In response to Duke's new drug policy, which the University unveiled last week, coaches and student-athletes are taking every precaution necessary to ensure that nothing the athletes ingest yields a positive test.
With all the attention being paid to drug testing, the Athletic Department is taking the opportunity to increase awareness of what over-the-counter supplements or energy drinks could trigger a positive test that would result in repercussions from either Duke or the NCAA.
"It's a great policy," swimming and diving head coach Don Colella said. "It's making sure that we are all playing on an even playing field in this day and age where, unfortunately, it seems that winning at all costs is paramount. It is just nice to see an institution like Duke take the initiative to set a policy like they have."
The Athletic Department's new policy differentiates between anabolic steroids and street drugs-which include marijuana, cocaine and other recreational drugs-in its penalty structure.
The policy states that an athlete who tests positive for steroids, blood doping or masking agents will now face a one-year suspension; a second offense will result in a permanent loss of eligibility. Previously an initial positive test of any kind received only counseling and only after the third positive test did an athlete lose full eligibility.
Coaches and student-athletes agree that the policy is a definite step in the right direction. "We are going to abide by [the policy] to the letter of the law," men's lacrosse head coach Mike Pressler said. "Our players fully understand what they have to do and what they can't do, and if they fail and don't do the right thing, there are repercussions."
In the past, Duke has conducted tests five or six times a year, with 25 to 30 student-athletes being tested on each occasion. The NCAA also administers its own drug testing of football teams and at least one other varsity squad on every campus. In addition, the league also reserves the right to screen student-athletes at championship events. The two bodies each have their own penalty structures for the various banned substances.
Duke increases awareness
Both Red Bull and Creatine are on the NCAA's list of products that are impermissible for athletic departments to distribute, but athletes are allowed to purchase the products for themselves.
Duke head athletic trainer Dave Engelhardt said the Athletic Department has warned student-athletes against using over-the-counter nutritional supplements.
Creatine and some other supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, meaning that a package of a certain supplement may not contain exactly what it claims.
"Basically, I told them that when it comes to supplements they have to be real careful," Colella said. "Even if you're getting it from a GNC or whatever. What it may say on the label is not necessarily true and the best policy is to just have a great diet."
Engelhardt said athletes have also been discouraged from drinking energy drinks, such as Red Bull, because they are stimulants and could possibly trigger a positive test administered by the NCAA. Duke, however, does not test for caffeine specifically, but wants its student-athletes to be in compliance with both policies at all times, Senior Associate Athletic Director Chris Kennedy said.
Kay Hawes, media relations manager for the National Center For Drug Free Sport, the NCAA's official administrator for drug testing programs, says that there is a misconception about Red Bull and other energy-drinks.
"Consuming Red Bull will not cause a false positive drug test," Hawes said.
Rather, Red Bull contains large quantities of caffeine, which is banned by the NCAA in high doses. Hawes said that one Red Bull would not put a student-athlete over that limit. However, drinking many energy drinks could yield a positive drug test for caffeine.
Hawes added the best way to stay healthy and in compliance with NCAA regulations is to drink sport-drinks and eat food rather than drink caffeinated beverages and use supplements. There is no way to test positive for an illegal substance if following those basic guidelines.
"We are responsible for our bodies," freshman wrestler Wade Van Sickle said. "I'm glad [the athletic department] is talking to us about the risks. If we do take supplements we know there is that chance that we will test positive."
Many women's teams have discussed the new policy as well. Lacrosse head coach Kerstin Kimel told her team about the risks that come with taking supplements and drinking energy drinks.
"We are a women's sport," sophomore defenseman Yani Newton said. "No one is really juicing and stuff like that. For us, it's more to be cautious of the fact that there are supplements that are not approved by the FDA that are laced with other things that will come up positive on a drug test, and just to be aware that you are gone if any of that happens.
"I certainly will not drink Red Bull. I was shocked when I heard that could come up as a positive drug test. It is such a commonly used upper. It's just so prevalent, it's sold everywhere on campus. People drink it left and right. People love it. I don't drink it on a regular basis but I definitely drank it during exams. I certainly will not be doing that this semester. I would never ever put my team or myself in a position to lose eligibility."
Will the policy be effective?
One of the most significant components of the new policy is the manner in which it treats masking agents-used to dilute the concentrations of illegal substances in urine so they are undetectable on drug tests. Most commonly, masking agents are used to cover up the presence of street drugs like marijuana or cocaine in a person's system.
Now that a positive test for masking agents results in a harsher penalty than for recreational drugs, there is a disincentive to use such cover-ups and risk a one-year penalty.
Several coaches said they do not expect a spike in positive tests for recreational drugs, however.
"I just don't sense that from the athletes in our community," Pressler said.
Another change from the former policy is that the Athletic Department no longer has the right to conduct tests when students are away from campus during the summer. Although Duke had never invoked that privilege in the past, its existence served as a potential deterrent from using drugs over the summer-considered a peak time for athletes to take performance-enhancing substances.
This testing-free time over the summer allows student-athletes who choose to take steroids a short window in which their chances of getting caught are much slimmer. By the time they return to campus in August, the illegal substances would be cleansed from their system.
Despite this loop-hole, Pressler and athletic administrators do not believe summer testing is a feasible option because it would be too logistically difficult to coordinate.
Widespread support
Overall, there are positive sentiments concerning the new drug policy. The policy promotes fairness at a time when the world of sports is under tremendous scrutiny to rid itself of steroids and other performance enhancing substances.
"There is definitely no one in our administration that wants to endanger an athlete's career due to a false positive," wrestling head coach Clar Anderson said. "We want to make sure our athletes and the world knows that Duke is very serious about competing on a fair ground and not using any sports enhancement drugs."
Duke's place as a premiere academic and athletic institution leaves the school open to widespread criticism but also allows the university to help mold what direction college athletics as a whole is moving.
"The whole policy is put in place so athletes don't gain an advantage over everyone else," men's lacrosse goalie Rob Schroeder said. "If athletes need to cheat to win then they shouldn't be able to play. I think the policy is fine and the consequences are just."
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