HOUSTON, United States (AFP) - ATP players fearful of contaminated nutrition products after a 2003 series of positive doping tests will have access to a safeguarded system for nutrition drinks, energy bars and gels by mid-January.
The ATP announced here Tuesday a partnership with pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to ensure that products with no trace of banned substances will be available to players starting at the Australian Open.
"Having access to reliable sports nutrition products and advice will alleviate the uncertainty that has infiltrated the locker room as a result of contamination issues," ATP supplement task force chairman Jan Leschly said.
At a mandatory January 16 meeting, details of the plan will be outlined to players, who will be able to pick up samples of products at Melbourne and start ordering them through a password-secured internet web site.
"We`re basically going to be launching to the players at the Australian Open," said Clare Brosnan, sports science business director for GSK`s Lucozade brand. "Our goal was to provide an unprecedented level of security."
Products include a powder form of the sports drinks for hydration and recovery, a nutrition bar and carbohydrate gel. All will be in single-serving, tamper-proof packages.
"It`s single-serve, tamper-evident packaging to reassure players that these products are safe," Brosnan said. "Testing positive for a banned substance is the biggest fear an athlete faces."
Safeguarded nutrition supplements, vitamins and minerals will be handled by another deal that the ATP is negotiating with two other firms, Leschly said.
"We expect to have that available in the first quarter of next year," he said. "We`re not prepared to approve a multi-vitamin unless (makers) are prepared to follow the exact same test procedures."
Tainted nutritional supplements have caused alarm since traces of the banned steroid nandrolone was found in urine samples of seven players last year.
ATP officials ruled out any suspensions because they believe supplements given by tour trainers might have been contaminated, although the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said in a report last July there was nothing to support that idea.
"We haven`t really solved all the issues," Leschly said.
Britain`s Greg Rusedski failed a drugs test for nandrolone last year but was cleared of wrong-doing at an independent tribunal in March. And Argentina`s Guillermo Coria blames a six-month ban in 2002 on contaminated supplements.
"I think it`s a very important step the ATP is taking for the players so they can be calm," Coria said.
Players were afraid. Andre Agassi said in March that he stopped taking supplements altogether because of the contamination risk. That led the ATP to contact GSK in May after the task force was formed.
International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci Bitti stood by his group`s position that supplements in general are more trouble than benefit.
"We believe it`s more a psychological advantage than a real advantage to take supplements," he said. "We say they are less helpful than you believe and they are risky."
Ricci Bitti cited product manufacturers looking for sales and warned that SKG`s assumption of liability in doping matters could have legal consequences.
"I`m sure they will say, `We certify some products.` But this means a lot in legal terms," he said. "You have to see how they act. The liability is a big problem for the future. It`s a difficult area."
After GSK products from numbered batches are shipped to players, samples are kept so testing can be performed if anyone claims a product was contaminated. A WADA-approved lab in Newmarket, England, will test items.
Product batches will be kept for three times the shelf life of a product, at least 18 months and up to 30 months in certain cases.
Safeguards include self-testing of ingredients, adherence to US and British guidelines and manufacturing equipment not used with any banned substances.
England`s rugby team and British Olympic rowers, cyclists and triathletes have used similar GSK products.
"We have 20 years of incident-free supplying to these players," Brosnan said. "Our record speaks for itself."
GSK plans to make the products available to a wider audience later in 2005.

11/17/2004 - 18:37 GMT - AFP