Gregan admits caffeine kicks

2005-05-17 09:41

Melbourne - Australian rugby captain George Gregan said on Tuesday he takes caffeine tablets to improve his performance on the rugby field - with the knowledge and approval of Australian sports authorities.

Caffeine was taken off the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list on January 1, 2004, an Australian Sports Drug Agency official confirmed on Tuesday.

Gregan said many of the Wallabies now take "No Doz" tablets under guidance of sports officials from the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

"They did a test on it at the AIS, where I think it was based on a volume of maybe six tablets and no one in the team takes that (much)," Gregan said.

"Most guys take it before the game and that sustains them to half-time when they'll do the usual thing of having water or a sports supplement drink and that's it.

"You can get seven percent extra work output from taking these tablets and that's a big increase at this end of sport."

Australian rugby coach Eddie Jones said caffeine tablets were one of several legal, performance enhancements used by the Australian team.

At the top end

"We certainly don't tell kids to take caffeine tablets. We tell them to train hard, work hard and when you're at the top end you're looking for that added half a percent that might help the guys make that tackle in the 80th minute of a Test match," he said.

"The product is endorsed by the AIS, we endorse our players to take it, but we do it under strict regulations.

"They must trial it during training before they take it during a game so we know it doesn't have any side-effects on their performance."

An Australian Rugby Union spokesperson said the sport's national governing body was aware that some players were taking caffeine tablets and didn't consider it a problem.

The use of caffeine tablets has become controversial in the Australian Rules Australian Football League in the past few weeks.

Richmond's Terry Wallace and Collingwood's Mick Malthouse are among the coaches who have said it is not a good image for Australian Rules football players to be speaking publicly about the benefits of taking caffeine tablets.

Irresponsible

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said Tuesday it was "irresponsible" for AFL clubs to speak openly about the use of caffeine pills because it sends the wrong message.

"All teams have been involved in that sort of project (investigating the possible benefits of caffeine pills)," Eade said at a news conference with Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos.

"I'm not a big one for it. I think it's probably irresponsible for players and coaches to talk about tablets openly. It just sends the wrong message when we are talking about tablets and pills."

Chris Butler of the Australian Sports Drug Agency, which monitors and drug-tests athletes in Australia, said the group had no comment on Gregan's use of caffeine tablets.

- AP