Doping in crossfit

Crossfit and functional fitness combine strength, power, gymnastics and endurance. It is precisely this versatility that makes them specific from a doping standpoint: the athlete strives to be simultaneously as strong as a weightlifter and as enduring as a rower. The editorial team examines how control is arranged in this sport, which substances pose the greatest risk and what is important for amateurs to know.

Features of crossfit as a sporting discipline

Crossfit emerged in the early 2000s as a training methodology and later turned into a competitive sport with its own selection system. The competitive season includes online stages, in which hundreds of thousands of people around the world take part, regional or semi-final competitions and the final Games.

A systematic review and meta-analysis by Claudino and co-authors (2018) showed that crossfit programmes combine elements of strength, gymnastic and high-intensity metabolic training. Such multifacetedness means that, in theory, preparations from various classes — from anabolic to those affecting oxygen transport — can be «useful» for an athlete.

Another feature is a huge amateur base. Most competition participants are amateurs who train in clubs and have never undergone doping control. At the same time, it is precisely they who often use the most dietary supplements, guided by advertising and advice on social media.

Finally, crossfit is not an Olympic sport and developed outside the traditional structure of international federations. This affected how anti-doping policy took shape: it differs from the classic model, where the NADO and the international federation work under the WADA Code.

How testing is organised

The competition organiser CrossFit has its own doping policy, which relies on the WADA Prohibited List and provides for testing of elite-level participants — both at competitions and outside them. Samples are analysed in WADA-accredited laboratories, and sanctions are published. At the same time, the organisation is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code in the classic sense, so some procedural details may differ from those applying in Olympic sports.

Specific provisions — disqualification terms, the appeal procedure, whereabouts obligations — should be checked in the current season rules. They have been revised several times, and the editorial team recommends turning to the organiser's official documents rather than to retellings on social media.

For athletes who simultaneously compete in crossfit and in Olympic weightlifting, rowing or gymnastics, the situation becomes more complex: they are subject to the requirements of several organisations, and a violation in one system may have consequences in another.

Transparency is an important element of trust in a sport. Publishing testing results and sanctions allows athletes to see that the rules are applied, not merely declared.

Substances that pose the greatest risk

The mixed nature of the loads makes crossfit attractive for the abuse of several classes of substances. The editorial team describes them from the standpoint of risks and legal status, without any advice on use.

• Anabolic androgenic steroids (S1)— for gaining strength and accelerating recovery between workouts.
• SARMs, in particular ostarine and ligandrol (S1)— sold as «research chemicals», often with incorrect labelling; ostarine is frequently detected as a contaminant of supplements.
• Stimulants (S6)— in pre-workout complexes: methylhexanamine (DMAA), phenylethylamine derivatives and other substances prohibited in competition.
• Agents that increase oxygen transport (S2, M1)— EPO and blood manipulations, theoretically attractive for metabolic workloads.
• Diuretics (S5)— more rarely, but can appear in products «for cutting».
• Hormone and metabolic modulators (S4)— in particular insulin and meldonium.

Caffeine deserves a separate mention. It is not on the Prohibited List and is included only in WADA's monitoring programme. However, pre-workout products often contain not only caffeine but also other stimulants that the buyer may not know about.

Health: when doping multiplies the load

Even without doping, crossfit is associated with high physiological loads. The literature describes cases of rhabdomyolysis — the breakdown of muscle fibres with release of myoglobin, which can damage the kidneys. The risk increases in beginners, during a sudden increase in the volume of work, against a background of dehydration and heat.

Stimulants add load on the cardiovascular system: an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, a risk of arrhythmias, especially in combination with maximal efforts. Methylhexanamine, which was once sold in supplements, was linked to serious cardiovascular events, and the FDA did not recognise it as a legal food ingredient.

Anabolic steroids and SARMs suppress one's own hormonal system, negatively affect the lipid profile and, according to review literature, increase cardiovascular risk. SARMs are not registered as medicines anywhere in the world, so their long-term safety is unknown, and the quality of the products on the market is often unsatisfactory.

EPO and blood manipulations increase blood viscosity. In combination with intense loads and dehydration this creates a risk of thrombosis. Such methods pose a serious danger to life and are an unambiguous violation of anti-doping rules.

Insulin, which some athletes use to «fill» the muscles, can cause severe hypoglycaemia, loss of consciousness and death. The editorial team stresses: using insulin outside the treatment of diabetes is deadly dangerous.

Amateurs, supplements and everyday practice

For most people who do crossfit, the most real risk is not deliberate doping but unintentional use of prohibited substances through supplements. A study by Geyer and co-authors (2008) described numerous cases of contamination and adulteration of supplements with anabolic steroids and stimulants, in particular products positioned for mass gain or energy.

An amateur who plans one day to reach the level of competitions with testing must get used to clean practice in advance. Some long-lived steroid metabolites are detectable for a long time after use.

1. Choose supplements with independent certification (Informed Sport, NSF Certified for Sport, the Cologne List).
2. Avoid products with «proprietary blends» where the amount of each component is not stated.
3. Be careful with pre-workout complexes and «fat burners» with aggressive marketing.
4. Keep packaging and receipts so that in case of problems you have evidence.
5. Check medicines in the databases of national anti-doping organisations and, if necessary, obtain a therapeutic use exemption.

Basic supplements with proven effectiveness — creatine, caffeine, protein, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine — are described in the IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements (Maughan et al., 2018). They are not prohibited, but even for them it is worth choosing certified products.

Club coaches should remember their role. An atmosphere where pharmacology is perceived as the norm harms not only the reputation of the sport but also the health of the people who came to the gym for their health.

Editorial conclusions

Crossfit combines several physical qualities, so it theoretically tempts athletes with different classes of prohibited substances — from anabolics to stimulants and agents affecting the blood.

Testing is focused on the elite level and relies on the WADA Prohibited List, but specific procedures should be checked in the organiser's current rules.

For amateurs the main threat is contaminated supplements and stimulants in pre-workout products. Certification of products and caution regarding aggressively advertised agents substantially reduce the risk.

We also recommend reading our materials on prohibited supplements, on doping in bodybuilding and fitness bikini and on the Whereabouts location system.

References

1. Claudino JG, Gabbett TJ, Bourgeois F, et al. CrossFit overview: systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med Open. 2018;4(1):11.
2. Geyer H, Parr MK, Koehler K, Mareck U, Schänzer W, Thevis M. Nutritional supplements cross-contaminated and faked with doping substances. J Mass Spectrom. 2008;43(7):892–902.
3. Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(7):439–455.
4. Pope HG Jr, Wood RI, Rogol A, et al. Adverse health consequences of performance-enhancing drugs: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocr Rev. 2014;35(3):341–375.
5. World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List. Montreal: WADA; чинна редакція.
6. World Anti-Doping Agency. Monitoring Program. Montreal: WADA; чинна редакція.