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Policies Governing Clean Sport
• Laws of the country:
– Supply and distribution of schedule drugs (e.g. steroids)
= Criminal offense
- SAIDS works in co-operation with law enforcement
- World Anti-Doping Code (2015)
Dr Amanda Claassen-Smithers
standing in for Khalid Galant, SAIDS CEO
- Prosecuting the “entourage”
>>Fitness & health professionals, coaches etc.
– harsher penalties now apply for anti-doping rule violations when
such individuals are found to be promoting, administering,
trafficking or have any complicit role in doping behaviour…
Professional Codes of Ethics
• Fitness Professionals Code of ethics includes anti-doping
and drug-free principles
– ACSM
– IDEA
– SASMA (memorandum of understanding with SAIDS)
Role of the Fitness Professional in Clean Sport
• Very influential in promoting health and fitness to
population
– Can play a key role in advocating ethical values to support
• Spirit of the Sport; Health & wellness
• Ethics
• Health Professionals Code of Ethics – “first do no harm”
– Guidance on ethical codes of conduct e.g. from ACSM, IDEA
• Fitness establishments
– Zero tolerance policy (Virgin Active South Africa)
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2016/02/23
What about conflicts of Interests?
ACSM code of ethics / “standards of conduct”
ACSM – promotes obligation to train, treat and support athletes
with the highest ethical standards
• Fitness professionals promoting supplements
– Unregulated: claims of safety, efficacy, ingredients-listed, dosage
need not be proven pre-sale
– Growing risk of harmful / pharmaceutical-grade / banned
substances (not listed on the label)
– VERY few have evidence of efficacy: risk-to-benefit ratio?
– “…should treat or train athletes with the objective of maintaining the
integrity of competition and fair play.”
– “…should acknowledge that they are aware of international doping control
standards as determined by the List of Prohibited Substances and
Methods published by WADA or the relevant Anti-Doping Authority.”
– Awareness, Education, Caution and Due diligence needed!
– “…should not advise, aid, or abet any athlete to use prohibited
substances or methods of doping”.
– “…should use all means possible to deter doping by athletes”.
– “…protect the right of the clean athlete to compete”.
Role of the health professional in clean sport
IDEA Code of Ethics for Personal Trainers
“Always be guided by the best interest of the client.
•
Remember that a PT’s primary responsibility is to the client’s safety,
health and welfare; never compromise this responsibility for your own selfinterest, personal advantage or monetary gain.
•
Recommend products or services only if they will benefit the client’s
health and well-being, not because they will benefit you financially or
occupationally.
•
Recognize your limitations … engage only in activities that fall within the
boundaries of your professional credentials and competencies. Refer clients
to other professionals for issues that fall beyond the boundaries of a personal
fitness trainer’s profession or your current competencies.”
•
guidance on
performance-enhancing substances.
Athletes rely on health professionals for expert

health professional needs to make sure that what
the athlete wants to take is not harmful, banned,
or performance-impairing.
As health care providers, it’s our responsibility to
educate athletes about the facts vs claims of these
products.
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2016/02/23
Role of health professional vs athlete’s “wants”…
•
Unethical to encourage the use of banned substances (FIMS) – may provide
unfair advantage and/or may cause harmful side effects.
•
health professionals & athletes are bound by the laws of country and
sports governing bodies (e.g. WADA, SAIDS, IOC, etc.)
•
Many US governing bodies, e.g. ACSM, the AMA, and National Collegiate
Athletic Association condemn nontherapeutic drug use, especially by studentathletes; and
 Coaches, health providers, suppl reps etc. are prohibited from
encouraging and/or supplying youth with creatine / other
supplements.
(Calfee & Fadale, 2006; Nemet & Eliakim, 2009)

• The health professional’s first obligation is to protect
the athlete from potential harm, whether short-term or
long-term, associated with performance-enhancing
substances, whether illegal or legal.
& health professionals are ethically bound to
discourage substances that violates the spirit of
sport and the rules of competition
Yet…continued well-documented cases of health professional
involvement in positive drug tests…
Grey areas - where do supplements fit in?
•
First do no harm…
health professionals may counsel athletes about legal performanceenhancing substances provided they are not dangerous…
In Conclusion
The aim of SAIDS is to, with your help,
 protect the values and ehtics of clean sport
Can you
answer this
for suppl.s?
•
The use of legal, approved performance-enhancing substances is
not necessarily unethical, but health professionals must still
proceed with caution.
•
… a VERY gray area…
> HELP PROTECT the CLEAN ATHLETE
 create awareness and education on risks and
consequences of performance-enhancing drug (and
supplement)-use;
 assist athletes in making informed, evidence-based
decisions
help minimise the number of adverse health effects (long-and
short-term) AND number of positive doping tests in SA athletes
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2016/02/23
Thank you!
www.drugfreesport.org.za
Tel: 0861 072437
[email protected]
[email protected]
Facebook: I Play Fair ZA
Twitter: @iplayfairZA
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