Drug Policies and Procedures
CrossFit®
Performance-Enhancing and Banned Substances Testing Program
Policies and Procedures
1. Introduction
The CrossFit Games are the proving ground for the Sport of Fitness™. CrossFit® is unique in the field of fitness as being both a sport and a fitness protocol. The CrossFit Games are, therefore, as much a testament to, and test of, the training methodologies of the athletes as they are to the teams and athletes who compete. For that reason, a fair comparison of training methodologies and athletes cannot be made without a level playing field.
To better achieve these goals with emphasis on the athlete’s safety and the integrity of our sport, CrossFit® has adopted the following policy statement with regard to performance-enhancing substance use.
The following policies and procedures shall be administered under the authority of CrossFit®. CrossFit reserves the right to make changes to this policy as needed, and this policy should not be construed to create a contract between athletes and the CrossFit.
CrossFit’s charter is to pursue and develop the technology of human performance. This necessarily means that CrossFit endeavors to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the athletes competing in and representing CrossFit. The use of performance enhancing substances is one of the most important issues facing athletics today. The use of any illegal drug or misuse of any legal drug or dietary supplement with the intention of enhancing performance is inconsistent with the standards expected of CrossFit athletes. Even the legal use of banned substances required for ordinary life (e.g. hormone replacement therapy) has the potential to compromise the integrity of athletic competition.
All registered athletes are subject to banned substance testing at any point during the year, including random and unannounced testing during the off-season for any reason.
2. Purpose
CrossFit believes that random drug testing and testing based on reasonable suspicion are appropriate to ensure the health, safety and welfare of athletes, to promote fair competition in sport, to affirm compliance with applicable rules and regulations on drug abuse, to identify athletes who are improperly using drugs and intervene before they harm themselves or others. Furthermore, CrossFit recognizes its responsibility to provide performance-enhancing drug and supplement awareness, to ensure fitness and life choices that are consistent with CrossFit’s models for fitness and health.
The intent of these policies is to prevent performance-enhancing substance use and abuse by through education, testing, and professional guidance.
· Education – providing athletes, coaches and other, members of the CrossFit community with accurate information about the problems associated with performance-enhancing substance use in sport, promoting health and safety in sport;
· Testing – analyzing biological specimens to detect prohibited substances athletes may introduce to their bodies and associated sanctions resulting from use detailed in this policy;
· Enforcement - providing appropriate sanctions for those who violate the policy as both a specific deterrent to the offender and to generally deter those who know of the actions, as well as to provide integrity to the competitions in which CrossFit athletes compete and ensure safety for all competitors.
3. Performance-Enhancing Substance Awareness and Resources
Participants who are educated about prohibited substance use in sport are more likely to make informed and intelligent decisions about such use. CrossFit will continue, through the CrossFit Journal and through publicly available media, to provide athletes, coaches and other members with current and accurate information about performance-enhancing substances and the inherent risks associated with use. Appropriate educational materials will be made available to participants - including this policy and a list of banned substances.
4. Consent to Participate
As a condition of participation in CrossFit sanctioned events, each athlete will be required to sign a consent form agreeing to undergo drug testing and authorizing release of test results in accordance with this policy (See Appendix A). Failure to consent to or to comply with the requirements of this policy will result in suspension from participation in that athletic event, and potential future sanctions from any other CrossFit sponsored or sanctioned events. On a periodic basis, but no less than annually, CrossFit will provide a public forum where any athlete will be able to read, comment upon, and ask questions about this policy and any of the information contained in the policy, the testing program, or other related issues. Athletes need to inform and educate themselves, and CrossFit will assist in this regard, prior to signing the drug-testing consent form.
5. Dietary Supplements
CrossFit highly encourages athletes to ensure that the use of any dietary supplements or ergogenic aids are investigated. Many dietary supplements or ergogenic aids contain banned substances. Oftentimes the labeling of dietary supplements is not accurate and is misleading. Terms such as “healthy” or “all natural” do not mean dietary supplements do not contain a banned substance or are safe to take. In an oft-cited study by the International Olympic Committee in 2001, an analysis of 634 supplements worldwide, purchased in nutritional supplement stores much like the ones you see in most shopping malls today, nearly 15% were found to contain substances that were not listed on the product label yet would have resulted in a positive drug test had an athlete it. In the United States, the percentage of seemingly “legal” supplements that were tainted with banned substances reached almost 19%. Thus, using dietary supplements may cause positive drug tests. Athletes are solely responsible for any substance that they ingest. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR BODY; therefore, be responsible. Seek out substances that are labeled as safe for athletic use in accordance with standards from a legitimate agency, such as the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG), HFL Sports Science, NSF International (which certifies supplements for Major League baseball and the National Football League), ConsumerLab, and the National Products Association. (This is not an endorsement of any of these organizations).
6. Prohibited Drugs/Substances
7. Specimen Analysis
Specimen analysis includes collecting urine specimens and securely shipping samples to the laboratory while maintaining confidentiality of the athlete and integrity of the sample. A detailed collection protocol is available in Appendix C.
8. Selected Types of Drug Testing
• Championships Testing
CrossFit Games individual/team championships events, selection of athletes may be based on random selection or position of finish.
• Unannounced Random Testing
All registered athletes who have signed the drug-testing consent form are subject to unannounced random testing. This includes at Sectional and Regional events for the CrossFit Games, and/or any other CrossFit sanctioned athletic events. Random selections will be generated electronically, maintaining objective and unbiased athlete selection.
An athlete may be subject to testing at any time when CrossFit determines there is individualized reasonable suspicion to believe the participant is using a prohibited substance. Such reasonable suspicion may be based on objective information as determined by CrossFit, and deemed reliable by such. Reasonable suspicion may include, without limitation, 1) observed possession or use of substances appearing to be prohibited drugs, 2) arrest or conviction for a criminal offense related to the possession or transfer of prohibited drugs or substances, or 3) observed abnormal appearance, conduct or behavior reasonably interpretable as being caused by the use of prohibited drugs or substances. If suspected, CrossFit will arrange for a no notice drug test. Note: The possession and/or use of banned substances may be determined by means other than urinalysis. When an individual is found to be in possession and/or using such substances, he/she will be subject to the same procedures that would be followed in the case of a positive urinalysis.
Athletes will be notified of testing by the contracted specimen collector as designated by CrossFit. Notification of testing shall consist of a face-to-face meeting with the athlete and the contracted collector. The collector will provide the athlete with a formal notification form. The athlete will read and sign the form and immediately be escorted to an appropriate area for specimen collection (See Appendix D).
Athletes shall provide picture identification when entering the drug-testing station.
ALL COLLECTIONS AND/OR TESTING UNDER THIS POLICY SHALL BE STRICT OBSERVED COLLECTIONS (see collection protocol; Appendix C).
10. Laboratory Analysis/Reporting Results
Urine samples will be collected and sent to a World Anti-Doping Agency approved laboratory for analysis. CrossFit hereby certifies that any laboratory it engages for the testing of performance enhancing drugs/agents will abide by the World Anti-Doping Agency code of ethics as it relates to the testing of samples. Furthermore, CrossFit hereby certifies that no sample will be sent to a laboratory for the sole purpose of monitoring an athlete for the detection of performance enhancing substances in order to circumvent a positive drug test. Each sample will be tested in accordance with this policy to determine if banned drugs or substances are present and the appropriate sanctions will apply for positive results.
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