Doping, the road to nowhere
Bodybuilding and Fitness are both Sport & Healthy Lifestyle.
Bodybuilding and Fitness principles are based on the combination of proper nutrition and regular weight training; applied to achieve physical athletic excellence. Bodybuilding and Fitness are therefore sports clearly linked with health; being also by themselves among the most effective techniques used in antiaging therapies.
The IFBB has conducted doping controls regularly since 1986; when our Founder, the late Ben Weider, introduced it with the cooperation of Special Advisors, such as the late Prof. Dr. Manfred Donike, from the IOC Medical Commission, followed by Prof. Dr. Eduardo de Rose, and other prestigious specialists in this critically important area.
In 1999, I was honored to attend the WADA Foundation Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland, representing the IFBB.
By its principles, the IFBB is strongly committed to the fight against drugs, because:
- Doping is against our principles of healthy lifestyle
- Doping is against the ethics and laws in sport
Doping is not only a problem for sport; it is a problem for society in the XXI Century.
The IFBB is a Signatory to the WADA Code and the IFBB anti-doping rules are in accordance with the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code.
The IFBB has established a fight against the use of doping in different areas.
- Elaboration and following specific anti-doping control programs, since 1986
- Educating the athletes, coaches and National Federations through conferences, informative brochures, and specific courses.
- Teaching and encouraging our National Federation members to incorporate active anti-doping programs at the national level
The goal of this document is to provide important guidelines to athletes, officials and National Federations regarding the most usual concepts applied in the anti-doping procedures, the regulations applied to them, details in the performance of the collection of doping control samples and an encouragement for an active fight against doping.
The purpose is to provide information that can be amplified through the detailed and necessary study of the IFBB Anti- Doping Rules.
We recommend the careful review of this content as a prior step in the study of the IFBB Anti-Doping Code document.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank Mauricio Arruda and to all of the IFBB officials that, through their daily contributions, coordinate and implement our anti-doping programs and serving our mission to promote clean sport and healthy lifestyle.
Yours in sport,
Dr. Rafael Santonja
IFBB President
