Sports Medicine and Steroids
IHSA Position Statement Regarding: Guidelines for Return to Activity
In accordance with By-law 2.150, a school shall have on file for each student who participates (including practice) in interscholastic athletics a certificate of physical fitness issued by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner as set forth in
the Illinois State Statutes not more than 365 days preceding any date of participation in
any such practice, contest or activity. As this By-law addresses pre-participation certification only, there is not a guideline or By-law in place to address release to interscholastic activity following an injury. With the understanding that schools throughout the state have different needs and services available to them, this document
was produced to provide guidelines for an athlete’s return to activity following an injury.
In accordance with the Illinois School Code, each school should have a written Emergency Action Plan in place to address all athletic injuries, regardless of severity,
occurring during a practice or competition. This plan should identify a Chain of Command (Physician/Athletic Trainer/Nurse/Athletic Director/Coach/etc) and address
the unique needs of the individual sport and venue.
It is not practical to identify every situation or injury; however the following guidelines
were developed to assist the school/coaching staff in determining if the athlete should be allowed to return to activity without a release following a “minor” injury.
1. No swelling or deformity.
2. No tingling, numbness or burning sensations.
3. No headache, nausea, blurred vision, confusion or disorientation.
4. No fever.
5. Symmetrical (equal to the other side) joint range on motion and strength.
6. Ability to bear weight, without a limp, if injury occurs to the lower body.
7. Ability to complete full functional sporting activities without compensation.
As the majority of high school athletes are minors, if there is a question as to their injury
and ability to participate a parent or guardian should be consulted. The individual
assessing the athlete’s ability to return to activity should document the injury, injury
findings and the athlete’s ability to return to activity.
Athletes unable to meet the above criteria should be encouraged to seek medical attention prior to their return to interscholastic activity. Athletes that seek medical attention should be required to provide a written medical release indicating their ability to participate as well as restrictions. Without obtaining this medical release, the school may assume legal liability if the athlete is allowed to participate in activities not permitted by their medical provider.
IHSA Steroid Testing Policy: Consent to Random Testing
In January 2008, the Illinois High School Association’s Board of Directors approved a plan developed by the IHSA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to implement random testing for steroids and performance-enhancing dietary supplements of teams and individuals qualifying for state finals competition.
Beginning with the 2008-09 school term, any student-athlete who ingests or otherwise uses any of the banned substances on the association’s banned list, without written permission by a licensed physician, to treat a medical condition, violates IHSA Bylaw 2.170 and its subsections, and is subject to IHSA penalties, including ineligibility from competition. The IHSA will test certain randomly selected individuals and teams that participate in state series competitions for banned substances. The results of all tests shall be considered confidential and shall only be disclosed to the student, his or her parents, and his or her school.
No student-athlete may participate in IHSA state series competition unless the student and the student’s parent/guardian consent to random testing.
For further information on IHSA policies or penalties please go to the IHSA website at www.ihsa.org
IHSA Banned Drug Classes 2008-09
The value of high school interscholastic programs is found in the over-all physical, emotional, and intellectual development of student-athletes. In that pursuit, anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing dietary supplements offer no positive contribution. Rather, their use jeopardizes not only the health of student-athletes, but also impedes in their over-all development. And since this use runs counter to the purpose and value of interscholastic programs, coaches, administrators, school officials or employees, or booster club/support group members have an obligation and responsibility to provide only healthy, safe, and approved substances to student-athletes. IHSA By-Law 2.170, which took effect on July 1, 2007, strengthens the relationship between students and their schools by affirming the school’s commitment to offering a safe environment in which their students can develop.
The purpose of this document is to provide schools, athletes, and parents with a description of those substances that are considered banned by the IHSA, and, therefore, substances student-athletes cannot take and maintain their athletic eligibility.
This document presents the banned drug classes to be in effect for the 2008-09 school year. As a part of the IHSA’s Drug Testing Program, the IHSA Board of Directors shall annually approve the association’s banned drug classes, and that group reserves the right to adjust the banned classes as necessary at any time. The classes shall be made available to schools and other interested parties through the IHSA’s website.
Background: The term “related compounds” comprises substances that are included in the class by their pharmacological action and/or chemical structure. No substance belonging to the prohibited class may be used, regardless of whether it is specifically listed as an example.
Many nutritional/dietary supplements contain banned substances. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not strictly regulate the supplement industry; therefore purity and safety of nutritional dietary supplements cannot be guaranteed. Impure supplements may lead to a violation of the IHSA Drug Testing Program. The use of supplements is at the student-athlete’s own risk for students are ultimately responsible for what they ingest. Student-athletes should contact their physician or athletic trainer for further information.
The following is a list of banned-drug classes, with examples of banned substances under each class. The examples listed under each class are not to be considered an exhaustive or all-encompassing description of prohibited items:
1. Stimulants:
amiphenazole, amphetamine, bemigride, benzphetamine, bromantan, caffeine1 (guarana), chlorphentermine, cocaine,cropropamide, crothetamide, diethylpropion, dimethylamphetamine, doxapram, ephedrine (ephedra, ma huang), ethamivan, ethylamphetamine, fencamfamine, meclofenoxate, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine ( MDMA, ecstasy), methylphenidate, nikethamide, octopamine, pemoline pentretrazol, phendimetrazine, phenmetrazine phentermine, phenylpropanolamine (PPA), picrotoxine, pipradol, prolintane, strychnine, synephrine (citrus aurantium, zhi shi, bitter orange), and related compounds.
2. Anabolic Agents:
androstenediol, androstenedione, boldenone, clostebol, dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA),dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dromostanolone, epitrenbolone, fluoxymesterone, gestrinone, mesterolone, thandienone,methyltesosterone, nandrolone, norandrostenediol, norandrostenedione, norethandrolone, oxandrolone, oxymesterone,oxymetholone, stanozolol, testosterone2, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), trenbolone, and related compounds.
3. Diuretics:
acetazolamide, bendroflumethiazide, benthiazide, bumetanide, chlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, ethacrynic acid, finasteride,flumethiazide, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, hydroflumethiazide, methyclothiazide, metolazone, polythiazide, probenecid,quinethazone, spironolactone (canrenone), triamterene, trichlormethiazide, and related compounds.
4. Peptide Hormones and Analogues:
Corticotrophin (ACTH), human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), luteinizing hormone (LH), growth hormone (HGH, somatotrophin),insulin like growth hormone (IGF-1)
All the respective releasing factors of the previously-mentioned substances also are banned:
erythropoietin (EPO), darbepoetin, sermorelin
Definitions of unacceptable levels depend on the following:
1. for caffeine — if the concentration in urine exceeds 15 micrograms/ml
2. for testosterone — an adverse analytical finding (positive result) based on any reliable analytical method (e.g., IRMS, GCMS, CIR) which shows that the testosterone is of exogenous origin, or if the ration of total concentration of testosterone to that of epitestosterone in the urine is greater than 6:1, unless there is evidence that this ratio is due to a physiological or pathological
condition.