A lot of noise has been generated over Artur Beterbiev’s “atypical finding” after Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) testing on December 6. Atypical findings are not unusual, do not constitute testing failures, and would not normally be made public. knowledge. On this occasion, journalist Kevin Iole broke the news on January 10.
So what is an atypical finding? Simply put, it means that an abnormality (as opposed to a substance) was detected at the time of testing and that further testing is required. In Beterbiev’s case, there were elevated levels of human growth hormone (HGH) and the testosterone metabolite 5D-androstanediol. These increases can be natural or artificially induced.
For further context, an ‘adverse finding’ (a failed test) occurs when a substance or traces of it have been detected. This was not the case in the case of Artur Beterbiev either.
According to the World Anti-Doping Code, an atypical finding is defined as “A report from a WADA-accredited laboratory or another WADA-approved laboratory that requires further investigation.”
A clue to the meaning of the atypical findings lies in the wording. For example, left-handers could be classified as atypical considering that the typical boxer is an orthodox right-hander.
Dr Margaret Goodman, president of VADA, told Boxing News yesterday: “Atypical findings are quite common in DEP testing and do not constitute an adverse test result. They can be due to various causes. Atypical findings generally justify collecting more samples. But no negative inference should be drawn from an atypical finding in itself.”
According to 2021 statistics from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), 312 of 241,430 samples had atypical results. It’s not unusual, but it’s rare enough, less than one percent, to warrant further investigation. Which, of course, is what happened with Beterbiev. Further tests were carried out on December 15, 21 and January 3, all of which came back normal. VADA’s role is not, and has never been, to decide why something is present or why something is intensified. VADA’s role, very simply, is to test athletes and report the results. Therefore, although VADA can verify that Beterbiev’s levels were normal in subsequent blood and urine tests, it is not its job to investigate why they were not normal on December 6.
In atypical findings, it is possible that athletes illegally increased their HGH or used other substances along with it to enhance performance or aid recovery. This has been demonstrated with additional testing in some cases, but has not been demonstrated here.
Additionally, HGH and testosterone levels can increase naturally after strenuous exercise or abnormal activity. Furthermore, the American Journal of Physiology concluded, after conducting a study with 11 healthy men, that even lack of sleep “is invariably associated with a strong increase in GH secretion.”
Beterbiev suggested that the reason news of the atypical findings became public was because Team Smith planned to publish the information. However, that would have violated confidentiality rules.
Beterbiev, 19-0 (19), said in a statement: “It has come to my attention that Callum intends to spread misleading information about my VADA testing program for this fight.
“Let me be clear now: I am a clean athlete. I have never tested positive for a banned substance throughout my amateur and professional career and complied with all VADA requirements and protocols in preparation for this fight. Any attempt to imply otherwise, through innuendo or suggestion, is libelous and slanderous. This behavior goes beyond what is acceptable in combat sports. Callum is already looking for excuses, looking for a way out. See you on saturday.”
Both Beterbiev and Smith are subject to ongoing testing by VADA.
