Steroid Use

"Bulgarian sprint champion Tezdzhan Naimova was banned for life and ordered to hand back her 2013 European gold medal after failing a dope test, the Bulgarian athletics federation said Tuesday. Naimova, 26, tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Drostanolone at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg in March, where she won the 60m title."

"A recently concluded study has associated moderate physical activity in males with better hormone levels and sperm characteristics that favor reproduction compared to sedentary men."

"Suspended Jamaican 400 meters runner Dominique Blake is thinking on the lines of whether to take her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) after her appeal was turned down against her ban of six years for a second doping violation."

"Lance Armstrong's trophy case is a little emptier today. The disgraced cyclist, who admitted earlier this year to doping throughout his career, tweeted this week that he had given back the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia."

"The Caribbean Regional Anti Doping Organization (RADO) has commended Dominica for its campaign to combat the use of illegal substances in sports."

"A federal lawsuit filed by Gale Sayers against the National Football League has been withdrawn in which the Chicago Bears great has accused NFL of failing to warn him about and protect him against head injuries, including multiple concussions, during his eight-year Hall of Fame career."

"The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will be monitoring caffeine in order to detect misuse patterns in sport by adding it into the new list of monitored substances. The agency also wants to monitor nicotine."

"Pat McQuaid, who held the control of the world governing body of cycling for eight years, has lost the presidency of the International Cycling Union (UCI) to Brian Cookson, the head of British Cycling."

"Former Portuguese international and Spain's FC Barcelona ex-midfielder Deco has been suspended for one year by the Sports Court of Brazil."

"The doping ban on cyclist Michael Rasmussen has been reduced to two years from eight years, according to an announcement by Danish sport officials. This reduction was facilitated after the Danish cyclist offered "substantial assistance" to the anti-doping authority that has opened up many other cases."

"Croatian Marin Cilic's announcement during Wimbledon that he was pulling out of the tournament due to a knee injury was to avoid "adverse publicity" from the fact he had failed a drugs test, the full findings of the case have revealed."

"FIFA has lifted the suspension of a Bulgaria player within few hours after he tested positive for doping at a World Cup qualifying match."

"Cycling's world governing body has a new president after Britain's Brian Cookson defeated the incumbent, Pat McQuaid of Ireland. Cookson has pledged to clean up the sport, which has been tainted by doping scandals."

"National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), a U.K. government body that provides guidance on health services, has urged gyms to offer needles to people who inject anabolic androgenic steroids. It also urged gyms to provide needles to those injecting tanning drugs so that the risk of contracting blood-borne viruses can be reduced."

"Danish sports officials say cyclist Michael Rasmussen's doping ban has been reduced from eight to two years because of his "substantial assistance" to the anti-doping authority that has opened up several other cases. Lone Hansen, the head of Anti Doping Denmark, says Rasmussen's voluntary admission and information he provided earlier this year led to new investigations. She declined to give further details pending the outcome of the probes."

"The International Tennis Federation remarked on June 26 this year that Marin Cilic was withdrawing from the Wimbledon championship due to a knee injury when in fact Cilic was starting an anti-doping suspension."

"Sydney Roosters general manager Brian Canavan said on Wednesday that his players were tested for human growth hormone without the consent of club officials and staff. Confirming he had severed ties with the weight loss and nutritional company Nubodi earlier this year he said the Roosters had been disturbed to discover that his players were tested for the levels of HGH in their blood during the firm's brief association with the club."

"The Australian Racing Board recently announced a complete ban on the use of anabolic steroids in racehorses both in and out of training. This ban has puzzled Equine veterinarians and it seems like the board ignored a submission from Equine Veterinarians Australia on how the drug is used in racehorses."

"Bay Area investment banker Thom Weisel, who financed Lance Armstrong's cycling teams, knew of Armstrong's efforts to cover up his doping as early as 1999, according to a sworn affidavit submitted to a federal court in one of the lawsuits against the fallen cyclist."

"The local organizing committee of the 2014 FIFA World Cup has struck a deal with authorities in Switzerland for outsourcing part of the anti-doping program for the showpiece event."