Banned Substances Control Group, Inc.’s Post

🏉 Rugby, Supplements, and Banned Substances 🏉 The Rugby World Cup. This blood, sweat, and torn ears event is a must see. Rugby players are unique athletes who must be muscled, fit, and skilled. Those prerequisites place significant demands on a body that gets battered and bruised every week, so supplements are often a big part of their routines. Follow The Leader The All Blacks are arguably the world’s most dominant rugby team. As persistent favorites to win the Webb Ellis Cup (starting 8th September), they also set the bar for their approach to sports supplements. Their official stance on supplements via High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) is this. “Harmful ingredients, incorrectly labeled, and contaminated products are often only discovered after the product has been ingested by athletes and consumers. Choosing a dietary supplement that has been independently batch tested substantially reduces the risk for consuming a product contaminated with substances banned in sport.” HPSNZ cites a study that found as many as 1 in 5 dietary supplements are contaminated, either intentionally or through poor manufacturing, with substances on WADA’s prohibited list. The Best Rugby Supplement South Africa, Australia, and England all share New Zealand’s approach to dietary supplements, suggesting athletes use products that are batch-tested for banned substances. England Rugby even offers advice suggesting the supplements with the most evidence to support rugby players are whey protein, casein protein, creatine, and caffeine. These are well-known entities in any athlete's tool kit. However, one contaminated product can pose risks for athletes, first responders, or tactical professionals who are drug-tested for work. Rugby players face the same risk. There are numerous examples, like Australian Thomas Carr, who tested positive for banned substances, which he believes came from a pre-workout drink. For Rugby players, it’s essential not to have drugs hidden in a supplement, but the average Joe doesn’t want to be sucking down pharmaceuticals either. Setting Higher Standards While the World Cup celebrates diverse nations battling the same playing field, third-party certification for banned substances is vital for all countries. It addresses evolving sports regulations and gives athletes the peace of mind they deserve on their journey to greatness. Additionally, certified products provide quality assurance to consumers and brands that want to ensure they get what they claim. The BSCG Certified Drug Free and Certified CBD programs test every batch of a product for banned substances, as do Informed Sport and HASTA, and also include a rigorous initial quality control process review. Regardless of who you’ll be shouting for during this tournament, the winners will have gotten there thanks to clean supplements that have been batch tested, or they risk being a victim of yet another contaminated supplement. #rugbyworldcup2023 #wada #sportscience