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Reuters

Norwegian athletes have been advised by the organisation responsible for training the country’s elite competitors to not eat any type of meat while competing in China, over fears it could cause a positive doping test.
Olympiatoppen, which is part of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said consuming meat could lead to the unintentional ingestion of banned substances, posing a small but real risk of testing positive.
The 2025 World Athletics Relays will take place in early May at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Guangzhou, while the Diamond League event in Shanghai is scheduled for May 3, when several Norwegian athletes are expected to compete.
“Studies have shown that athletes have inadvertently ingested clenbuterol when eating meat in China, as some animals are fed hormones to promote growth. If a meat-based meal is consumed before a doping test, the athlete may test positive,” Olympiatoppen stated in their guidelines.
“Therefore, Olympiatoppen advises athletes to avoid all types of meat while in China.”

Clenbuterol has been in the news in recent years as multiple athletes have tested positive for the banned substance, which the World Anti-Doping Agency classifies as an “anabolic agent”.
In 2011, Wada said there was “no threshold under which this substance is not prohibited”.
However, the agency has previously acknowledged that it was possible “that under certain circumstances the presence of a low level of clenbuterol in an athlete sample can be the result of food contamination”.
Clenbuterol stimulates the heart and central nervous system, in a similar way to epinephrine and amphetamines. It is illegal to use in animals in both the US and European Union, while Wada also issued a special report detailing specific warnings about consuming meat that has come from either China or Mexico.
World Athletics, the sport’s governing body, said the issue occured in multiple countries beyond China.
“Athletes and teams are already aware of issues surrounding the presence of clenbuterol in meat in certain areas of the world – this is not unique to China,” it said.
“All athletes should take necessary precautions where required and should follow the advice of their teams.”
The Chinese Athletics Association has been contacted for comment.
Norwegian athlete Henriette Jaeger, a bronze medallist in the 400 metres at the world indoor championships this year and who will soon compete in China, confirmed she would follow the guidelines.
“I really enjoy eating meat, and it’s very good for the body when you’re going to compete. But you have to listen to the professionals and trust them,” she told Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.
Fellow athlete Josefine Tomine Eriksen was also taking the advice seriously.
“I don’t want to be a ‘veggie’ [vegetarian], but you do need a bit of protein, so I’ll bring some protein bars from Norway. Maybe a bit of beef jerky too.”
Olympiatoppen also warned against poor food hygiene in general and recommended eating at high-quality restaurants and hotels while in China.


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Don’t eat meat while training, competing in China, Norwegian sports body tells its athletes

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Officials say use of growth hormone clenbuterol by some Chinese farmers can lead to positive dope test

Officials say use of growth hormone clenbuterol by some Chinese farmers can lead to positive dope test