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To cite this article, use: Koudinov A. Doping Journal, Volume 9, Article 3 (2012) http://dopingjournal.org/9/3/

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ABSTRACT

London 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be remembered not only for a failure of International Olympic Committee, National Olympic Committees and teams, International and National Sports Federation and other Olympic parties to protect athletes for discrimination based on age and gender (Doping J 2012, Vol. 9, 2, Ref 1). It will be also remembered for a failure of London Organizing Committee Olympic Games (LOCOG) and World Antidoping association (WADA) to stop in-competition doping in swimming and to strip of medals those who compete unfairly to protect Olympic value of fair play. This letter to Her Majesty the Queen alerts the Head of the Hosting State of the broken Olympic integrity and provides scientific evidence and witness testimony (by Michael Phelps coach Bob Bowman) on why and how listening to music improves blood oxygen capacity and is a performance enhancement. As no action was undertaken by informed LOCOG, this scholar letter calls for Her Majesty The Queen to help reinstate the failure of Olympic value of fair play.

© 2012 by A Koudinov and children, licensee Doping Journal, ISSN 1812-948x

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7 August 2012

Her Majesty The Queen
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA

Madam,

Did you notice that some swimmers wear earphones and are listening music just seconds before their every Olympic start at London 2012, be it semifinals or finals? Scientific evidence testifies: Listening to music improves blood oxygen capacity and is a performance enhancement. It is therefore a prohibited by The World Antidoping Code 2012 method of the enhancement of oxygen transfer [2]. Based on WADA ruling, Olympic pool deck music listeners disqualify, and their fake medals should go to others who compete for it fairly. The latest 4x100 m Medley Relay at Aquatics Center, London 2012 Olympic Games occurred after LOCOG was informed of the doping by the pool deck [3, letter 1]. However, no action was undertaken [4, letter 2], leaving competing fairly Great Britain swimming team out of Olympic podium. This letter explains, Your Majesty, why listening to music before the race is a doping and calls for a help to reinstate the failure of Olympic value of fair play.

Why listening to music less then two minutes before competition is a doping?

There could be several mechanisms, says Stefan Koelsch of Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, in Leipzig, Germany. Koelsch has published many scientific articles on the subject of how the body reacts to music [5,6].

Dr. Koelsch says that music can have influences on the breathing rate which will alter oxygen levels in the blood. It can happen via emotional effects such an increased arousal. Second mechanism is a relaxing effect. It means fewer muscles consume oxygen, which also increases oxygen levels. Dr. Koelsch says that his group "has reported clear changes in breathing rate, with breathing rate being higher during pleasant music." [5,6,7]

In line with Koelsch conclusion are the data of the research articles by Luciano Bernardi group of the University of Pavia, Italy. Bernardi group research implies that the withdrawal of music shortly before the swim race induces relaxing effects noted by Koelsch [8]. His group latest research article shows significant dynamic interactions between musical, cardiovascular, and cerebral rhythms in humans [9].

It is quite clear that music can reduce the effort associated with a given physical load, say Laszlo Harmat and Tores Theorell of Karolinska Institute, the home of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden [10]. The reason for this is that the body has a better ability to coordinate muscles and economize the use of energy. It is even likely that this is in some way programmed, Swedish scientists add.

Of major importance is the testimony by Bob Bowman, a coach of Michael Phelps, who uses headphone at the pool deck during every Olympic swimming start [11]. Bowman , having a degree in psychology [12], explicitly says about Michael Phelps that “when he swims the race, he's already programmed his nervous system” [11].

Doctor Vance Bergeron from Lyon, France adds to the evidence by Karolinska institute scientists and Michael Phelps coach Bob Bowman, saying that “such a performance enhancement is a bio-chemical feedback mechanism from an external source. The external source in the present case is music” next to the swimming pool, less than one minute before the start.

Another evidence comes from the research done with human infants. It showed that music causes better saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen (measured as a so-called SPO(2) parameter) compared with control subjects receiving no music [13]. This indicates an enhancement of oxygen transfer. Moreover, increased by music oxygen saturation returns to the baseline faster compared with control, making music effect hard to detect shortly thereafter.

Commenting on this study, Doctor Alexander Cherniak, a researcher at the Chuchalin Pulmonology Institute of Moscow, Russia agrees that medical experimentation with infants allows good standardization of the research protocol, appropriate statistics and could be projected onto the adults.

Furthermore, based on the solid scientific data by German and Italian scientific groups, of no surprise are the data by Dr. Trappe from Herne, Germany. who showed in another well defined clinical setting that music decreased the level of anxiety to a significantly greater extent than an orally administered pharmaceutical chemical [14].

So, can one call listening to music shortly before entering the swimming pool for competition a performance enhancement? Yes, say both Koelsch and Cherniak. It is in line with this, add Harmat and Theorell. If so, how long could this enhancement last?

Duration of the effect is not certain, from seconds to minutes, adds Koelsch. London 2012 (as well as Beijing 2008 and Athens 2004) Olympic and world records by medal holders fall into the expert's projected time frame.

Yes, testifies Dr. Bergeron: Music next to the swimming pool, less than two minutes before the start could indicate performance enhancement because of transient increase of blood oxygen capacity. Bergeron adds that music is available to everyone, not harmful to the athlete or his peers, and carried out under full disclosure, hence I do not see how this conflicts with fair play and honesty. Dr. Bergeron adds that I am not an expert on the World Anti-Doping Agency, however.

Straightforward ruling by World Anti Doping Dgency (WADA) describes music as a prohibited method of the enhancement of oxygen transfer

Well, one doesn't have to be an expert on WADA policies, as the scientific evidence provided in this report enforces all to take WADA code as is. The Prohibited List 2012 of The World Anti-Doping Code reads [2]:

Prohibited methods.

M1. Enhancement of Oxygen Transfer. The following are prohibited:

2. Artificially enhancing the uptake, transport or delivery of oxygen, including, but not limited to, perfluorochemicals, efaproxiral RSR13 and modified haemoglobin products. (e.g. haemoglobin-based blood substitutes, microencapsulated haemoglobin products), excluding supplemental oxygen.

Straightforward ruling results in a straightforward conclusion by a number of independent scientists: Listening to music through earphones before the start is in line with other measures prohibited.

Therefore, London 2012 swimming Olympic medals by the pool deck music listeners are fake and should go to others who battle for it fairly. Two latest example are as follows:

Example of inability of informed LOCOG to ensure a fair competition in swimming resulting in team UK to be out of Olympic podium

1. Men's 100 m Butterfly finals at Aquatics Center, London 2012 Olympic Games, 19:38 August 3, 2012 [15]:

Those who performed in-game in-competition doping by listening music are Michael Phelps of Team USA, Le Clos Chad of South Africa, and Czerniak Konrad of Poland.

By listening to music through earphones they performed artificial performance enhancement seconds before the race. As they disqualify, Olympic Gold should go to Korotyshkin Evgeny of Russia, while silver to be shared by Cavic Milorad of Serbia and Deibler Steffen of Germany.

Second example shows how doping by the pool by Team USA and team Japan leaves British swimmers’ team out of the Olympic podium. This event happened after LOCOG confirmed my complaint and a demand to stop doping by the Pool [3, 4]:

2. Men's 4x100 m Medley Relay at Aquatics Center, London 2012 Olympic Games, 20:27 August 4, 2012 [16]:

Those who performed in-game in-competition doping by listening music are athletes from Swimming Team USA, Japan and Hungary. I would re-check team Japan, as my screen resolution did not visualize well Earbud Headphones of one athlete from Japan.

By listening to music through earphones seconds before the Olympic start they performed artificial performance enhancement. As they disqualify, clean Great Britain swimmers (no headphones) deserve Silver, and Germany team would get bronze.

Conclusion

Your Majesty, this scientific evidence was published earlier [17, 18]. IOC, WADA, FINA and other sports organizations were informed of it, but did not undertake any action [18].

On August 3, 2012 I informed LOCOG of the doping by the pool deck using London 2012 complaints’ email [3]. On 4th of August I received a response saying the organizers noted my concerns [4]. However, an unfair play happened again in Men's 4x100 m Medley Relay at 20:27 August 4, 2012. As a result playing fairly British swimmers did not receive deserved medals [16].

I noted Your Majesty interest in London 2012 Olympics, a visit to Swimming venue Aquatics Center, escorted by Sebastian Coe, LOCOG chairman, and a meeting with members of Team GB during a tour of the Athletes' Village on the Olympic Park, on Day 1 of the Games.

I kindly ask you, as a Head of London 2012 hosting State, to oversee appropriate actions are taken, and the integrity of London 2012 Summer Olympic Games is reinstated. Until then, those who compete fairly won’t get well deserved medals, and broken principle of fair play will remain the matter of a sad satire [19].

I have the honour to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant

Alexei Koudinov, MD, PhD, DrSci,
Editor
Doping Journal
postmaster at dopingjournal.org

P.S. As a reference please see my earlier written evidence to UK House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology [20]

References:

1. Koudinov A. Letter to Her Majesty The Queen. Ye Shiwen London 2012 Summer Olympic Games doping allegations: IOC, NOC, IFs fail in a test to safeguard innocent athletes. Doping Journal, 9, 2 (2 August 2012) Free Full text
2. The Prohibited List 2008, International Standard. The World Anti-Doping Code. page 7 (last viewed 7 August 2012) Available as PDF or structured web page collection
3. Koudinov. Letter to Complaints, Communication and Public Affairs, The London 2012 Organising Committee, 23rd florr, 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5LN 3 August 2012 .jpg image imprint of a letter
4. Ross, London 2012 team. Swimming Case 366386, Response to Koudinov on Letter to Complaints, Communication and Public Affairs, The London 2012 Organising Committee, 23rd florr, 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5LN 4 August 2012 .jpg image imprint of a letter
5. Dr. Stefan Koelsch articles could be discovered at National Institutes of Health PubMed database
6. Koelsch S. Toward a neural basis of music perception - a review and updated model. Front Psychol. 2011;2:110. Epub 2011 Jun 9, Available as PubMed abstract and Free full publication text
7. Koelsch S, Siebel WA. Towards a neural basis of music perception. Trends Cogn Sci. 2005 Dec; 9(12): 578-84 Abstract at PubMed
8. Bernardi L, Porta C, Sleight P. Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory changes induced by different types of music in musicians and non-musicians: the importance of silence. Heart. 2006 Apr; 92(4): 445-52 Available as PubMed abstract and Free full publication text
9. Bernardi L, Porta C, Casucci G, Balsamo R, Bernardi NF, Fogari R, Sleight P. Dynamic interactions between musical, cardiovascular, and cerebral rhythms in humans. Circulation. 2009 Jun 30;119(25): 3171-80 Abstract at PubMed
10. Drs. Laszlo Harmat and Tores Theorell articles could be discovered at National Institutes of Health PubMed database
11. Amy Shipley, Evelio Contrevas, AJ Chavar, Bonnie Berkowitz, Kat Downs, Mitch Rubin. Olympics 2012: Michael Phelps has mastered the psychology of speed. Published at Youtube by WashingtonPost 15 June 2012, Video ID: Htw780vHH0o , available at Youtube.com
12. Paul McMullen, Bob Bowman, Swimming Coach of Michael Phelps. Published at Youtube by OctagonSpeakersGroup on Mar 30, 2010, Video ID: PJrar4Wym1w , available at Youtube.com
13. Chou LL, Wang RH, Chen SJ, Pai L. Effects of music therapy on oxygen saturation in premature infants receiving endotracheal suctioning. J Nurs Res. 2003 Sep; 11(3): 209-16 Abstract at PubMed
14. Trappe HJ. The effects of music on the cardiovascular system and cardiovascular health. Heart. 2010 Dec; 96(23):1868-71 PubMed Abstract
15. Final Results and Fake Medals: Fake Gold Medal Michael Phelps, USA, Fake Silver Medal 1 Chad Le Clos, True Silver Medal 2 Evgeny Korotyshkin. Men's 100m Butterfly London 2012 web site, as seen 7 August 2012 at London2012.com
16. Final Results and Fake Medals: Fake Gold Medal Team USA, Silver Medal Team Japan, Bronze team Australia. Men's 4x100m Medley Relay London 2012 web site, as seen 7 August 2012 at London2012.com
17. Koudinov AR. Doping by the pool? Doping Journal Vol. 1, 1 (2004), Freely available at http://dopingjournal.org/content/1/1/
18. Koudinov AR. Scientific evidence invalidates Beijing 2008 Olympic Swimming medals by Phelps, others. Doping Journal Vol. 5, 2 (2008), Freely available at http://dopingjournal.org/content/5/2/
19. Doping Journal Satiric video. Reprogramming Michael Phelps to get all Gold Medals in All Summer Olympic Sports. Published at Youtube by dopingjournal 5 August 2012, Video ID: Tqv8AbWKprE , available at youtube.com. Nonsatirical video ID 4j6DjFh74UE is available here
20. Memorandum from Dr Alexei Koudinov. Appendix 104. Publications on the internet. UK House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology Written Evidence , As seen 7 August 2012, available at parliament.uk web site

ISSN 1812-948x | Copyright (c) 2012 Alexei Koudinov and children, licensee Doping Journal

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To cite this publication, use: Koudinov A. Open letter to Her Majesty The Queen on an inability of LOCOG to stop in-competition doping at London 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Doping Journal, Volume 9, Article 3 (2012) http://dopingjournal.org/9/3/

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