- Quality of illegal doping substances on the black market in the Netherlands –

Submitted by RonnyT on Tue, 2011-06-28 12:42

- Quality of illegal doping substances on the black market in the Netherlands –

This article pertains to a study performed in the Netherlands, which examined the quality of anabolic androgenic substances used as performance enhancing drugs by athletes, bodybuilders, powerlifters, fighters and an increasing amount of cosmetic bodybuilders. The aim of this study was to obtain a current and clear insight on the quality and availability of illegal doping agents on the Dutch black market. Altough isolated to steroids found in Holland, I think the results are quite representative for most European countries.

The Dutch study covers four years and involves the analyses performed on 203 products that where seized at the arrest of dealers or became available through other channels of the Dutch inspection for public health, during the period between 2000-2003 and were analysed for the presence of active ingredients as claimed on the label. The study contains a total of 336 products that were analysed. Beside the products from the period between 2000-2003 the NeCeDo study made a comparison with the results of 98 analyses from 1998 performed by the NIDDR (Netherlands Institute for Drugs and Doping Research in Utrecht)

They completed the study with extra analyses to the quality on eight products that where bought on the internet in the year 2004 and to the uniformity of ten counterfeited means that required 27 analyses.

Quality

The quality of doping substances that are illegally obtained is bad. At least 50-60% of the products does not contain what is declared on the label. Counterfeit products appear in all possible ways: other, comparable, substances are processed within the product or too little or even too much of the labelled substance can be found. In 7% of all analysed products not even a trace of an active substance could be identified.

The doping market

The core of the black market in doping substances apparently has not changed over the last few years: most of the used substances are anabolic steroids in order to gain muscle mass. In addition, substances are used to enhance the effects of AAS, such as growth hormone and insulin. New developments that have been identified are a larger acceptance of the use of both insulin and precursors of anabolic steroids and a shift fromamphetamines towards so-called “stackers” that contain ephedrine.

Doping substances originate from all over the world. Rising sources are particularly countries from the Middle East (Iran, Iraq) and China. The internet seems to be more an informational source than an important source of actually acquiring these substances.

There are some signs that a new kind of dealer is arising over the last few years, who is very much different from the traditional dealer who often combines the sale of doping substances with advices on dietary and training issues. This new kind of dealer often has no direct link with gyms or fitness centres.

Table 1 gives an overview of the types of products which have been analysed on basis of the declared contents. Is distinguished in androgenic-anabolic steroids or AAS (such as nandrolone, testosterone, stanozolol),growth hormone, clenbuterol, means against side effects (such as human choriongonadotrofine or HCG, tamoxifen, diuretics) and slimming agents (such as thyroid hormones, efedrine). Also no amphetamines or erytropoëtine have been analysed. Thisis because these products are only used sporadically still. Especially the decrease in popularity of amphetamines is a remarkable change. Amphetamines were much used in the past to slim, but this use has been replaced the previous years by products with the legal combination of cafeine, ephedra and aspirine, so-called CEA-stacks. Also products which mostly contained ephedra or ephedrine hcl, where known as “stackers”. These stackers are effective waste products but are cheaper and much less addictive than amphetamines-alike and many years' as a feeding supplement have been sold. Since early 2004 in the Netherlands and in a lot of other countries the most of ephedra substances have been prohibited to sell because these substances an increased risk on appeared heart problems and cause haemorrhages in the brain.

Historical

The percentage counterfeits is high, but lower than in earlier researches is called. Koert & Van Kleij (1998) estimates the percentage counterfeits on 60-70%. Oldersma and colleague (2002) raised the maximum percentage up to 80%. The analyses carried out in this research from 2005 show a another picture with an average percentage of 57%. By using the results of in the past (the analyses carried out by the NIDDR) it is possible moreover become looked in the time. Given the results of these analyses 50-60% is a more realistic estimation of the percentage counterfeits.

The inspection for the health care (IGZ) found that in 24% of all cases the product contained another, but similar substance then indicated on packing. Generally it was substituted with nandrolone or (methyl) testosterone instead of the on the label declared anabolic steroids such as oxandrolone, trenbolone or drostanolone. In two cases it concerned human cadaveric growth hormone instead of synthetic somatotropine. The explanation for these permutation of ingredients speaks for itself: the used substances are much cheaper and easier available than the substances which are claimed on the label and mostly the doses is much lower also.

To be able to make a historical comparison for this research, 98 analysis results from 1998 have been examined again. It concerns analyses which where carried out by the then NIDDR in Utrecht. THE NIDDR have done much doping research in the nineties, among other things to the authenticity of doping resources. The way these samples where obtained, differed however slightly with the way in which the IGZ obtains its samples. THE NIDDR got these samples from the tax information and detection service (FIOD) or by means of doctors who wanted the products to be analysed.

The percentage products that effectively contained the declared active substance is almost similar between these two sources (73% compared with 69%). The percentage products that contained another, similar substance are at NIDDR-results much lower (9% compared with 24%; also in 1998, this particularly concerned nandrolone and methyl testosterone as substitutes), whereas the number of products that contained no detectable quantity of active ingredients was markedly higher (17% compared with 7%). Although the products where differently obtained, and a real comparison therefore cannot be made, it seems that the black market in the course of years sold more products which in any case have a light anabolic effect. Because when the NIDDR-analyses where performed they made no quantification of the found substances, it is not possible quantify the total number of counterfeits under those products; however, it is clear that at least 31% were false. The quality of the products is extraordinarily difficult to predict

I also want to cover a part of the Dutch rapport where they analysed 3 samples from the same batchnumbers some with a remarkable result look by example to Extraboline one of those 3 is of HG quality (97 mg)

Three different Norma Hellas nandrolone, all vials with the same batch numbers, but for one lable another stamp was used to print the batch number and expirydate. All three
packaging proved to be fals.

* Quality of illegal doping substances – an exploration of the quality of illegally traded doping substances and the health risks that accompany their use 2005, O. de Hon & R. van Kleij