Pekka Rauhala, a medical expert at the Finnish Sports Ethics Center in Suek, opens up about how the so-called estrogen blocker works and where you can get one.
Joel Sippola,
Bettina Törnvall
Boxer Robert Helenius has been surrounded by a lot of noise in recent days. Boxing promoter Matchroom Boxing said late on Friday evening that deviations were found in the Finn’s doping sample, which indicate a doping finding.
It is only a matter of doubt at this point. Helenius has not been sentenced to disciplinary sanctions for a doping violation, and the content of his sample has not yet been interpreted as a doping violation in the legal sense of the matter.
Helenius has vehemently rejected claims that he used any banned substance on purpose.
Read more: A shocked Robert Helenius broke down in an interview with : “I can swear with my heart” – the manager told about his dramatic night
According to Urheilu, the substance that Helenius is suspected of is an estrogen blocker. The preparations in question typically have a positive effect on the production of the male hormone testosterone in the body.
Read more: Urheilu’s information: Robert Helenius is suspected of such a doping agent
One of the active ingredients of the drugs in question (estrogen blockers) is called letrozole. Medical expert of the Finnish Sports Ethics Center (Suek). Pekka Rauhala says that the substance in question prevents the formation of estrogen from testosterone. Rauhala talks about it on a general level.
– Estrogen inhibits the regulation of testosterone secretion. When this letrozole removes this brake, then the secretion of testosterone is accelerated.
Rauhala says that in such a mechanism, the body’s testosterone concentration roughly doubles or triples. So it has a clear significant effect, also in sports performances.
Used in the treatment of breast cancer
The substance has two clear benefits.
– It alone causes an increase in testosterone and it becomes a benefit.
Secondly, the substance has been used to prevent adverse effects, which can occur if an athlete uses testosterone as a doping agent. The use of testosterone can cause side effects caused by estrogen and it depresses your own testosterone production. These problems can be treated with estrogen blockers.
– It can be used to prevent the estrogen-related disadvantages of testosterone doping and to ensure that your own testosterone production is not inhibited in the same way.
Mainly only men use the substance for doping purposes. For women, the substance is used as a medicine in the treatment of breast cancer.
Is there a medical use for men?
– It may sometimes be used to raise testosterone levels if they are low for a functional reason. It is not an official indication for use.
– There are also some experimental results that it can be used to treat delayed puberty. In other words, let’s accelerate the development of puberty, Rauhala adds.
High risk products
According to Rauhala, there is no information on the extent of doping use, but the WADA statistics show how often a doping sample has tested positive for letrozole and similar substances.
– This substance (letrozole) has resulted in approximately 20 doping violations or positive samples worldwide each year. When you add up the other substances in this group, we are talking about a hundred positive findings, Rauhala estimates.
According to Rauhala, letrozole is only available at the pharmacy as a prescription product.
The substance has also not been found in vitamin and trace element flavors sold in Finland. Rauhala states that various products that also contain doping substances are sold abroad under the name of nutritional supplements. They aim to improve performance.
– When we talk about products of this type, which are aimed at athletes and are advertised as increasing muscle and strength, the question arises whether they contain any anabolic steroids or other prohibited substances. Not all of them have, but in some, especially food supplements available from abroad, prohibited substances have been found.
– High-risk products are those that are not advertised for nutritional reasons, but because they improve performance, Rauhala sums up.
It is not a known doping substance. It is therefore possible that the athlete does not know or understand the associated risk.
– If you can get it as a medicine, then you should check if the product contains a prohibited substance, says Rauhala.