Volunteer Anti Doping Agency offers new testing services
Dr. Margaret Goodman, former longtime ringside doctor for the Nevada Athletic Commission, has spent over five years developing an independent…
Dr. Margaret Goodman, former longtime ringside doctor for the Nevada Athletic Commission, has spent over five years developing an independent testing program for boxing and mixed martial arts: The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
It’s taken a long time to put this together and it’s been a daunting task, said Goodman. When I first started talking to people, I saw that (doping) was rampant and largely ignored by many state commissions, who do little to no testing.
While many state athletic commissions (ACs) conduct tests for steroids and various other performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), out of competition testing is unusual. Further, when out of competition testing is done, the athlete characteristically has up to 72 hours to comply, long enough for many PEDs to clear the body.
As the name indicates, the service is voluntary. A fighter hires VADA to do unannounced testing; positive results will be passed on to the relevant AC. At least up until a positive test, a fighter can opt out at any time. And fighters are still subject to AC tests.
The samples are subject to expensive carbon isotope testing, which can detect PEDs as much as weeks away. VADA also plans to test blood for human growth hormone (HGH) and blood doping.
There are cheaper way of doing things, but we also care about the health of the fighter, Goodman said.