Dutch say diet pills did not cause dope test failures

The Dutch federation say dietary supplements given to their national team squad are not to blame for Edgar Davids and Frank de Boer testing positive for nandrolone.

The KNVB started an independent investigation into dietary supplements used by their player from last summer after their two stars failed dope tests earlier this season.

The Dutch FA said today an investigation by the government agency RIVM (State Institute for Health and the Environment) had found no traces in the two vitamin supplement pills the Dutch used from last year to suggest nandrolone could be present and cause athletes to fail dope tests.

Both Frank de Boer and Edgar Davids were named at the weekend in the Holland World Cup squad despite failing dope tests.

Davids is currently suspended in Italy and de Boer is expected to suffer a similar ban in Spain.

FC Barcelona expect central defender Frank de Boer to banned soon for at least a year by the Spanish FA after he failed a dope test following a UEFA Cup tie.

The Holland captain is waiting for the results of a second test on a sample taken after a UEFA Cup game in March against Celta Vigo but media leaks in Spain suggest de Boer is facing a ban from the Spanish FA and world governing FIFA which means he may miss the 2002 World Cup finals.

The de Boer case developments are the latest in a succession of drug stories in Europe this season.

Italy's Serie A has seen two players produce 'non-negative' drug test results after Bari's game with Parma AC last month including Parma defender Stefano Torissi.

Two Perugia stars were banned for two years earlier this season and SS Lazio defender Fernando Couto was banned indefinitely and faces long term punishment after failing dope tests earlier this year and Juventus midfielder Edgar Davids is banned for sixteen months after testing 'non-negative' two months ago for nandrolone.

Davids and de Boer's case has seen the KNVB look at recent diet supplements given to their players.

The dietary supplement issue is a false trail if clubs and players are deliberately using performance-enhancing drugs to help expensive stars recover from tiredness and injuries but if the diet supplements were to blame for recent test results then clubs across the world would have to review their use.

Several top English clubs - including Arsenal - use creatine which can boost energy levels and is not a banned stimulant . But the possible side effects of such diet foods when combined with fitness work and the strict diets top footballers use can damage drug test results. Nandrolone occurs naturally in the body and can fluctuate due to stress, muscular activity and hormonal balance but has been responsible for failed drug test results in several sports including athletics, cycling and swimming. Serious and prolonged steroid use by strength athletes does not often indicate excessive nandrolone presence. The cliched image of muscle-bound athletes injecting steroids has little to do with current football drug abuse which is the biggest news in Italy right now with ten players already failing dope tests this season and Barcelona are now victims of what is proving to be a mystery so far.