Green tea helps to avoid detection of testosterone use

Athletes become more and more sophisticated in steroid use. They find new methods to hide their administration of prohibited medications. Several athletes take time to study researchers’ statements which may help them to hide that they dope. Today a way has been found: athletes can mask usage of testosterone with the help of green tea.
Testosterone is a hormone which is produced in body naturally. So, it can be difficult for anti-doping agencies to determine that a sportsperson has administered testosterone. T: E ratio testing is commonly used by anti-doping organizations. Such tests can show uncommon ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in urine. But it is not capable to show difference between testosterone that has been secreted in body naturally and that introduced into body with the help of injections, gels, etc.
 Declan Naughton and his colleagues at Kingston University ( London) have found that green tea contains such substances that are called “catechins”. They have ability to inhibit the enzyme UGT2B17. This enzyme induces joining glucuronic acid to testosterone. In case UGT2B17 is inhibited, less testosterone glucoronide is excreted in urine.  
Catechins, the compounds which have ability to mask intake of testosterone, are contained in green and white tea. Black tea doesn’t have such substances.
Naughton and his colleagues have conducted several experiments. They claim that a cup of strong green tea mask intake of testosterone.
Thus, those athletes who apply testosterone may lower measures of testosterone which are excreted in urine by drinking of green or white tea. Green or white tea has capacity to block excretion of testosterone, increasing circulating levels of this hormone.
The World Anti-Doping Agency was informed about the discovering by the experts. If this process occurs, it is not worthy to test urine. Blood tests should be performed in order to determine that a person has used testosterone.
Olivier Rabin, the WADA’s scientist, claims that regular checks of blood steroids will be added. Everything will be done by anti-doping agencies in order to prevent fooling of urine tests.