OG won The International for the second time in a row – and did it so easily that jokes about doping began to creep around. At first, only jokes – for example, from Arszik. “This talk about drugs started here when they started to ruin everyone. When True Sight came out, we were at a tournament in Chongqing, watching it with Ramses. And I sit like this: “What? Why are they behaving this way? ” Then he came to the team and said that they were on the adderroll, ”the coach said cheerfully in the podcast“ Vilata Louder! ”.

The thought was repeated by Smile on his stream. “Did you really believe before The International that OG would win? Did you believe before Int? A team that barely played, but played on Inta. Have you heard the story that they played hard on the tables? The psychologist came to them. She kept Astralis in the top 1, then she was in Ence with the top 2 in the Major and now she came to OG. And OG, with a terrible game that was not visible at all, began to dominate like gods. In short, they give you a tough concentration for a certain time and a feeling of invulnerability, ”said Revin. He later apologized to OG, clarifying that he was targeting “false rumors.”

Sports.ru decided to tell as much as possible about doping in e-sports – at least so that everyone who discussed and will condemn this topic does not get confused about elementary things. If you still have questions – ask in the comments, we will try to find the answer.

What is called doping in sports?
Sports.ru: All prohibited drugs and methods that can improve an athlete’s performance. They help build muscle mass, speed of movement and endurance. If muscles are not so important for an esports player, then a great response is the most important quality for any gamer.

Is doping banned in esports?
Sports.ru: there are no uniform rules in esports. For a long time, no one paid attention to this topic. But in 2015 at the CS: GO ESL Katowice tournament, the American team Cloud9 did not leave the group. “ Absolutely everyone here accepts Adderall , no one cares . We were told that we have problems with communication in the team – well, so here is the answer to all your questions, “- Cloud9 player Corey” Semphis “Frisen relaxed in an interview after relegation.

This did not entail any sanctions against the team or the player, but accelerated the introduction of doping tests at all major tournaments: later the organizers from the ESL introduced selective doping control of esports athletes. They took the WADA list of prohibited drugs as the basis of their system , which includes anabolic steroids, various hormones, immunomodulators, stimulants, drugs and many other drugs.

But ESL is only one of dozens of organizers. There is no official regulation from above, even within the same discipline.

Has anyone already been caught doping?
Sports.ru: during big tournaments – no . Even in the case of Cloud9, no one was able to prove (and did not try then) whether Semphis told the truth.

A year ago, Dallas Fuel player Timo “Taimou” Kettunen revealed that about 20 Overwatch League players use the psychostimulant Adderall: “Just imagine you use Adderall and then it gets banned in the league. There are about 20 players in the league who are likely to accept it, and then suddenly it becomes illegal to use it in the competitive scene. They will lose so much. ”

Former Team Liquid player Brian “Kephrii” St. Pierre was also accused of using Adderall . In 2015, screenshots of a correspondence were leaked in which he admitted to abusing a psychostimulant during the Halo championships – he helped Brian concentrate on the game.

In the NHL and NBA fashion, the Overwatch League has no doping test , despite the fact that it is now the second most important esports tournament in America and a league seat is worth tens of millions of dollars. League commissioner Nate Nanzer explains this by the fact that the effect of stimulants on the game has not yet been proven.

What are the penalties for players who use illegal drugs?
Sports.ru: The esports player will be removed from the tournament and most likely banned from participating in competitions held by the same organizer. But he will be able to play completely freely in other tournaments – in e-sports they are held by different tournament operators (ESL, Starladder, WePlay and many others), and they all have their own rules.

Is there a doping control at The International?
Roman Dvoryankin, Virtus.pro general manager: “Unlike CS: GO, there has never been doping control at Dota tournaments , at least at those where we participated. He’s not on Inta either. There is a complete void in the rules for the use of Adderall or other similar substances. There are no guidelines on what is allowed and what is not , and whether there are therapeutic exceptions, and so on.

We certainly have the hope that all teams are playing fair, and we certainly do not believe that some teams achieve regular success for a long time in certain tournaments due to some means. But we would certainly like to be sure of this – and this is possible only with regular doping control, as it happens in Counter-Strike. ”

How much do Adderall, Phenotropil and similar psychostimulants help in a video game?
We turned with this and subsequent medical questions to the psychiatrist Elisha Osin. Here is his answer:

“You give the names of very different drugs that have very different effects.

Adderall, like the entire group of psychostimulants, was specially created to increase concentration and concentration, to increase productive activity. This group of drugs is strictly prohibited in Russia , but it is quite actively used in other countries to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These drugs work by increasing levels of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter that regulates activity levels, among other things. When used in higher doses, they can cause euphoria, an increase in activity, a feeling of a surge of energy and much more.

Phenotropil has no such effect, it does not increase the level of dopamine and, accordingly, does not have the same activity. ”

Is the effect stronger than drinking a cup of coffee or an energy drink?
Elisey Osin: “The effects, of course, are not comparable to caffeine and caffeine-containing energy drinks , their effect on the dopamine system is minimal and in general they work in a different, indirect way. The difference in these drugs is noticeable in the attitude of anti-doping agencies to them. Psychostimulants are drugs that are strictly controlled, their presence in the body may be a reason for sanctions if the athlete does not prove that it is medically necessary to take them. Caffeine is not on these lists. ”

How harmful are these drugs to humans?
Elisey Osin: “If used for other purposes and not according to medical schemes, the consequences can be very harmful. The most obvious side effect may be exhaustion after a period of active use of a stimulant, a condition akin to severe depression . With long-term use, a full-fledged dependence can form, when used in high doses, psychotic symptoms may appear (thinking disorders, hallucinations, delusional ideas) . In addition to these side effects, there are also less severe, but still very unpleasant, for example, problems in the gastrointestinal tract (pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea), nosebleeds, decreased appetite, difficulty urinating, sleep problems, increased irritability.

Is it possible to say with confidence from a person’s reaction that he is under the influence of such drugs
Elisey Osin: “ No, you can’t. Moreover, the athlete himself explains his behavior by strong emotional experiences – he is interviewed immediately after the end of the match. To understand whether he is under the influence of drugs, you need a doctor’s examination, examination and conversation, and even better – a blood test for the content of forbidden substances.

As a rule, the effect of small doses of stimulants does not significantly affect the way a person looks and behaves in public – this can only be noticeable on examination. But at the same time, of course, its productivity and productivity will be noticeably higher even under the influence of a small dose of drugs.

I believe that doping tests are necessary for cybersportsmen – they can help answer these questions better than analyzing the video, ”Osin concluded.