Was the doping worms story just literal clickbait?
Turns out the cycling world may have been fished in
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Remember a million years ago (two days ago) when every single “cycling journalist” (including Uncle Matt) wrote about lugworms being the new EPO? Well, turns out we may have taken the bait. On Monday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) mentioned its concern about a new drug in L’Équipe. Hemarina, a product derived from lugworms that you find on every beach, is said to significantly improve oxygen transport in the body.
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.”
Anyway, here’s a much more valuable piece about worms that you can actually, use, also written by the OG Hansen at Canadian Cycling Magazine (unrelated, btw.)
