New ways to hide testosterone use

Athletes become more and more sophisticated in steroid use. They study new ways to mask their usage of forbidden medications. Certain sportspersons take time to study researchers’ statements that may help them to hide that they dope. Today a method has been found: sportspeople may mask application of testosterone with the help of green tea.
Testosterone is a hormone that is produced in body naturally. Thus, it may be difficult for anti-doping organizations to define that an athlete has administered testosterone. T: E ratio testing is commonly used by anti-doping organizations. Such tests may display unusual ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in urine. But it doesn’t have capacity to display difference between testosterone which has been created in body naturally and that introduced into body with the help of injections, creams, etc.
 Declan Naughton and his colleagues at Kingston University ( London) have determined that green tea has such compounds that are called “catechins”. They are capable to inhibit the enzyme UGT2B17. This enzyme induces attaching glucuronic acid to testosterone. In case UGT2B17 is inhibited, less testosterone glucoronide is excreted in urine.  
Catechins, the substances which are able to mask intake of testosterone, are contained in green and white tea. Such compounds are not in black tea.
Naughton and his colleagues have conducted several experiments. They confirm that a cup of strong green tea mask usage of testosterone.
So, those sportspersons that administer testosterone can lower quantities of testosterone which are excreted in urine by consumption of green or white tea. Green or white tea has ability to block excretion of testosterone, enhancing circulating levels of this hormone.
The World Anti-Doping Agency was informed about the findings by the scientists. If this process occurs, it means that it is not worthy to apply urine tests. Blood tests should be performed in order to detect testosterone use.
Olivier Rabin, the WADA’s scientist, claims that regular checks of blood steroids will be added. Everything will be done by anti-doping officials in order to avoid fooling of urine tests.