The powerful analgesic Tramadol could have its days numbered in sport. Banned by the UCI although still allowed by the World Anti-Doping Agency despite the fact that its inclusion in the list of substances prohibited by the highest body in the fight against doping was considered certain at the beginning of the years and that now, a recent study affirms that It could also improve performance.
Tramadol, an opiate-type analgesic, came to the fore a couple of years ago due to its alleged massive use within the cycling peloton as a weapon to combat pain caused by intense training, the rigors of competition or the after-effects of the falls.
However, as an opiate, the abuse of this substance began to be associated with multiple falls, which caused the UCI to make the decision to prohibit the use of Tramadol in competitions throughout its calendar.
A persecution of Tramadol that reached its zenith with the sanction of Nairo Quintana that caused a real commotion and raised the controversy over the use of this substance towards the World Anti-Doping Agency, which began to study its ban at a global level although finally decided not to carry it out. waiting to gather more information about Tramadol.
Now, a study from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom provides evidence that, in addition to its effects as an analgesic, Tramadol could also have effects on cyclist performance. A study that the university carried out with 21 “highly trained” cyclists who underwent an initial test to determine their VO2max, lactate threshold and other physiological parameters.
Between 3 and 14 days later, after giving doses of 100 mg of Tramadol to part of the group, they again subjected the cyclists to new tests, observing an improvement of 1.3% among the cyclists who had consumed Tramadol.
A study that could be the definitive boost that the World Anti-Doping Agency needed to proceed with the definitive ban on Tramadol, not only in cycling but in all sports.
Source: http://www.brujulabike.com