are all dopers. The problem is that it is the anti-doping organizations that make this possible, he says Nia Rovost.
Norwegian doctor skeptical
Norway’s national team doctor Ove Ferangen tells VG that 50-70 percent of their skaters are diagnosed with asthma and use medicine in connection with competitions.
However, he doubts the legitimacy of the new study as the tests were “only” done on twelve practitioners.
– So I doubt that this study will have any significance, he says.
– Previous research has shown, on the contrary, that asthma medication not has any performance-enhancing effect. But it is clear, if new information emerges, Wada will have to look into the matter, says Ferangen.
It is unclear how many Swedish national team skaters use asthma medication, but in February 2018 revealed SVT’s Uppdrag review that almost half of all Swedish Olympic medals since 1992 have been won by skiers who used asthma medication.
In connection with this, the then national team doctor Per Andersson confirmed that several Swedish skaters take asthma medication, but also clarified that the Swedish national team has limit values that are “significantly below the highest values that are allowed” and that “no Swedish skater has overdosed on asthma medication”.
