The chief physician of the Olympic Committee, Maarit Valtonen, explains why tramadol may not be used in sports in the future.
Racing cyclists already realized years ago that tramadol, a painkiller well known even to Finns, is useful in sports performances. For this reason, the use of the drug has been prohibited in cycling since 2019.
As of January 1, 2024, tramadol, which is sold in Finland under the brand name Tramal, for example, has been widely banned throughout the sports world. The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada placed tramadol on its list of prohibited substances.
Tramadol is usually used in the treatment of severe pain conditions, but the substance is more helpful for sports performance than just pain relief.
Chief physician of the Olympic Committee Maarit Valtonen says that tramadol causes some people a “euphoric feeling” that masks the feeling of tiredness. Thus, tramadol has been useful for example for cyclists during long stages.
“This characteristic of tramadol is the main reason for Wada’s decision to ban the use of the drug during competitions,” explains Valtonen.
Tramadol can cause euphoria.
About tramadol of course, it is also useful for athletes in alleviating pain. In extreme sports performances, athletes suffer from strain pains, which can be masked with the help of a substance.
“An athlete can therefore improve his performance in competitive situations by using tramadol,” says Valtonen.
Of course, Tramadol is also used to relieve pain caused by sports injuries between performances. This has been typical in team sports. According to Wada, in addition to cycling, the drug has also been consumed extensively in rugby and football, for example.
According to Valtonen, the use of tramadol among Finnish athletes is not a common phenomenon.
“We have discussed this issue with Suek (Ethical Center for Finnish Sports). Among doctors, we have not found that tramadol was used by athletes in Finland. Therefore, Wada’s decision does not affect treatment practices in Finland.”
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Among doctors, we have not found that tramadol was used by athletes in Finland.
“For ordinary people for humans” tramadol is often prescribed as a pain reliever after surgeries but also for the treatment of other acute or chronic pain conditions. Valtonen lifts, for example, a painful lumbar disc bulge.
For some people, tramadol may make you feel groggy. If there are such experiences with the use of the drug, it can be difficult to understand why anyone would use the drug during sports performances.
“Tramadol’s effects are very individual. Some people don’t feel tired at all, or maybe someone pushes themselves beyond their capacity with the help of that tiredness,” Valtonen reminds.
Tramadol belongs to opioids, most of which have been on WADA’s list of prohibited substances for a long time. One opioid – codeine – is still allowed, although it is also on Wada’s “watch list”.
In Finland, codeine is only available in combination products. A painkiller brand familiar to Finns is, for example, Panacod, which contains paracetamol and codeine.
“Codeine apparently does not produce as strong a euphoric feeling as tramadol. That is why, according to current knowledge, it is not of such significant benefit in sports performance. Wada will certainly monitor what happens to the use of codeine in sports when the use of tramadol is prohibited,” explains Valtonen.
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