It’s frustrating when your searches on Global DRO turn up empty. What does it mean? How can you tell if the substance is banned in sport?
We’re here to help with information about the top 10 empty searches (searches that return no results) in Global DRO.
Top 10 empty searches
Creatine
Ashwaganda
Melatonin
Codiene
Weed
Actovegin
Oxyshred
Musashi
Glucocorticoids
Coedine
Notice any familiar names? Now let’s explore the reasons why these searches aren’t returning any results.
Reason 1: It’s a supplement
Most of the top 'empty’ searches on Global DRO are for supplements. Creatine, ashwaganda and melatonin take the top three spots (1st, 2nd and 3rd), while brand names Oxyshred and Musashi come close behind in 7th and 8th places.
Searches for these substances come up empty because Global DRO doesn’t include information about supplements.
The fact is that all supplements are a risk for clean athletes. Athletes can and do get banned from sport for using supplements that are contaminated with banned ingredients. Australian marathon runner Cassie Fien’s career was ruined when she tested positive after using an off-the-shelf supplement product.
If you choose to use a supplement product, it’s important to know how to manage the risks. Get help with our Supplement Decision-Making Guide.
Check and check again before typing the name of a substance into Global DRO. Common mistakes are medications that are spelt incorrectly and entering ‘street’ names for substances.
The biggest culprit for misspelling is codeine, coming in at 4th and 10th place on our list of empty searches. It’s most often (incorrectly) entered as ‘codiene’. It’s easily done. The good news is that codeine isn’t banned in sport.
The same goes for ‘street’ names for substances. ‘Weed’ (5th on the list) comes up empty. You need to search for ‘cannabis’ or ‘THC’ to get the results that you’re after. And here’s a hint: cannabis is banned in-competition.
Global DRO contains information on individual substances. It doesn’t contain information on types or categories of substances.
For example, a search for ‘glucocorticoids’ (a type of medicinal steroid) won’t return any results. That’s because glucocorticoids are a category that covers a number of different substances, each listed individually in Global DRO. Some examples of glucocorticoids are prednisone, hydrocortisone and dexamethasone.
Glucocorticoids administered by any oral, injectable or rectal route are banned in-competition.
Number six on our list was Actovegin. Actovegin is a substance derived from calf blood. Yep, you read that correctly.
There is a lot of speculation on the benefits of Actovegin, with suggestions that it may enhance physical performance and aid healing. We found no evidence of this in scientific literature.
Actovegin isn’t banned in sport (unless administered intravenously (by IV) in quantities over 100mL every 12 hours). However,that doesn't mean it’s safe for athletes.
Final thoughts
We hope this helps you understand why Global DRO can occasionally give you blanks instead of answers. Remember:
You can only search for medications (no supplements or strange substances)
Check and double-check the spelling.
Search the medication name – no street names (like ‘weed’) or medication categories (like ‘glucocorticoids’)
It’s frustrating when your searches on Global DRO turn up empty. What does it mean? How can you tell if the substance is banned in sport?
We’re here to help with information about the top 10 empty searches (searches that return no results) in Global DRO.
Top 10 empty searches
Creatine
Ashwaganda
Melatonin
Codiene
Weed
Actovegin
Oxyshred
Musashi
Glucocorticoids
Coedine
Notice any familiar names? Now let’s explore the reasons why these searches aren’t returning any results.
Reason 1: It’s a supplement
Most of the top 'empty’ searches on Global DRO are for supplements. Creatine, ashwaganda and melatonin take the top three spots (1st, 2nd and 3rd), while brand names Oxyshred and Musashi come close behind in 7th and 8th places.
Searches for these substances come up empty because Global DRO doesn’t include information about supplements.
The fact is that all supplements are a risk for clean athletes. Athletes can and do get banned from sport for using supplements that are contaminated with banned ingredients. Australian marathon runner Cassie Fien’s career was ruined when she tested positive after using an off-the-shelf supplement product.
If you choose to use a supplement product, it’s important to know how to manage the risks. Get help with our Supplement Decision-Making Guide.
Check and check again before typing the name of a substance into Global DRO. Common mistakes are medications that are spelt incorrectly and entering ‘street’ names for substances.
The biggest culprit for misspelling is codeine, coming in at 4th and 10th place on our list of empty searches. It’s most often (incorrectly) entered as ‘codiene’. It’s easily done. The good news is that codeine isn’t banned in sport.
The same goes for ‘street’ names for substances. ‘Weed’ (5th on the list) comes up empty. You need to search for ‘cannabis’ or ‘THC’ to get the results that you’re after. And here’s a hint: cannabis is banned in-competition.
Global DRO contains information on individual substances. It doesn’t contain information on types or categories of substances.
For example, a search for ‘glucocorticoids’ (a type of medicinal steroid) won’t return any results. That’s because glucocorticoids are a category that covers a number of different substances, each listed individually in Global DRO. Some examples of glucocorticoids are prednisone, hydrocortisone and dexamethasone.
Glucocorticoids administered by any oral, injectable or rectal route are banned in-competition.
Number six on our list was Actovegin. Actovegin is a substance derived from calf blood. Yep, you read that correctly.
There is a lot of speculation on the benefits of Actovegin, with suggestions that it may enhance physical performance and aid healing. We found no evidence of this in scientific literature.
Actovegin isn’t banned in sport (unless administered intravenously (by IV) in quantities over 100mL every 12 hours). However,that doesn't mean it’s safe for athletes.
Final thoughts
We hope this helps you understand why Global DRO can occasionally give you blanks instead of answers. Remember:
You can only search for medications (no supplements or strange substances)
Check and double-check the spelling.
Search the medication name – no street names (like ‘weed’) or medication categories (like ‘glucocorticoids’)
