What is Meldonium? Mykhailo Mudryk tests positive for banned drug Maria Sharapova 'had to Google'
Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended after failing a doping test.
The Blues winger has tested positive for Meldoniuma banned metabolic substance similar to insulin, used to improve resistance.
His failed test was discovered after a routine urine sample while he was on international duty with Ukraine in October.
Mudryk is still waiting for the result of a “B” sample and whether or not it confirms the findings of his “A” sample.
Meldonium is the same substance as the tennis legend. Maria Sharapova tested positive in Australian Open in 2016.
The five-time Grand Slam winner was initially banned for two years – although it was later reduced to 15 months.
This was in part because the performance-enhancing drug had recently been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances effective January 1, 2016, 17 days before the Open.
Russian Sharapova revealed that she had taken meldonium since 2006 due to health problems and that she was He was allowed to return to tennis in January 2017..
What is Meldonium?
The limited market pharmaceutical is an anti-ischemic medication, which aims to increase blood flow to a part of the body.
According to USADA (the United States Anti-Doping Agency), Meldonium is commonly used clinically to treat heart disease.
For athletes, it helps with endurance and the ability to recover from exercise by using oxygen sparingly and quickly restoring energy.
Meldonium is only prescribed in parts of Eastern Europe and is not approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.
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talkSPORT presenter Simon Jordan reacted to the Meldonium story in sport following confirmation of Mudryk's adverse finding.
He told talkSPORT's White & Jordan: “Meldonium, which is the same substance that Maria Sharapova got banned, which deals with ischemic problems, which deals with blood supply, and which is only manufactured in the countries Baltics and in Latvia.
“It's a substance that has had history before and has obviously been banned as a substance, so it's a challenge.
“So there it is. That is the substance that is used and has been used by athletes in the past.
“Sharapova used it apparently because she had a magnesium deficiency, but because of this she was banned.
“So, yes, this drug has form and has athletes in other sports who have had consequences as a result of it.”
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What has been said?
Mudryk, who will not be able to play until his situation is resolved, has reacted to the news on social networks, where he has highlighted that he is a clean athlete.
leading to instagramsaid: “I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to The FA contained a prohibited substance.
“This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substance or broken any rules, and I am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened.
“I know I haven't done anything wrong and I hope to get back on the field soon.
“I can't say anything more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will do so as soon as I can.”
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Sharapova admitted that she had meldonium on Google because she was only familiar with its trade name Mildronate and did not know it was banned.
“I didn't even know what meldonium was.” she told the Times. “I had to Google it to find out. For me, it was Mildronate.”
in it autobiographySharapova wrote: “I hadn't passed the drug test. How? What the hell could it be? I didn't take anything new, nothing that wasn't legal and prescribed by a doctor. It was called meldonium. Well, it was obviously a mistake.” Who had heard of that? I Googled it, just to be sure.
“Then I understood. I knew meldonium as Mildronate, the brand name. It was a supplement I had been taking for 10 years. It's an over-the-counter supplement in Russia, so common that you don't think of it as a drug, much less one that improves the performance.
“The first time I was told to take it was when I was 18 and I was getting very sick; I had a problem with irregular heartbeats. For seven years, I received written confirmation that all the supplements I was taking, including Mildronate, were allowed.
“As of January 2016, meldonium was included in a catalog of banned substances that the ITF sent to players. It could be viewed by clicking on a series of links in an email. I never followed those links and did not ask anyone My team too. That was my mistake, but the ITF didn't draw attention to the fact that they were suddenly banning a supplement that was being used legally by millions of people.
“I felt trapped, cheated, but I thought all I had to do was explain myself. Meldonium had been banned for four weeks. At worst, I had inadvertently violated the ban for less than 28 days.
“But I soon realized I was running into a brick wall. If I didn't win my case, I could be banned for up to four years. It would be the end of my career.”
