Wait, are athletes using sandworm hemoglobin to cheat?
Report that cyclists might be using a new drug derived from lugworms is being refuted by one expert, while WADA looks to start testing for it
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Earlier this week the cycling world was buzzing about a story that appeared in L’Equipe in which the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was reportedly concerned about a new drug called Hemarina. Derived from lugworms (often referred to as sandworms) that you find on virtually every beach, Hemarina is said to significantly improve oxygen transport in the body.
Worm blood might be the latest form of doping in the pro peloton
Worms as a blood booster?
According to the report, blood obtained from lugworms, also referred to as sandworms and frequently utilized as fishing bait, could be the newest performance-enhancing strategy in the realm of professional cycling. The hemoglobin extracted from these creatures is recognized for its remarkable ability to carry oxygen. The French publication revealed that in 2020, a prominent Tour de France cyclist approached the innovator of this method expressing interest in incorporating the product into their performance regimen.
Dr. Franck Zal, founder of the company Hemarina, has used the worm blood to create a “universal blood substitute” that can apparently carry 40 times more oxygen than conventional human hemoglobin due to its smaller size compared to other red blood cells. It can also be stored at room temperature, eliminating the need for freezing, making it easy to transport. He mentioned that he quickly realized it could be used for doping and was contacted by a WorldTour cyclist.
Expert weighs in
Peter Van Eenoo, of the Ghent anti-doping lab, however, refuted this theory in a report from Het Nieuwsbald.
“For the time being, I have no indications that the drug has found its way into sport,” he said. “Actually, it comes from ordinary lugworms. Everyone knows them: those worms that burrow into the beach and then leave those sand droplets behind. It has been known for some time that they can go without air for a remarkably long time. It turned out that these worms have a special type of hemoglobin that transports oxygen very easily. They then extracted that hemoglobin from those worms for medical applications, successfully. As a synthetic hemoglobin, it can be an alternative for people who, for example, refuse a blood transfusion out of religious conviction.”
In existence for at least two years
Due to its oxygen-transporting attributes, the substance certainly sounds alluring for endurance athletes. Its use has the potential to significantly enhance athletic performance, a fact acknowledged by Van Eenoo. However, he emphasizes two critical points: firstly, it is prohibited, and secondly, despite the awareness of its existence for two to three years, there is no information about any athlete obtaining it. Moreover, a sole French company is responsible for developing the product, maintaining strict control. The prospect of an illicit production circuit seems unlikely due to the intricate and time-consuming nature of the procedure.
Easy to test
“You can’t rule anything out, and I don’t know about other labs either. But again, we have no indication that it is being used. Plus: it’s also pretty easy to track down. In normal blood, plasma turns yellow when tested,” he explains. “With a synthetic hemoglobin, such as Hemarina, it turns red.”
According to the expert, he doesn’t expect to see potential cheats flocking seaside for a boost.
“I’m not very worried at the moment,” he joked. “But if you see a cycling team on the beach soon while they are pulling plenty of lugworms out of the sand, you should definitely call me.”
Testing protocol
The concern is that the lugworm Hb product will become another hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) used by athletes to cheat.
While Van Enoo isn’t worried that athletes are using the product, a recent study done at the German Sport University in Cologne that was supported by WADA contends that the product is actually readily available, and contends that it’s important to start doing regular testing for it.
“Animal studies demonstrated that it has no vasoactivity, is generally well tolerated, and has a high oxygenation potency, especially in poorly vascularized tissue,” the studies authors state. “Additionally, it has potential anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial effects.”
“Due to its promising therapeutic properties, lugworm Hb represents an emerging doping agent which can potentially be misused in sports to improve the oxygen delivery capacity of the blood,” the authors continue. “Even though clinical approval for in vivo use as oxygen carrier is still missing, a graft preservative for transplant procedures containing lugworm Hb as active ingredient M101 has recently obtained the CE marking allowing its marketing as medical device for ex vivo usage in Europe, which makes the drug readily available for cheating athletes. Therefore, it was of utmost importance to implement lugworm Hb into existing doping control detection methods for HBOCs, which was successfully accomplished within this study.”
If cyclists are, in fact, using the product, its not much of a stretch to imagine that triathletes could be doing the same – the benefits of enhanced oxygen-carrying capability would provide a huge advantage in multisport racing, too.
