The organizer of e-sports events Electronic Sports League (ESL) announced the list of medical and narcotic drugs that are now prohibited from taking during tournaments.
ESL has taken as a basis the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of prohibited drugs. It, in particular, includes anabolic agents and steroids, peptide hormones and growth hormones, mimetics, other hormones and metabolic modulators, Beta2 agonists, diuretics, masking agents, stimulants and any glucocorticoids (also steroids).

Also banned drugs: marijuana, cannabis, hashish, synthetic THC, cannabimimetics (spice), buprenorphine, hydromorphone, dextromoramide, heroin, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, pentazocine, pethidine fentanyl and derivatives.

Players will be selectively tested for doping based on saliva analysis. ESL prohibits the use of any of these drugs during competition. Exceptions include participants who take them on prescription. They must confirm this with a certificate before the first game. If the commission detects doping, the player will either be deprived of the prize or disqualified for two years. ESL is considering screening all players.

The drug tests were decided after team member Corey Frisen said that he and other teammates had been taking Adderall during ESL’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition. “Adderall” is considered an amphetamine. In the US, it is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

What are adaptogens?
Medicinal herbs have been used all over the world since ancient times. Nowadays, many people are returning to the study and use of medicinal plants. This is becoming a kind of trend, the desire for natural products, the abandonment of chemistry that has flooded the shelves of stores and pharmacies. Among the huge number of plants, there are species that stand apart. A distinctive feature of this group of plants lies in their ability to provide a strong restorative effect, increase the tone of the body, its efficiency, immunity and resistance to adverse factors and pathogenic agents.

Plant adaptogens are plants that can strengthen the body, increase immunity, and increase the physical performance of the body. Adaptogens are a kind of natural doping. In plants – adaptogens, tremendous power is hidden. Skillfully releasing it, you can cope with many diseases and significantly increase athletic performance.

In most developed countries, adaptogens are grown on special plantations where high-yielding varieties are cultivated, but they can also be found in the wild, especially in Russia. It is not surprising that the study of herbs-adaptogens began with us. The term “adaptogen” itself (derived from the word “adaptation”, which means “adaptation ” ) was invented by the Soviet scientist Nikolai Lazarev. Many foreign scientists are sure that the most effective adaptogens grow in Russia. The most famous example of an adaptogen plant is ginseng, and it is by no means the most potent adaptogen.

The use of adaptogens allows the body to adapt to such unfavorable environmental factors as cold, heat, ionizing radiation, lack of oxygen (hypoxia), heavy physical activity. Adaptogens promote the accumulation of glycogen in muscles, liver and heart. Glycogen, and this is the main “fuel” for muscles. Adaptogens increase the sensitivity of the body’s cells to their own hormones and non-hormonal compounds. Thus, the regulation of metabolic processes becomes more accurate and faster.

Examples of natural stimulants of adaptogens
This plant received this name because its positive effect on the body is extremely strong. In ancient times, Chinese emperors sent special expeditions to Altai for the Golden Root. There were whole detachments of smugglers who were exclusively engaged in transporting the Golden Root across the border. The root of Rhodiola rosea was considered to be of the greatest value, and its price exceeded the price of gold.

Rhodiola’s distinctive feature from other adaptogens is that it has a strong effect on striated muscle tissue, as well as on the heart muscle. Even after a single dose of Rhodiola, muscle strength and endurance increase. The contractile ability of the heart muscle also increases.
Rhodiola is one of the most powerful adaptogens in terms of the strength of its general strengthening and tonic effect.

From my experience I can say that I myself sometimes use rhodiola tincture. With very long and strong physical exertion, when you do physical work for 12-14 hours, it really helps and restores strength. But here you must, of course, understand that tinctures are not drunk, but taken in the literal sense of the drops. 8-10 drops during lunch, but not in the evening, otherwise it can bring down sleep.

– Ginseng is the root of life .

Legendary plant growing in China, Tibet, Altai, Siberia. A distinctive feature of ginseng is its ability to increase appetite and, as a result, overall body weight. Ginseng slightly improves digestion and has a beneficial effect on the liver. There is also a slight decrease in blood sugar, color vision improves, they have antidepressant, cardiotonic, hypoglycemic (increases the ability of drugs to lower blood sugar) , hemostatic effect, are effective in sexual asthenia, are able to prevent inflammatory reactions, weaken the effect of many toxic substances.

– Eleutherococcus prickly .

Noteworthy is the ability of Eleutherococcus to improve color vision. Visual acuity also increases slightly. It has a stronger anti-toxic, radioprotective, antihypoxic and anti-stress effect than ginseng. Eleutherococcus is considered a drug that improves thermoregulation due to more intense oxidation of glucose and fatty acids. This allows the use of Eleutherococcus for the prevention of colds. The studies have shown a high prophylactic activity of Eleutherococcus. The number of colds in the experimental group, taking Eleutherococcus, decreased by 2 times in comparison with the control group.

– Safflower Leuzea (maral root).

Anabolic activity is what distinguishes Leuzea from other adaptogens. Leuzea promotes muscle building. This is very important for athletes and people with hard physical labor. The ability of Leuzea to enhance protein synthesis has a beneficial effect on the condition of the liver, which is called the largest chemical laboratory in the body. With long-term administration of leuzea, the blood composition improves: the number of leukocytes and erythrocytes increases, the hemoglobin content rises. Leuzea also has a mild, physiological vasodilator effect. With its regular consumption, the lumen of the vascular bed increases and the power of the heart muscle increases (the heart rate decreases at the same time). Leuzea significantly increases the sexual activity of men. This is due to both a stimulating effect on the nerve centers and an increase in general anabolism.

– St. John’s wort.

In Russia, it was called a cure for 99 diseases, it enhances the function of the energy stations of cells – mitochondria. This allows you to increase muscle strength, endurance, and disease resistance. St. John’s wort stimulates the production of male sex hormones – androgens.

– Aralia of Manchuria .

Legal natural doping. A distinctive feature of Schisandra is that it enhances excitation processes in the central nervous system to the greatest extent among other adaptogens. Moreover, the stimulating effect of Schisandra is so strong that it is not inferior in strength to some doping drugs.

In medicine, lemongrass is used to treat nervous depression and general apathy. Schisandra significantly increases the acidity of gastric juice, improves the absorption of food. Therefore, it can be used to improve digestion during periods of intense muscle gain. Both mental and physical performance under the influence of lemongrass increases markedly. The strong stimulating effect of lemongrass is advisable to use during the competitive period, when the mobilization of all body resources is required.

Taking natural stimulants adaptogens
Speaking about adaptogens, it should be emphasized that only pharmaceutical tinctures and extracts have a strong effect on the body. Homemade tinctures and decoctions are less effective.
Adaptogens should not be taken constantly, the recommended course duration and dosages must be observed, otherwise the body will adapt to their action, and the effect is significantly reduced. For maximum effect, you can take two drugs at the same time. Since adaptogens, in addition to general properties, have their own characteristics, they affect the body in different ways. Therefore, it is recommended to combine and alternate various adaptogenic drugs, taking into account these features. Although adaptogens are safe – even multiple excess of therapeutic dosages does not cause serious consequences, some precautions are still worth observing. In no case should you take adaptogens 2 or 3 times a day. Only a single morning intake fits harmoniously into the human biorhythm. Attempts to take adaptogens 2 or 3 times a day in order to improve performance may not only fail to increase, but even lower.

How to choose the right dose of adaptogen?
Let’s say you have a tincture of aralia at your disposal. Your goal is to activate the body in order to increase overall performance. The revitalization response in most people is caused by doses of 6 to 15 drops taken once a day in the morning on an empty stomach. But this does not mean that your optimal dose will lie exactly in this range. Deviations towards both maximum and minimum doses can be quite large. After taking it, you need to analyze your own feelings during the day. If there is a surge of energy, a desire to work, then the dose is activating; if relaxation, lethargy – inhibitory dose. The next day, the dose must be either reduced or increased to achieve the desired effect.

Natural stimulants are perfectly combined with any other plants, vitamins, vitamin-like substances and medicines. The only group of drugs whose action adaptogens can weaken are sedatives and hypnotics. Adaptogens taken in activating doses weaken the effect of such drugs. The action of stimulants of the nervous system, such as caffeine and ephedrine, adaptogens, on the contrary, enhance.

It significantly increases physical performance than mental performance, increases appetite. It surpasses all adaptogens in hypoglycemic action.

– The lure is high .

In terms of the spectrum of its action on the body and the strength of the tonic effect, zamaniha is close to ginseng. Zamanihi tincture is used for asthenia, depression, hypotension.

– Plane-leaved sterculia .

Sterculia has a tonic and tonic effect, similar to the action of Eleutherococcus prickly.