Guinea pigs to test a miracle drink? According to an article in the British tabloid Daily Mail published on Sunday, UK Sport, the supreme body of sport in the United Kingdom, would have experienced an energy drink on 91 athletes before the 2012 London Olympics. A scandalous affair, reinforced by the fact that the device would have cost thousands of pounds of public money.
A drink used by the British special forces
Called DeltaG, this drink, known to be used by the British special forces, was offered to athletes with the aim of improving their performance. Still according to the tabloid, the guinea pig athletes signed a release to avoid the Sports Agency being questioned in the event of a problem, but also a confidentiality clause, without knowing whether the product was considered doping and above all , without knowing the side effects.
Only, a few weeks after the start of this protocol, 40% of the athletes who tested this product were victims of gastrointestinal side effects, 28 stopped for these reasons and 24 others withdrew from the program because they felt that this did not bring them any advantage.
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UK Sport defends itself
For its part, UK Sport defends itself and claims to have consulted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the British anti-doping authorities to ensure that this product complies with the rules in force and does not endanger athletes . "UK Sport is fully committed to the development of a culture of high performance capable of inspiring athletes, and which differentiates us from our international rivals. We will never seek to aim for medals at all costs", even explains the proceeding in a press release.
As for whether the table of British medals at these Olympics will be changed (29 gold medals, third overall), it is still too early to say.