There is a commotion around Kamia. The Russian Olympic Committee headed by the 15-year-old won in the team competition. However, there was still no medal ceremony. On Friday, the International Research Agency (ITA) confirmed that at the end of December Walijewa had a positive doping test result. It is not known yet what effect this will have on the Olympic performances of the 15-year-old.
– Trimetazidine has a similar mechanism of action to meldonium, which became popular a few years ago due to the positive result of anti-doping tests by Maria Sharapova. I do not hide that Poland contributes to the fact that trimetazidine is on the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – said Dr. Andrzej Pokrywka from the Medical University of Warsaw and the Central Center of Sports Medicine in an interview with Sport.pl.
Contribution of Polish science
– My team, together with Professor Artur Mamcarz’s team, dealt with the problem of pharmacological support of trimetazidines in the first decade of the 21st century. At various conferences, we emphasized then that it is a substance abused in sport. We even started research to see how trimetazidine affects performance, but we didn’t receive funding. Among other things, WADA rejected our application for financing the project and we had to pause the study – points out Dr. Pokrywka.
In 2013, trimetazidine was finally entered on the list of substances and methods prohibited in sport. – Initially classified as a stimulant – stimulant, prohibited only in competition. Over time, WADA concluded that this substance should be included in the class of metabolic modulators. Thus, it is forbidden at any time – also outside of the competition – our interlocutor explains.
How it works
How does trimetazidine work? – It protects various tissues – especially the heart bears – against oxygen deficiency. It changes the way you get energy. Free fatty acids are the basic energy substrate for the heart muscle. When using this substance, the body looks for an alternative substrate and uses more glucose. Why is it beneficial under hypoxic conditions? Because to produce one ATP molecule (the main energy carrier in cells) from glucose, less oxygen is needed than for the production of one ATP molecule from fatty acids, says Dr. Pokrywka.
Trimetazidine has been used in medicine for years. It is an ingredient of popular preparations on the market, used mainly in the treatment of coronary heart disease, the symptom of which is angina.
What’s next for Walijew? – First of all, it should be pointed out that the Russian woman is a professional player. He belongs to the Olympic team. Therefore, even if she is underage, she will be treated as standard. In the context of doping control, there is no minimum age for doping control. On the other hand, her age may be taken into account already when imposing sanctions –
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
