Testosterone use may be masked by consumption of green tea

Sportspersons become more and more sophisticated in steroid use. They study new methods to mask their intake of forbidden preparations. Some athletes spend time studying scientists’ statements that may help them to hide that they dope. Today a way has been discovered: sportspersons may mask usage of testosterone with the help of green tea.
Testosterone represents a hormone which is secreted in body naturally. Thus, it can be difficult for anti-doping organizations to define that an athlete has taken testosterone. T: E ratio testing is commonly used by anti-doping organizations. Such tests may show uncommon ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in urine. But it is not capable to display 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 discovered that green tea has such compounds which are called “catechins”. They have capacity to inhibit the enzyme UGT2B17. This enzyme induces joining glucuronic acid to testosterone. If UGT2B17 is inhibited, less testosterone glucoronide is excreted in urine.  
Catechins, the compounds that have ability to mask testosterone use, are in green and white tea. Such compounds are not in black tea.
Naughton and his colleagues have conducted certain experiments. They confirm that a cup of strong green tea hides administration of testosterone.
Thus, those athletes who use testosterone may reduce quantities of testosterone excreting in urine by drinking of green or white tea. Green or white tea can block excretion of testosterone, increasing circulating levels of this hormone.
The World Anti-Doping Agency was informed about the discovering by the scientists. If this process occurs, it is not worthy to subject athletes to urine tests. Blood tests must 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.