Metabolic cardioprotectors in sport: the focus on last changes in WADA Prohibited List (review)

Abstract

At present time, the rational search for a protection of cardiovascular system of athletes and the assessment of such protection efficiency are the very important problems in sports pharmacology and sports cardiology. It is worth noting that athletic training pharmacology, aimed at the stimulation of physical workability in the majority of sports events, can become, together with overloads, the principal reason for a deterioration of health and life’s quality as well as for the sudden death of athletes without a proper cardioprotection. The problem of protection is significantly complicated under modern conditions due to the permanent hardening of anti-doping sanctions (e.g., the recent ban on the use of trimetazidine and meldonium) that essentially limit the possibilities for sports cardiologists. Therefore, the most grounded exit, from the current position, is the use of metabolitotropic medications, in particular, those on the basis of L-carnitine (gamma-butyrobetaine). The wide spectrum of physiologic and biochemical influence of this substance on organism gives possibility to moderately affect the physical and mental workability of athletes even under the conditions of long-term intense physical loads. The complex action of pharmacological agents on the basis of L-carnitine on organism allows one to use it on all stages of the preparation with high efficiency of the cardioprotective and ergogenic effects. Despite the bans of WADA, sports cardiologist possesses a sufficient pool of pharmacological agents that can ensure the protection of myocardium under conditions of training process and competition and can preserve athlete’s health as well as his/her physical workability.