Deer Penis Loses Favor as China's Olympians Fear Drug Testers

By Wing-Gar Cheng


April 1 (Bloomberg) -- Deer penis, turtle blood and angelica root potions have joined steroids and amphetamines on the list of banned drugs for Chinese Olympians.


While China's top athletes have long sought a competitive edge by ingesting traditional concoctions, those customs are fading amid stricter doping rules and concern that drug scandals will embarrass the host nation during the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The nation's sports stars are replacing millennia-old elixirs with vitamins, protein shakes and Western remedies.


Traditional Chinese medicines may contain banned substances such as the stimulant ephedrine or interact with each other to trigger positive doping tests, said Ai Hua, a doctor for China's gymnastics and weightlifting teams during the 2004 games.


``Some teams were still taking Chinese traditional medicines at the Athens Olympics,'' Ai said. ``But now, with the fear of doping at the Beijing games, everyone's avoiding herbal concoctions.''


Almost everyone. China's athletic icon, Yao Ming, is using traditional medicines while recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot, said Eric Zhang Mingji, his agent in China. The 7-foot-6 Houston Rockets center plans to represent China during the Aug. 8-24 games.
``He will be taking Chinese medicines but hasn't started on the treatment yet,'' Zhang said. He declined to be more specific about Yao's treatment.


Banned Ingredients


China's sports ministry must declare nutritional products or herbs safe before athletes use them, Vice Minister Cui Dalin said.


The government wants no repeat of the drugs scandals that tainted the nation's athletic achievements in the past. The Chinese Olympic Committee published a list of banned herbs and animal parts, and the commercial products containing them, in 2005. The manuals were updated in December.
In the 1990s, Chinese track coach Ma Junren credited a series of world records by unknown runners to high-altitude training and a cocktail of turtle blood and caterpillar fungus. Current head coach Feng Shuyong was skeptical, especially after Ma and six of his athletes were pulled from the 2000 Olympic squad for suspected doping.


Feng tells his athletes not to take traditional medicines.
``There's no magical formula of traditional Chinese herbs that once you take them, you can be a superman,'' he said.


2,000 Years of Practice


Traditional Chinese medicine has developed over more than two millennia, and the pharmacopeia now lists 6,000 medicinal substances -- of which 600 are commonly used, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Web site said.


Ancient Chinese remedies are the basis for many modern Western pharmaceuticals, including Roche Holding AG's Tamiflu anti-flu drug and the malaria drug artemisinin. Tamiflu is derived from shikimic acid extracted from star anise, which is sometimes used in a tea to cure colic and rheumatism.
People using traditional remedies typically take plants or extracts of a related animal part to compensate for a physical deficiency.


For instance, potions containing deer penis are believed to increase blood flow, Ai said. Ground-up kidneys are taken to remove toxins, turtle blood to boost circulation and animal feet to strengthen legs. Dang gui, or angelica root, can help regulate the menstrual cycle, and ginseng aids recovery from muscle fatigue.


Chemical Reaction


The problem lies with the other ingredients in those elixirs.
``One herb typically isn't a natural stimulant,'' said Ai, a Peking University sports medicine researcher. ``But when you combine herbs, you can't be too sure the concoction won't have stimulant properties.''


Italian high jumper Antonella Bevilacqua was disqualified from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta after testing positive for ephedrine, which she said was in a Chinese weight loss medicine.


The World Anti-Doping Agency, which oversees drug programs in sports, bans plants such as ma huang, or herbal ephedrine, spokesman Frederic Donze said.


``Athletes have to be careful about any home remedies that have found their place in the family tradition or cultural lifestyle,'' WADA says in a brochure for athletes. ``Many such concoctions are derived from herbal products and some prohibited substances do originate from plants.''


Losing Beats Doping


Products on the Chinese sports ministry's banned list include Leopard Bone Wine, which claims to strengthen bones and joints. It also contains ma huang and deer horn. Return to Heaven pills, sold as a way to improve blood flow, contain ma huang, snake bone and rhinoceros horn.


``I don't use any traditional medicines,'' said Zhu Fangyu, 25, Yao's national teammate. ``We just have to be careful.''


There also is a move away from traditional medicines in favor of Western training techniques and nutrition, said Xie Qiang, China's track team doctor.
``Standards of training are improving and coaching techniques getting better, so coaches are less superstitious,'' said Qie, who recommends acupuncture to athletes but tells them to avoid those herbs he considers ``exotic.''


Western medicine and nutritional supplements are becoming more prevalent in China because they are rigorously tested by pharmaceutical companies and don't carry as much uncertainty as Chinese counterparts, Ai said. Athletes are being overly cautious even though China has issued its drugs list.


``We would rather lose gold medals than have our athletes caught doping,'' Vice Minister Cui said. ``Athletes are not allowed to take concoctions on their own.''


To contact the reporter on this story: Wing-Gar Cheng in Beijing at wgcheng@bloomberg.net.

Man, I've been saying it for years...Deer penis ingestion has been a real medical and social epidemic! Glad to hear this is finally getting the media attention it so rightly deserves!!!