Sport doctor says it is not easy to accidentally take banned drugs

As Aussie swimmer Shayna Jack fights to clear her name following the bombshell doping scandal, a former NRL doctor has rubbished claims performance-enhancing drugs like Ligandrol are “easy” to take accidentally.

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A former NRL medical boss has rubbished claims that performance-enhancing drugs are “easy” to take accidentally.

In the wake of swimmer Shayna Jack’s doping scandal, Dr Ameer Ibrahim, a former chief medical officer for the Sydney City Roosters, said high-level athletes are “hammered” with information about what substances they can and can’t take.

Australian swimmer Shayna Jack said she will fight to clear her name following a doping scandal. Picture: AAP/Darren England

Former swimmer Giaan Rooney, who won an individual Olympic gold before retiring in 2006, jumped into the swimming drug scandal on Friday by claiming a banned steroid was contained in a hayfever nose spray in the US but not in Australia — making it “easy” for her to have taken it while overseas.

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But Dr Ibrahim said Rooney’s claim was “no excuse”.

“Athletes would 100 per cent be aware that they must read any label of anything they are putting into their body and if they are unsure of anything they would talk to their chief medical officer about it,” he said.

“In this day and age that’s just not a viable excuse.

“Athletes are regularly briefed on the list of banned substances. Both with ASADA and their relative team managers.

“If it were as easy as (Rooney) claims … then we would see more athletes test positive.”

Former Olympic swimmer Giaan Rooney has publicly jumped into the swimming drug scandal debate. Picture: Adam Head

Dr Ibrahim also noted that the substance Jack had allegedly taken — the powerful muscle-building drug Ligandrol — was not something that would be found in a supplement.

Ligandrol is commonly used to build muscle in animals and, from a doping perspective, is more commonly used by athletes in high impact sports such as football and powerlifting.

“You can’t walk into a shop and just buy (Ligandrol) and it is not a drug that turns up in supplements either,” Dr Ibrahim said.

Originally published as Sport doctor says it is not easy to accidentally take banned drugs