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Ginseng is not doping

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) classifies ginseng as a permitted substance for athletes

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA ) is the world's highest authority to fight doping in top sport. It was founded in 1999 by the International Olympic Committee. Creates and manages a global anti-doping program and unifies the rules of all sports organizations and institutions around the world into the "World Anti-Doping Code", which includes the updated "List of Forbidden Substances and Doping Methods". Other WADA activities include sports testing organizations. When athletes take some drugs or supplements, they must always be sure that they do not cause positive doping tests.

Ginseng is not on the list of prohibited substances or doping methods

"List of Prohibited Substances and Methods of Doping" published by WADA (the list valid from 1 January 2009 is here pdf ), it does not mention ginseng or its content. It should be noted, however, that besides enumeration of banned substances and methods, the list also includes a broader range of substances, such as anabolics, stimulants, steroid receptor modulators, where it would be theoretically possible to be ginseng according to someone. That's why we need to look for a more specific WADA opinion on ginseng ...

Ginseng was classified in WADA in 2000 as "permitted doping"

WADA has been specifically concerned with the ginseng, even after its inception. Early in the summer of 2000 at the Olympic Games in Sydney it was found that some athletes were using ginseng regularly.

A direct statement on ginseng was published by WADA in the Sydney Olympic Games Summer Olympic Games Report pdf (page 40): "... ginseng and other common supplements (creatine, melatonin, hydroxymethylbutyric acid, inosine, vitamins, minerals, etc.) are pseudo-doping or doping ..."

Other WADA indirect statements include, for example, this one pdf and this one pdf The Ginseng document always mentions the permitted supplements as vitamins, minerals, creatine, etc. In the minutes of the WADA Executive Committee meeting of 20 July 2000 ( pdf ) one of the members of the committee says that a positive laboratory test can not be taken into account if it is caused by ginseng.

The safety of ginseng in terms of anti-doping tests is confirmed by scientific studies.

WADA alone does not provide nutritional testing. Testing ginseng (specifically ginseng extract) was, for example, investigated by antidoping tests conducted on a group of 39 Canadian athletes using ginseng extract ( goel2004dug ). This shows that ginseng does not cause positive doping tests.

| 2009 - 24.1.2018