Body Building - How to Succeed 5

Natural Bodybuilding

Drug testing – continued

There are numerous organisations associated with the sport of Natural Bodybuilding. The more significant are as follows:
INBA - International Natural Bodybuilding Association
INBF - International Natural Bodybuilding Federation
NGA - National Gym Association
NANBF - North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation
NPC - National Physique Committee
NPA - Natural Physique Association
OCB - Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders

Each of these organisations has their own list of banned substances and individual methods of drug testing. Three of the more common testing methods include:

Polygraph – Also known as a lie detector, it is a method in which the subject is asked a series of questions and the responses are recorded on a machine which measures the reactions caused by changes in blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, breathing, body temperature and conductivity of the skin. The basis for this test is that both true and false responses will produce distinctive, but different, measurements in the form of a graph.

Urinalysis – This involves a number of tests performed on urine samples from the subject. One such test can be conducted using urine dipsticks, in which the results of the test can be determined by observing changes in colour.

Blood Testing

The actual process of drug testing is normally conducted at the national level. A request for testing is usually instigated by either one of the sport’s federations or the promoter of a particular event. The various national drug and anti-doping bodies are arranged under the umbrella of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which was set up in 1999 through the initiative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in order to promote, coordinate and administer the fight against drugs in sport.

Bodies which are part of WADA include:

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), previously known as Australian Sports Drug Agency (ASDA)
New Zealand Sports Drug Agency (NZSDA)

WADA’s principal activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code, which harmonises the regulations regarding anti-doping in all sports and countries. It also produces, annually, a list of prohibited substances and techniques that sporting individuals are not allowed to take or use.

The UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport was the first global international treaty. It was signed by 191 governments in October 2005 and became legally binding in February 2007.

Professional Natural Bodybuilder

Although it is not a natural bodybuilding organisation, in much the same way as the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders), Natural Bodybuilding encompasses numerous organisations which sponsor competitions in which the up-and-coming can rise to the rank of professional natural bodybuilder. As would be expected, these organisations conduct routine tests to detect controlled or banned substances, such as Anabolic steroids, Prohormone, and Diuretics.

Professional natural bodybuilding organisations include the following:

IFPA - International Fitness and Physique Association, which is the professional affiliate of the OCB (Organisation of Competitive Bodybuilders) and NANBF (North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation)
NGA - National Gym Association
INBA - International Natural Bodybuilding Association
WNBF - World Natural Bodybuilding Federation, which is the professional affiliate of the INBF (International Natural Bodybuilding Federation) and NEPA.

Body Building – How To Succeed