What to do in case of illness or injury?
The anti-doping rules clearly and repeatedly point out the personal accountability of athletes. The athlete is personally responsible for everything that is found in his or her body or body fluids. The athlete consequently needs answers to the following key questions:
1. What to do in case of illness?
Common medical conditions such as a cold, coughing or minor injuries happen quite frequently, and most of the time athletes do not think of seeing a doctor, nor is it necessary. To assist athletes, NADA Austria provides a List of examples of permitted medications, which is brought up to date each year.
Yet, in all cases where there are clear symptoms, athletes should always consult a physician (for example in the presence of fever, purulent mucous, sore throat and similar symptoms). The athlete's health may be at risk if he or she continues training or takes part in a competition despite seemingly harmless symptoms. Under such conditions the performance ability is not only limited, but the athlete's health may suffer serious damage, which would mean the end of their athletic career.
2. What requirements does the athlete need to consider?
The athlete's responsibilities include regularly consulting the current Prohibited List (list of prohibited substances and methods). This list is revised each year, and the new revision enters into effect on 1 January of each year. The athlete is additionally responsible for ensuring that every medication administered as well as every other drug or nutritional supplement taken does not contain any prohibited substances. Compliance with this requirement is not always easy, particularly in the case of nutritional supplements, as not all companies guarantee the purity of their products.
When considering the information about the doping list, it should be noted that the enumeration of prohibited substances is not exhaustive for most of the substance classes. This is not even possible, in fact, since new substances with a similar chemical structure or similar biological effects are constantly being put on the market, and such substances can only be included in the doping lists with the next revision at the earliest. It is therefore important to consult the doctor or anti-doping officer of your federation or NADA Austria to obtain any necessary information.
The athlete is also responsible for finding out whether the international sports federation responsible has adopted any additional limitations, bans and/or requirements.
It is of utmost importance for an athlete to notify his or her doctor of being on a (national or international) squad that is subject to testing, and that the athlete should thus not receive any prohibited substances.
If the responsible physician considers it necessary for the athlete to take medication containing an active ingredient included in the Prohibited List, the athlete (not the physician!) has to immediately apply to NADA Austria for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE).
3. What requirements does the responsible physician have to observe?
In the TUE application form, the treating physician must provide the relevant information about any prohibited substance necessary for treatment. This must include the substantiated diagnosis as well as all relevant test results, which should not be older than three months. The physician must also describe why an alternative, permitted substance cannot be used in the treatment.