World Anti-Doping Agency

World Anti-Doping Agency

World Anti-Doping Agency has a list of banned performance enhancement drugs, and fertility drugs are among these. Some fertility drugs are known enhancers that work by boosting testosterone production.

The list of athletes being banned for fertility drug usage is on the rise. Most athletes use these drugs to have extra advantages (even minimal) over their opponents. Sometimes they do this under the misguided belief that everyone is on enhancement drugs.

Testosterone is a male fertility hormone produced naturally by the body. However, in its synthetic form, it is used to increase muscle build and endurance and reduce hair loss. Many competitors used to take testosterone enhancers in the form of pills and injections, but modern methods easily detect its presence. While testosterone is vital for sperm count and motility, using its manufactured version was banned because of the edge it gave users. It is also known to increase aggressiveness in some people, which can be an advantage in contact sports.

Recently, Clomid use has led to the suspension of several athletes. It is a common drug that works by blocking estrogen receptors. When blocked, the receptors can’t detect the hormones that are already in circulation, making the hormones that produce estrogen to assume the estrogen levels are low. As a result, they stimulate the production of FSH and LH. The increase in LH leads to a rise in testosterone and, subsequently, a higher sperm count.

The use of Chlomid has seen people banned because it is an indirect boost of testosterone. The athlete tricks the body to give more testosterone without ingesting testosterone directly.

The anti-doping agencies also believe that athletes use fertility drugs to mask the ingestion of an athlete. They may use the fertility drug as an excuse for the increase in testosterone levels.

These fertility drugs that raise testosterone, whether directly or indirectly, have led to many suspensions, dismissals, and destroyed careers. However, they are still a source of controversy.