An athlete may have a positive doping test after accidental use a prohibited drug or compound.
Potential sources of exposure:
(1) alternative therapy
(2) nutritional supplement
(3) over-the-counter medication
(4) formulated medicine
Risk factors for inadvertent doping:
(1) new drug added to the prohibited list AND athlete unaware of change
(2) therapy or supplement with an undeclared ingredient
(3) failure to read a product label carefully
(4) intentional administration by an unethical trainer or coach
Inadvertent doping needs to be distinguished from intentional doping.
Steps to protect inadvertent doping:
(1) only use supplements that have been tested for composition
(2) regularly review the prohibited compound list
(3) review content labels for all medications, supplements and therapies
