Spirit of Sport Blog

What is a Health Professional’s Role in Anti-Doping?
Learn the roles and responsibilities that health professionals have when it comes to clean sport and anti-doping responsibilities.

How Can Athlete Support Personnel Help Athletes with Anti-Doping Responsibilities?
Learn why it is important that Athlete Support Personnel know how they can protect themselves and support athletes when it comes to anti-doping.

Nutrient Timing: How do I Space Out Meals Around Training?
There is a lot that goes into effective nutrient timing, but here, we will explain some of the core principles and some possible applications.

Meet Raymond Bunker: Professional Wrestler, MMA Fighter, and Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter
Raymond Bunker is working to ensure a level playing field for the next generation of athletes by serving as a USADA Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter.

What Do Athletes Need to Know About Meclofenoxate?
Some supplement manufacturers look to increase the effectiveness and marketability of their products by using illegal substances, like meclofenoxate.

Hydration 101: What do I Need to Know?
Water is sufficient for hydration outside of exercise, but athletes may benefit from adding fluids with sodium and a small amount of carbohydrate.

Paralympian Desmond Jackson on Why Diligence Matters
Desmond Jackson took a pill from his coach, no questions asked. What happened that day would change the course of his athletic career and life.

Taking a Stand for Clean Sport as an Active Athlete
Lilly King explains how she hopes to inspire and help more active athletes take a stand for clean sport at the peak of their influence in sport.

Moving Forward: Kara Goucher’s Ongoing Fight for Clean Sport
Kara Goucher speaks about her ongoing fight for clean sport and why it’s important for all those who believe in the integrity of sport to take a stand.

Abby Raymond: Supplement Safety is Never Guaranteed
See Abby Raymond tell her story about how a contaminated supplement put her hard work, reputation, and goals in jeopardy.

Shalane Flanagan: Losing Big Moments to Dopers
A four-time Olympian, Olympic silver medalist, and New York City Marathon winner, Shalane Flanagan has had a wildly successful career in track and field and could have even more accolades to her name and priceless moments in her memory…if not for athletes who’ve used performance-enhancing drugs to gain an advantage in sport.

Three-Time Paralympian Steve Serio on Innovation in Anti-Doping
Three-time Paralympian Steve Serio talks about how his need for an athletic outlet led him to the Paralympic stage and the evolution in anti-doping.

What is a Health Professional’s Role in Anti-Doping?
Learn the roles and responsibilities that health professionals have when it comes to clean sport and anti-doping responsibilities.

How Can Athlete Support Personnel Help Athletes with Anti-Doping Responsibilities?
Learn why it is important that Athlete Support Personnel know how they can protect themselves and support athletes when it comes to anti-doping.

What Do Athletes Need to Know About Meclofenoxate?
Some supplement manufacturers look to increase the effectiveness and marketability of their products by using illegal substances, like meclofenoxate.

Hydration 101: What do I Need to Know?
Water is sufficient for hydration outside of exercise, but athletes may benefit from adding fluids with sodium and a small amount of carbohydrate.

What Athletes Need to Know About the Dangers of Stopping Prescription Medication Before Competition
It can be risky from both an anti-doping perspective and a health perspective for an athlete to stop prescription medication before a competition.

Will Continuous Glucose Monitoring Improve My Performance?
Many athletes are interested in the latest nutrition and wellness trends that offer an opportunity to improve performance, including glucose monitoring

Nutrient Timing: How do I Space Out Meals Around Training?
There is a lot that goes into effective nutrient timing, but here, we will explain some of the core principles and some possible applications.

Expert Tips for Fueling During Training
In this article, we share the truth about detox diets and when athletes should become aware of the potential harms.

Detox Diets: Are They Worth the Hype?
In this article, we share the truth about detox diets and when athletes should become aware of the potential harms.

Using ChatGPT for Sports Nutrition Advice: Pros, Cons, Considerations
While AI is certainly a promising tool for the future, athletes should exercise caution when using it for nutrition advice.

What to Eat and What to Avoid Before Training
Here are some best practice guidelines on what to eat and what to avoid before different types of athletic training.

3 Ways to Dial in Your Nutrition for Taper Week
Here are some nutrition tips for a successful taper week that leaves you feeling healthy and prepared for competition.

Substance Profile: Caffeine
Caffeine is currently on WADA’s monitoring list which means it is not prohibited but it may become an anti-doping issue in the future.

Substance Profile: Spironolactone is Prohibited in Sport
Subject to anti-doping rules? always check the prohibited status of medications, even if prescribed for a condition unrelated to athletic performance.

Dried Blood Spot (DBS) Testing – Athlete Q & A
USADA has launched a pilot program for a new blood collection process designed to improve the athlete experience, enable more blood collections, and increase sample longevity.

The Role of Science in Anti-Doping
Science plays a crucial role in in the fight for clean sport and USADA’s team of experts play a major role in applying and growing the field of anti-doping science, which brings together toxicology, pharmacology, clinical chemistry, and biological sciences.

Protecting Athletes and Consumers: USADA’s Fight Against Supplement Risks
By supporting legislation and initiatives to protect athletes and consumers, USADA has demonstrated its commitment to educate athletes & consumers about supplement risks.

DCO Insights: TAP Testing at the Boston Marathon
USADA Doping Control Officers share their experiences with the TAP device, athletes’ feedback on the new blood collection process, and what the device means for clean sport.

Meet Raymond Bunker: Professional Wrestler, MMA Fighter, and Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter
Raymond Bunker is working to ensure a level playing field for the next generation of athletes by serving as a USADA Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter.

Meet Carissa Gump: Olympian and Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter
Carissa Gump is working to ensure a level playing field for the next generation of athletes by serving as an Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter for USADA.

Meet Jen Armbruster: Paralympic Medalist and Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter
Paralympian Jen Armbruster joins USADA to help educate the current generation of athletes about why it matters to compete the right way.

Meet Derrick Adkins: Olympic Hurdler and Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter
Olympian Derrick Adkins joins USADA to help educate the current generation of athletes about why it matters to compete the right way.

Meet Nzingha Prescod: Two-Time Olympic Fencer and Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter
Olympic fencer Nzingha Prescod, will draw on her experience to explain the importance of anti-doping rules to today’s athletes.

Q&A with USADA DCO Ann Miller: What are Chaperones?
In this interview, USADA Doping Control Officer (DCO) Ann Miller explains the role and importance of chaperones in the testing process.