Valuable features of green tea for dopers

Sportspersons become more and more sophisticated in steroid use. They find out new ways to mask their administration of forbidden preparations. Certain sportspersons spend time studying scientists’ affirmations which could help them to hide that they dope. Nowadays a method has been discovered: sportspersons may mask usage of testosterone with the help of green tea.
Testosterone represents a hormone that is produced in body naturally. Thus, it may be difficult for anti-doping agencies to determine that an athlete has used testosterone. T: E ratio testing is usually utilized by anti-doping agencies. Such tests can show uncommon ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in urine. But it is not able to manifest difference between testosterone that has been produced in body naturally and that introduced into body with the help of injections, creams, etc.
 Declan Naughton and his colleagues at Kingston University ( London) have determined that green tea has such substances which are called “catechins”. They are capable to inhibit the enzyme UGT2B17. This enzyme promotes joining glucuronic acid to testosterone. In case UGT2B17 is inhibited, less testosterone glucoronide is excreted in urine.  
Catechins, the compounds which are capable to mask testosterone use, are contained in green and white tea. Black tea doesn’t have such substances.
Naughton and his colleagues have conducted some experiments. They confirm that a cup of strong green tea hides usage of testosterone.
So, those sportspersons that administer testosterone can reduce measures of testosterone that are excreted in urine by drinking of green or white tea. Green or white tea has capacity to block excretion of testosterone, enhancing circulating levels of this hormone.
The World Anti-Doping Agency was informed about the discovering by the experts. If this process occurs, it means that it is not worthy to subject athletes to urine tests. Blood tests should be performed in order to detect usage of testosterone.
Olivier Rabin, the WADA’s expert, claims that regular checks of blood steroids will be added. Everything will be done by anti-doping organizations in order to avoid fooling of urine tests.