Doping Rules At The Paralympics?

[estebanrey]

When the Athletes read their pledge at the opening ceremony the lady doing it mentioned the commitment not to take performance enhancing drugs just like they do in the Olympics and it got me thinking, are the rules different for Paralympians?

Hope this doesn't sound ignorant but I would have thought some of the drugs that some of the athletes have to take for their conditions may contain things that would otherwise be banned for able bodied athletes. For example, someone with a muscle wasting disease would probably be on some form of steroids.

So, how do the rules work?

 

[DB_SamX]

I wondered about that as well, but have no idea.

 

[ThomasTheTankEngine]

It works exactly the same as in the regular olympics.

If you've got a specific condition you need drugs for, then you apply for an exemption on medical grounds. They'll confirm with doctors that the need is genuine, and then when you get tested, your limits will be set according to whatever your perscription allows you to have in your blood stream.

It's not just paraolympians who need to apply for exceptions, there are all sorts of able bodied athletes with athsma or diabetes or similar conditions which are managed with drugs.

 

[TheMightyTen]

Paralympic anti cheating officials face a whole bigger problem than just drug cheats and it's called 'boosting', essentially an athlete with a spinal chord injury intentionally causes their body a pain stress in an area where they have no feeling, this creates a physiological reaction whilst they are competeing to artificially raise blood pressure to prolong performance. The self harm can and has included, braking toes, sitting on sharp objects, overfilling the bladder and trapping the testicles.

Unless it's caught by the officials at the time it's very hard to prove after the fact.