Mayweather's drug concerns: A fuss over nothing, say docs

MANILA, Philippines - Two Filipino doctors said yesterday Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has no business making drug test demands on Manny Pacquiao because only the Nevada State Athletic Commission – or the host sports authority supervising their now-off-now-on bout – has jurisdiction and the power to order examinations that will provide evidence if a fighter uses illegal substances or not.

Both doctors, whose identities will remain undisclosed for ethical reasons, agreed that measures undertaken by the state authority are sufficient to detect either social drugs such as cannabis and cocaine or performance-enhancing substances such as anabolic-androgenic steroids.

In an extraordinary demand, Mayweather went over his head by insisting that the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) supervise random urine and blood testing before agreeing to fight Pacquiao. Neither the USADA nor the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is recognized by any boxing organization as a testing vehicle.

At the moment, the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is off although a March 13 date remains in the calendar of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

It was confirmed the other day that USADA chief Dr. Travis Tygart had contacted a well-known Filipino sports medicine specialist to coordinate tests on Pacquiao in case Mayweather’s demand is accepted. If the coordination is cleared, Dr. Alex Pineda of the Philippine Sports Commission would be Dr. Tygart’s local contact.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum raised a howl when the USADA said it would conduct seven blood and 12 urine tests on a random basis before and after the fight, with no cut-off dates.

Mayweather premised his demand on suspicion that Pacquiao is taking performance-enhancing drugs because of his ability to retain his speed and power despite moving up from one weight division to another. Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr., has accused Pacquiao of taking steroids.

Anabolic-androgenic steroids increase muscle mass but trigger male hormonal body changes. The International Olympic Committee has waged a strong campaign against the use of steroids and in coordination with WADA, is constantly testing athletes to isolate wrong-doers.

But while steroids may provide an unfair advantage to an athlete, it creates a major health risk. “Anabolic-androgenic steroids increase lean muscle mass and strength when used in conjunction with training,” said Dr. Robert Voy in his book Drugs, Sport and Politics. “It is important to note that steroids work only in conjunction with an intensive weight training program. Steroids can’t do anything (that) training and nutrition cannot do but they can change the body faster than normal.”

Pacquiao has never been known to engage in an “intensive weight training program” and strictly follows a functional muscle-fiber build-up regimen formulated by conditioning coach Alex Ariza and nutritionist Teri Tom.

Pacquiao has no problem with random urine tests but will only allow blood examinations 24 days before a fight and any day after. His restriction is probably more for a psychological than a physiological reason. Two days before Pacquiao fought Erik Morales in 2005, he submitted to a blood test when doctors lost the sample that was extracted weeks earlier. Pacquiao said he felt weak because of the blood loss and was beaten by Morales on points. He has not taken a blood test so close to a bout again and has since won 11 in a row.

A doctor said a blood test conducted by the USADA or WADA zeroes in on growth hormones and derivatives which are not conclusively detected in a urinalysis. In particular, a blood test will determine if there has been infusion of extra blood in the body to increase the amount of red cells carrying oxygen to the muscle cells. Pacquiao, however, is not being accused of blood doping.

A urine test should be sufficient to check if a fighter has taken steroids. The first fighter to test positive for steroids was South African heavyweight Frans Botha who failed a urine examination after beating Axel Schulz on a split decision for the IBF title in Stuttgart in 1995. The outcome was later declared a no-contest with Botha fined $50,000 and stripped of the crown. Botha remains active today and will stake his World Boxing Federation belt against Evander Holyfield in Kampala, Uganda, on Feb. 20.

If Mayweather has real concerns about Pacquiao’s possible use of steroids, a urinalysis should prove conclusive and a blood test unnecessary. A urine test will also detect use of social drugs. Former IBF superbantamweight champion Kennedy McKinney tested positive for cocaine in a urinalysis after his fight against Joe Martinez in 1990 and was suspended six months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Bert Blewett, in his book The A-Z of World Boxing, said “drugs have become the scourge of boxing ... the tragedy is that more than half the boxers in the Americas now suffer from (drug) problems.” His reference was to social or recreational drugs, not to performance-enhancers.

“If you’re not a good athlete in the first place, a performance-enhancer won’t help,” said a Filipino doctor. “That’s why a great athlete like Pacquiao will always be under suspicion because he’s such an outstanding fighter. Mayweather is playing mind games and for Pacquiao, it’s a matter of pride to stick to his principles.”

Pacquiao’s nutritionist Teri Tom called Mayweather Sr.’s charge that the Filipino icon takes steroids to retain his speed and power despite invading higher weight divisions an absurd accusation.

 “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer except to say that some guys are more genetically gifted than others,” said Tom who was recruited by Ariza to join Pacquiao’s training team last year. “I’ve seen over 900 clients in my nutrition practice – that’s a lot of bodies. I know that guys who’ve thought their whole lives that they’re hard gainers often find out that if we pinpoint exactly how much protein and calories they need, and if we monitor and adapt over time, their genetic potential far exceeds their expectations. Obviously, Manny has incredible genetic gifts. Our job is to bring the most out of those gifts.”

For his part, Ariza told The STAR he could only expect crazy comments from someone who didn’t even finish high school.

 “We use supplements, not steroids,” said Ariza. “Someone who never finished high school, like Mayweather, wouldn’t understand the difference and that’s why they make dumb comments.”