If you’re an elite athlete today and don’t want to risk being accused of doping, you might want to skip your medicine. Don’t eat liver the night before a race. In fact, consider dropping meat altogether. Maybe avoid sex, too. Tests required by the World Anti-Doping Agency are now so sensitive, they can pick up trace amounts of banned substances from unexpected sources.
When Brenda Martinez, an Olympian and one of the top track and field athletes in America, tested positive for a banned substance in September 2020, the source was a prescription drug that is not athletically performance-enhancing or even prohibited: an antidepressant.