IOC update Banned Substance listIn a joint statement issued by World Anti-Doping Agency president and Jacques Rogge, president
of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the following foods have been placed on the list of
banned substances issued by WADA: yam, green bananas, cocoa, dasheen, breadfruit, ackee
and saltfish, mackeral run down, turned cornmeal, Malta, Supligen and coconut oil. Jamaicans
seem to become extremely athletic on diets with these foods. Coming out of WADA labs, one of
the major banned substances from Jamaica is the Cassava root, a high fibre, high starch tuber
root eaten in Jamaica. It has properties which are said to enhance endurance and cause muscle
fibres to twitch faster. This comes after extensive study of the diets of the Jamaican athletes
which took part in the Beijing 2008 Olympic games. Though natural foods it is felt by WADA that
these foods because of their unique properties give Jamaican athletes an unfair advantage. High
concentrations of carbohydrates and other naturally occurring substances are said to be
mimicking the effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). Some foods have been noted to
in particular cause an unusual increase in the male hormone testosterone. As such WADA has
seen it fit to add these foods to the list of banned substances. Given the sensitivity of this issue,
Jamaican athletes participating in the current Olympic games underway in Beijing have not been
banned but must submit to these new restrictions within the next two years.
I tief this of a next site.
