Everything secret becomes clear or how doping samples are analyzed. How does the doping control procedure work? What are athletes tested for?

Timofei Gennadyevich Sobolevsky, Deputy Director, Head of the Laboratory of Chromatography-Mass-Spectrometric Methods of Analysis of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Anti-Doping Center, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, tells about the difficult task that analysts face during sports competitions.

A huge number of anti-doping tests are being done in the world, not only during competitions, but also between them. What samples are taken from athletes and what problems do chemists face?

Our Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Anti-Doping Center" analyzes about 15,000 urine samples and about 4,000 blood samples per year. Most of the substances on the list of prohibited drugs are determined in urine samples. However, over the past ten years, a blood test has also been taken more and more often, since this is the only way to check whether an athlete has had a blood transfusion, as well as to determine the level of hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell concentration and other parameters that the Athlete Biological Passport program assumes.

Growth hormone, some types of erythropoietin and insulins are also determined exclusively in blood serum. Today, some anti-doping laboratories are conducting research aimed at demonstrating that a blood test can be exhaustive and everything can be determined from it. But since blood is still more difficult to select (a specialist with a medical education is needed for selection), and many methods will have to be developed anew, it is likely that in the future anti-doping control will be mainly based on the analysis of urine samples.

There are quite a few problems for chemists working in the field of doping control. Over the past ten years, the list of prohibited drugs has expanded significantly, new prohibited classes of compounds have appeared, for the determination of which it was necessary to develop and implement analysis methods. It is clear that this requires money and exceptionally highly qualified laboratory personnel.

In general, the system works as follows:

There are anti-doping laboratories that analyze the samples that come to them, and there are national and international anti-doping organizations that plan and collect these samples from athletes, both in and out of competition. To ensure that DCOs can take a sample at any time, international-level athletes provide information about their whereabouts several months in advance (every day!). The out-of-competition list of substances is almost half as long, but in general, doping control occurs almost continuously. The result of the analysis of the laboratory is sent to anti-doping organizations, which draw the appropriate conclusions and investigate violations. The laboratory only detects the presence (or absence) of prohibited substances in the samples of athletes and does not have any feedback from the athletes.

How is it possible to identify such a large number of the most diverse substances? And what new methods do chemists offer for this?

It's really not easy. About ten years ago, when the list of prohibited substances was about half as long, most anti-doping laboratories followed the practice: each class of substances had a separate line of analysis. In other words, volatile stimulants, narcotics, anabolic steroids, diuretics, beta-blockers, corticosteroids were determined separately... Due to the large number of assay lines, it was not possible to quickly analyze many samples. To "catch" small concentrations of substances, samples had to be concentrated. Most laboratories combined gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. To determine substances in nanoquantities, high-resolution mass spectrometers (magnetic sector analyzers) were used, and this equipment is complex and capricious in operation.

At some point, the laboratories simply choked, as the anti-doping authorities, trying to test as many athletes as possible, sent more and more samples.
Today, laboratories use systems that combine the high efficiency of chromatographic separation (gas and liquid chromatography) and mass spectrometric detection. These are the so-called triple quadrupole mass analyzers (triple quads). New instruments with the highest sensitivity and reliability determine whether the sample contains substances of interest to us. Firstly, this allows you to use a smaller sample volume (up to the point that it can be diluted several times with water and directly injected into the device, if we are talking about liquid chromatography), and secondly, it increases the number of compounds determined in one analysis . Thus, thanks to modern equipment, methods have become simpler and more versatile, and this has significantly increased the productivity of anti-doping laboratories.

In parallel, methods of sample preparation were developed. If earlier they used mainly liquid-liquid extraction, which is almost impossible to automate, now solid-phase extraction is increasingly used, including the option in which a sorbent with the desired properties is applied to the surface of magnetic microparticles. It is very convenient to manipulate such particles - the suspension is added to the test sample, and the compounds to be determined are themselves adsorbed on their surface. Then the test tube is placed in a magnetic field, which fixes the particles at the bottom, and the remains of the sample are poured out. After that, the microparticles are usually washed to remove unwanted components, and the desired compounds are washed off with a small volume of organic solvent - and that's it, the sample is ready for analysis.

The sample preparation procedure is not only simple, but can be easily automated. This is a kind of nanotechnology in chemical analysis, and is usually used to search for substances in the urine or blood of a peptide nature, such as synthetic analogues of insulin. Now chemists are investigating whether this method can also be used to extract low molecular weight compounds. Unfortunately, the method is quite expensive, so it is not always used and not in all laboratories.

In general, anti-doping control is focused on the determination of given compounds. During the analysis, you will see only those prohibited drugs that your chromato-mass spectrometer is pre-configured for, and all other information about the sample is lost. At the same time, in the list of prohibited substances in many sections there are wordings: "... and other substances with a similar structure or properties" or in general "any substances that are at the stage of clinical trials and are not approved for official use." To be able to analyze the sample again for some other substances without repeating the sample preparation, it is necessary to use instrumental methods that retain all information about the sample. There are such devices: these are time-of-flight mass spectrometers or mass spectrometers operating on the principle of an orbital ion trap. They record all data (not just given ones) with high resolution, but there are also difficulties and limitations when working with such devices. Despite the high cost, they have already entered the practice of laboratories - for example, we have several orbital ion traps in Moscow (they are called "Orbitrap").

How fast is one analysis done? Why is sometimes an athlete disqualified after he has already received a medal?

According to the international standard, 10 working days are allotted for analysis. At major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, this time limit is 24 hours for samples that show a negative result, 48 hours for samples that require additional testing (i.e. when the screening result shows the presence of a prohibited substance), and 72 hours for complex tests - such as the determination of erythropoietin or the origin of testosterone by isotope mass spectrometry.
However, in recent years, the practice of long-term (up to eight years) storage of samples has appeared - so that in the future, as new illicit drugs and methods for their determination appear, to re-analyze. This was the case, in particular, with the samples of the 2008 Olympics: more than a year after its completion, they were analyzed for the new generation erythropoietin MIRCERA in the Lausanne anti-doping laboratory, and the result for some athletes was disappointing.

When did they start testing athletes for the use of illegal drugs? How many of them are on the list of the Olympics this year?

The first list of prohibited drugs was published by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1963, but testing began only five years later (in 1968) - at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble and the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Actually, the history of anti-doping control began from the moment when it became technically possible to do such analyzes on a large scale due to the active development of chromatography and mass spectrometry methods.

Initially, the list of prohibited drugs included only stimulants, narcotic analgesics and anabolic steroids. Over time, other classes of compounds were added to it - diuretics, beta-blockers, beta2-agonists, drugs with antiestrogenic activity, peptide hormones, and the number of drugs within each class increased markedly.

Now in the list of prohibited drugs, which is reviewed once a year, there are about 200 compounds of various nature. It should be noted that a significant part of them (for example, almost all anabolic steroids) are completely metabolized (modified) when they enter the human body, so laboratories often determine not the illegal drugs themselves, but the products of their transformation in the body. This is a rather difficult task - in order to solve it, one must first study the metabolic process in detail, and then learn how to determine the longest-lived metabolites. In fact, modern anti-doping analysis is at the intersection of analytical chemistry, biochemistry and pharmacology.

The preparation of the anti-doping laboratory for the Olympic Games begins long before them. After all, by the right moment, she should already have all the available methods and techniques, including those that have not yet entered into everyday practice.
There seem to be not so many laboratories officially accredited by the IOC in the world, the results of which he recognizes. But at the same time, there are probably other laboratories in every country that control their athletes and, of course, can warn them if they find some prohibited substances.

However, scandals do happen. What is the problem? In athletes or in the level of qualification and degree of equipment of accredited laboratories that determine lower concentrations and a greater range of substances?

Only laboratories accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have the right to test athletes. There are currently 33 such laboratories in the world, and in Russia there is only one - the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Anti-Doping Center. International sports organizations categorically condemn the promotion of illegal drugs to athletes, but there is evidence that in a number of countries there are laboratories that work not quite officially. Of course, they have limited access to new methods for testing prohibited substances. So it's absolutely true: accredited laboratories are more capable and better equipped, so it's hard to fool them.

However, even these 33 laboratories differ in equipment - it strongly depends on the level of financial support from the state. In addition, one cannot ignore the fact that some laboratories received accreditation just a couple of years ago, while others have been around for thirty years. Therefore, all these laboratories formally comply with WADA requirements, but not all of them are equally good. In addition, some techniques are owned by only one or two laboratories in the world. Therefore, doping scandals are still an integral part of modern sport.

If you look at the dynamics, then every Olympics there are more or less cases of disqualification of athletes due to doping? What is the trend?

Most likely, we have already passed through the maximum. As the equipment and methods of chemical analysis improved from the Olympics to the Olympics, more and more cases of violations of the anti-doping code were revealed. I think that the apogee was reached in 2004. Now the situation is changing for the better, as well as the consciousness of the athletes, so the organizers of the Olympics this year hope for "clean" games.

Prohibited List

This is a list of substances and methods that athletes are not allowed to use. WADA specialists update it every year and publish it on their website www.wada-ama.org. It consists of three sections: substances and methods that are prohibited in sports at all times (both during and out of competition); substances prohibited only in competitions; and finally alcohol with beta-blockers, which can't be consumed in some sports during competition.

In a separate paragraph, the World Anti-Doping Agency draws attention to the use of dietary supplements, which may be of poor quality and contain prohibited substances.

The first section contains five drug classes and three methods. The first class is anabolics, which includes anabolic steroids and other anabolic substances. These substances accelerate all processes in the body, stimulate tissue renewal, their nutrition and allow you to quickly build muscle mass. Everything is clear about androgenic steroids (male and female sex hormones) - even high school students who come to build muscles for the first time are told about them. But non-steroidal anabolics are a much thinner substance. These can be blockers and modulators of individual receptors (for example, the drug clenbuterol, which is used to treat bronchial asthma, at the same time it is a powerful fat burner and anabolic) and harmless riboxin, methyluracil and potassium orotate (each in its own way and rather harmlessly increase endurance and regenerative abilities of the body).

The second class is peptide hormones. Within this class are several groups, including growth hormones, insulins, erythropoietins and other substances that increase muscle mass and reduce fat, increase glucose levels, immunity, endurance, and even reduce the number of injuries.

The next large class are beta2agonists, a wide range of drugs that are used in medicine for diseases of the cardiovascular system and asthma. In healthy people, these substances temporarily increase resistance to physical activity, as they dilate the bronchi and help open the “second wind”.

The next class is hormones and metabolic modulators, substances with antiestrogenic activity. The latter include the well-known anti-cancer drug tamoxifen (and others like it), which, as the gold standard, is prescribed for breast cancer in women. In sports, it is combined with anabolic steroids, since an excess of the latter is converted into the female sex hormone estrogen and can “feminize” athletes (tamoxifen, on the other hand, competes for estrogen receptors and prevents it from acting). With metabolic modulators, and there are a lot of them, everything is clear: cell nutrition, metabolic acceleration, endurance, and so on.

In addition to the above, of course, diuretics and other masking agents are prohibited, which allow you to reduce body weight and quickly remove excess chemicals from the body. Three methods also appear on the WADA list: procedures that activate the transfer of oxygen in the blood; chemical and physical manipulations with blood (including harmless intravenous infusions of saline); and gene doping, including manipulation of normal and genetically modified cells.

Substances of all categories from the first section, as well as stimulants (including nasal drops containing ephedrine), narcotics, cannabinoids (marijuana, hashish) and glucocorticosteroids (reduce inflammation, anesthetize) cannot be used in competitions.
However, athletes also get sick. Therefore, if you apply in advance for a specific medicine, justifying the need according to all the rules of science, then you can get permission to take it.

Sanctions for anti-doping rule violations range from a warning to a lifetime ban. If a positive test comes during the competition, the results will be canceled and the athlete will be deprived of medals and prizes. All results in competitions held after sampling may also be annulled.

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• immediately report to the doping control station;
• remain in the field of view of the doping control officer (DCO) and the escort until the end of the procedure;
• present an identity document;
• comply with all requirements related to the doping control procedure;
• check the correctness of the doping control protocol.

Rights of an Athlete Received a Doping Control Notice

• the right to see the certificate of the Doping Control Officer (DCO) and the accompanying person;
• the right to a representative;
• the right to an interpreter (if possible);
• the right to additional clarifications on the procedure;
• the right to a delay in order to finish training, change clothes, take documents, participate in a press conference, awards, further starts, receive medical assistance;
• the right to choose equipment for sampling from several proposed ones: urinals and storage kits;
• the right to sample in the presence of a DCO of the same sex;
• the right to record comments in the protocol of doping control;
• the right to receive a copy of the doping control protocol;
• the right to procedure modifications for athletes with disabilities (see below).

Collection of urine and blood for doping

Important!!! The test result is invalidated if it has been affected sample integrity. Sample integrity is paramount.

SELECTION OF ATHLETES

An athlete can be selected for doping control at any place and at any time.

NOTIFICATION

The Doping Control Officer (DCO) is required to present identification and a warrant. It will notify you that you have been selected for testing. Upon receipt of the notification, you must urgently report to the doping control station. You can ask for a delay in order to finish training, change clothes, take documents, participate in a press conference, awards, further starts, receive medical assistance.

Important!!! Once notified, the Athlete must be within the DCO's or escort's view at all times and DO NOT shower or use the toilet.

AT THE DOPING CONTROL STATION

At the doping control station there should be a waiting room where athletes spend time before the test and where they draw up documents, a toilet, a sink, a refrigerator for storing samples. Blood sampling is carried out in a specially equipped room, separate from the urine collection room.

During the procedure, the athlete may be accompanied by a representative (doctor, coach) and an interpreter. Everyone is required to provide documents (passport, driver's license) and register at the doping control station.

Important!!! Before the blood passport test, the athlete must be at rest for two hours, with other blood tests, 10 minutes is enough.

Important!!! Do not drink more than 1.5 liters of fluid, as urine density may change. Drink water, juices, sodas, non-alcoholic beer from industrially sealed glass bottles. Do not exchange glasses or bottles with other athletes.

Important!!! The minimum volume of urine for the test is 90 ml, it is better to wait to take the sample immediately.

CAPACITY SELECTION

The athlete may choose a urine jar and/or a blood tube from the three offered.

Important!!! Check that the packaging is not damaged.

Important!!! Keep the container in sight during the entire procedure.

PROVIDING A Urine SAMPLE

Only the Athlete and the DCO or chaperone are allowed in the restroom.

Important!!! The DCO or escort must be of the same gender as the Athlete.

The athlete will be asked to wash their hands, remove clothing from the abdomen to the knees and roll up the sleeves to the elbows. Don't be embarrassed! The DCO must ensure that at least 90 ml of urine is present in the presence of the Athlete. If the athlete on the first attempt was unable to 90 ml, then the urine is poured into a jar with a tight lid and sealed. The athlete returns to the waiting area until they are ready for another fresh jar. Urine from two, three ... six jars, until the treasured 90 ml is collected, is mixed.

Important!!! The athlete may take the sealed urine with them to the waiting area so as not to be overlooked.

Urine SAMPLE SEPARATION

The Athlete will be prompted to select one of three sample transport and storage kits. Each set contains two bottles individually sealed in foil: sample A (red label) and sample B (blue label).

Important!!! There must be at least three kits to choose from; the set is sealed; on the box, bottles and caps one number.

The athlete pours urine into bottles. If assistance is needed, the representative or DCO can dispense urine. First, 30 ml of urine into bottle B, up to the bottom of the blue label. Then the rest, about 60 ml, into bottle A with a red label. Some urine must be left for the DCO to measure the density. If the density does not meet the standards, then the athlete must retake the sample. Seal bottles "A" and "B", when the caps are screwed on tightly, you will hear a click.

In addition to a urine sample, a blood test may be taken.

COMPLETING THE DOPING CONTROL PROTOCOL

Urine and blood tests can be recorded in one protocol.

You must list all medicines and nutritional supplements, as well as transfusions and blood donations, infusions that you have received recently.

Important!!! Check the number on the bottles and in the protocol.

If there are comments on the procedure, be sure to indicate this in the doping control protocol. If there is even a slight doubt about the safety of the sample, reflect this in the protocol.

Check that the copy of the laboratory protocol (yellow copy) contains the sample number, date and time of analysis, sport and gender of the athlete. Personal data is anonymous to laboratory staff.

The athlete will be asked if he agrees to have his sample analyzed anonymously after a doping test. You can answer yes or no.

The athlete and his representative are asked to sign the protocol. A copy of the protocol must be kept for up to 6 weeks.

What happens if the doping test is positive

The athlete's sample is sent to a WADA-accredited laboratory. The results of the analysis are reported to WADA and the Anti-Doping Organization that ordered the testing. Verify that a Therapeutic Use Exemption has been granted for the Prohibited Substance and that the doping control procedure and Sample analysis have been carried out in accordance with established procedures.

The Athlete will be notified of the Sample results by e-mail or letter. If an Athlete or Anti-Doping Organization elects to conduct a B Sample analysis, the Athlete may attend or send a representative.

If a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method other than a Specified Substance is found in the A Sample, the Athlete will be provisionally suspended. The Athlete may exercise the right to a hearing on the reason for such suspension. If the B Sample does not confirm the A Sample results, any Provisional Suspension will be waived.

Doping control for minors and athletes with disabilities

If an Athlete is a minor or with a disability, when they are notified that they have been selected for doping control, a third party may also be notified.

When donating blood, minors, as well as athletes with disabilities, may attend the procedure with a representative. However, this representative is not allowed to be present during the actual sampling process.

If an Athlete chooses not to have a representative present, the Athlete's Anti-Doping Organization or DCO may request that a third party be present.

If an Athlete has a mobility or motor limitation, the Athlete's Representative or DCO may be asked to assist with the operation of the Doping Control equipment, Sample separation or paperwork.

If the athlete has a significant lack of coordination, they may use a larger sample collection container.

If an Athlete is visually impaired, an Athlete Representative may accompany the Athlete throughout the Doping Control process, including the restroom. However, the representative cannot be present at the actual process of passing urine. The Athlete Representative or DCO may read the Doping Control Protocol to the Athlete, and the Athlete may ask the Athlete Representative to sign the protocol on his or her behalf.

If the athlete is using a rubber drain or an indwelling catheter, they must remove the existing urinal and drain it so that fresh urine is obtained. You can use your own catheter or a DCO-provided catheter to collect urine. The catheter must be provided with tamper evident.

An Athlete Representative may accompany an Athlete with an Intellectual Disability throughout the entire doping control process, including the restroom. However, the representative cannot be present at the actual process of passing urine.

There are a lot of anti-doping tests done around the world, both during and between tournaments and competitions. Consider what doping is in sports.

What is doping control?

This is a process that includes sampling, testing, various post-test procedures, appeals, and hearings.

How is the process of discussing and recognizing any substance as doping?

As a rule, prohibited substances are not immediately recognized as doping. For a certain period of time, qualified specialists monitor such substances. But there are times when a substance is immediately recognized as doping.

The center's specialists monitor substances in special laboratories. Special equipment is used for research. The period of monitoring is determined by the leading specialist of the center.

After monitoring is completed, all data obtained is sent to the WADA (anti-doping agency) committee. This organization does:

• study of various scientific arguments;
• conferences;
• studying various reports of researchers and scientists
• complex discussions.

After that, based on the studied data, a certain decision is made. To date, there are substances in relation to which discussions and studies have been going on for many years.

Doping Control Procedural Rules

All athletes who have been awarded the highest qualification must pass. For this, a urine sample is taken. Sports labs are being tested.

Before the procedure, the athlete of the highest qualification must be informed. He must be informed of the date and exact time, as well as other nuances.

After that, the employee presents the athlete with the so-called confirmation form. After reviewing the form, the athlete of the highest category must put his signature. Now, the confirmation form operates legally, so to speak.

As a rule, an athlete of the highest qualification needs to arrive at a special point within one hour. If he does not have time to arrive at the appointed time, then the procedure will not be carried out. In addition, in this case, it will be considered that this elite athlete uses any prohibited substances.

In this case, certain sanctions apply:

• withdrawal from existing competitions;
• disqualification procedure.

Appropriate sanctions apply in 99% of cases. There are always some exceptions.

1. Prior to arrival at the point of an athlete of the highest qualification, someone must accompany him. This could be a laboratory employee or a judge. The responsible person controls the movement of the athlete. According to current regulations, he cannot urinate until the appropriate procedure is carried out.

2. Upon arrival at the relevant point, the person from whom the sample will be taken must provide any document:

• international passport;
• passport, etc.

3. For special studies, a certain amount of urine is required - 75 milliliters. Therefore, be sure to provide any drinks:

• mineral water
• soda, etc.

In this case, all drinks must be in a special container. The container must be sealed. As a rule, the administrative person offers a drink to choose from.

4. After that, he is offered to go to the room in which the sample is taken. The athlete must be accompanied by an administrative person (judge). When carrying out the sampling procedure, it is necessary to be guided by the rule - to expose the body to a certain level.

• apply the sound of water that is pouring;
• pour water on your wrist.

6. After carrying out the relevant procedure, the administrative person divides into 2 parts:

• vial labeled A;
• vial labeled B.

7. After that, the administrative person (judge) must make sure that the sample taken is suitable for conducting appropriate research in the laboratory. Then the container is closed with a lid. After that, the administrative person (judge) must put a unique code, as well as seal the vial.

9. Now it is necessary for an athlete of the highest qualification to check the vial:

• make sure the vial is sealed;
• ensure the quality of the seal;
• make sure the code is correct.

10. And the last stage. Employees place vials in a secure container. After that, the container must be sealed. Now accompanied by guards, protected containers are transported to the laboratory for research.

After that, the laboratory conducts appropriate research. Each laboratory must have a special certificate. In order to obtain such a certificate, it is necessary to pass the appropriate attestation. This certification is carried out by WADA.

Who collects doping samples?

According to the current legislation, 2 types of control are defined:

• out-of-competition (carried out long before or after the competition);
• competitive (carried out directly during the current competitions).

Long before entering the job, all "officers" are carefully selected:

• testing;
• interview;
• conversation with a psychologist, etc.

These "officers" represent the following organizations:

• various international federations;
• organizations that work closely with WADA.

For example, IDTM Corporation. This corporation controls athletes who are involved in athletics.

What samples are taken for doping control?

According to the current legislation, a urine sample is taken for a special doping control. The study of other materials is not carried out.

Can an athlete refuse?

The current rules prohibit refusing to undergo this procedure. Otherwise, the competitor will be unconditionally disqualified. That is, the commission will document the acceptance of a positive sample.

Sometimes you can take a break. For example, it may be a young mother who needs to feed her child. But even in this case, it is necessary to correctly substantiate the reason for the commission to propose to take a break.

How is a sample taken?

As a rule, the sample is handed over at a special point. The participant of the competition can move around the point only in the presence of an administrative person.

1. The sampling is carried out, so to speak, in a natural way. That is, the competitor urinates into a special vial.
2. During this action, an administrative person observes this process in order to prevent possible illegal actions. An example of a possible violation is vial replacement.

Unscrupulous athletes can use various tricks and tricks to change the vial:

• mini container, which is located in the rectum;
• false penis, etc.

It is also possible that the inspector (officer) is corrupt. In this case, you can replace the vial. If a violation is found, the officer will be severely punished.

How fast is the analysis done?

The timing of the analysis depends on the scale of the competition:

1. At small sporting events, the analysis is carried out within 10 days.
2. According to the current rules, the analysis of the received sample at large sports competitions is carried out within 1-3 days:
3. three days for complex analysis;
4. two days for various additional studies;
5. one day to analyze samples that show a negative result.

How long are samples stored and where?

To date, the shelf life of samples has changed significantly. Some of them keep up to 8 years. Long-term storage is necessary for repeated analyses. What is it for?

• to identify new illegal methods;
• to identify new prohibited substances (drugs).

Thus, the analysis of the obtained results is carried out after several years. The results obtained are announced. Some participants in past competitions get disappointing results.

The samples taken are stored in special laboratories, which are carefully guarded from unscrupulous persons.

Anti-Doping Passport

From a legal point of view, the results obtained at the doping control are no different from the indicators in the anti-doping passport.

The analysis of the indicators of the anti-doping passport is very simple:

• special equipment is used for this;
• laboratory employee enters passport data;
• The program analyzes the received information and gives the result.

The entire procedure is completely anonymous. Laboratory staff use only biological data (indicators) for analysis.

After the study, the results are discussed. As a rule, the opinion of 3 laboratory employees is taken into account. However, the results obtained are not direct evidence.

What is an anti-doping passport

An anti-doping passport is an electronic record of a competitor that contains various information. These are the so-called biological markers, which are compared with the results of doping control. Laboratory staff use this information when analyzing samples.

An anti-doping passport has several advantages:

1. it is possible to identify various violations without resorting to the identification of prohibited substances;
2. It is possible to identify various violations without resorting to comprehensive testing.

The biological passport consists of 3 parts:

• endocrine biological passport;
• steroid biological passport;
• hematological biological passport.

To date, only hematological passport data are widely used for analysis.

Endocrine and steroid passports are rarely used. Since special criteria have not yet been developed by which laboratory staff determined the presence of prohibited substances. However, in the near future it is planned to widely use the data of the endocrine and steroid profile.

Why you need an anti-doping passport

Of course, a biological passport is necessary for the detection of prohibited substances. But you can determine the presence of prohibited substances with the help of a urine test.

The biological passport was created for the determination of erythropoietin. This is a kidney hormone that cannot be detected by urinalysis (after 15-17 days). Because it is very quickly excreted from the human body. Existing methods do not bring real results.

This hormone directly affects a person's endurance. Also, blood transfusion affects the change in some parameters of blood endurance. Therefore, these data are very important in the analysis.

The main thing in the biological passport is the stimulation index. The stimulation index is a formula (profile) into which various parameters (data) of the blood are entered.

When conducting research, these blood counts are taken into account.

How does he show doping?

Each participant of major competitions and tournaments must donate blood at a special point:

• before the competition;
• during the competition;
• after the competition.

In addition, the program determines the norms of blood parameters for each participant in the competition. That is, it makes "corridors" with an upper and lower border. All this allows you to determine the use of prohibited substances.

Sample recheck

Rechecking the sample makes it possible to detect prohibited substances. If such substances are found, the athlete will suffer a well-deserved punishment. The sample can be rechecked after many years.

On what basis are samples rechecked?

There is an organization that decides to recheck the sample. And her name is WADA. It is also up to the international federation to decide whether to conduct a recheck.

Sample retesting is carried out when a new detection method is being developed for any prohibited substances. When developing such a method, a specialized laboratory invites the international federation and WADA to recheck the sample. And these organizations make the final decision.

How many times can samples be rechecked?

It is legal to double-check the samples many times. However, no one has repealed the laws of physics. For each analysis, a certain amount of urine is used. Therefore, on average, two rechecks can be carried out.

When did they start testing athletes for the use of illegal drugs?

For the first time, athletes began to be tested in 1968. But the samples themselves were taken in 1963. Such analyzes have become possible due to the development of technology. Special equipment was used for sample analysis.

The main methods of analysis were:

• mass spectrometry;
• chromatography.

Prohibited List

Classes of prohibited substances:

• S1-S9 (glucocorticosteroids, narcotics, diuretics, adrenomimetic agents, anabolic substances, cannabinoids, stimulants, various substances with antiestrogenic activity, various hormone-like substances);
• P1-P2 (Beta-blockers, alcohol).

In 2014, the list was slightly changed. Argon and xenon inhalation were added.

Sanctions for anti-doping rule violations

Sanctions can be applied to both laboratories and athletes. If the laboratory has committed any violation, it may lose its accreditation. Even if a violation is committed, the specialized laboratory has the right to defend itself. Thus, litigation takes place and all the circumstances of the case are considered.

All competitors, administrative officials, technical staff must comply with the rules of the so-called Anti-Doping Code. It was first published in 2003.

The competition organizers set their own sanctions. Each case of violation is considered individually. If the staff or the coach contributed to the violation, they will be punished more severely than the athlete himself.

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Doping - these are substances of natural or chemical origin that are prohibited for use by the an-ti-do-ping-go-committee due to their effect on sports performance or in connection with negative impact on health. Doping is divided into several groups: S0 - non-permitted substances, S1 - androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS), S2 - peptide hormones, S3 - beta2-agonists , P2 - beta-blockers, S4 - hormones and me-ta-bo-li-che-regulators, S5 - diuretics, S6 - stimulants, S7 - narcotics, S8 - can- na-bi-noi-dy, P1 - alcohol, S9 - glu-ko-kor-ti-koi-dy. By the nature of the impact, they are different M1 - manipulators of blood and its composition, M2 - chemical and doping.

The most common type of doping are AAS, in any case, this is exactly the type of doping that is most often found in doping tests. At the same time, it should be noted that since 2009 the proportion of positive results for doping, coming to AAS, has been declining permanently. This may be due to the fact that non-good-ro-co-west sports shifts began to pay attention to other types of do-ping in connection with effective do-ping-tests on AAS, and with the fact that new ways have appeared to ob-ma-on existing testing methods. And, most likely, that this is about-us-catching-le-but both of them! Moreover, the development of other types of doping encourages athletes to pay more and more attention to them, however, this does not negate the fact that they can simply combine them with roi-da-mi.

We do not in any way condone the use of doping drugs. Especially in an amateur dispute, because doping has a lot of side effects that you can deal with link . This, of course, is mainly about AAS, although peptide hormones also have a negative effect on health. – and kro-vya-noy do-ping, and all other prohibited doping drugs. But, unfortunately, the effectiveness of doping agents does not allow honest athletes to win in competitions with "chemists", which is clearly seen from the correlation between du times-ra-bot-coy new do-pin-th means and the growth of world records. Although for this year-nyash-ny day there are already a lot of effective doping tests. Let's with them oz-na-ko-mi-sya!

Types of doping tests

Steroid Tests: one of the most common ways to check the intake of steroids is the analysis of their metabolites in the blood, which remain in the body for a long time after stopping their intake. For example, nandrolone metabolites can be found-on-ru-live for about 6 months. Problems with this analysis may arise due to the appearance of new AAS, the metabolites of which cannot be identified simply because nothing is known about them. That is why an analysis is also being carried out of the correlation of tes-to-ste-ro-on and epi-tes-to-ste-ro-on, the natural ratio of which is 1, and the norm -ma-mi All-the-world-no-go An-ti-do-pin-go-in-go The agencies were set to-let-we-we 4 to 1 co-ot-rep-ven- But .

Peptide Tests: it is still hard to figure out doping uses of this kind, but progress is being made in this respect. Good results are obtained by analysis of the relationship between growth hormone isoforms, but this test is very limited in time frames (24–36 hours after injection) and the inability to detect indirect legi-ro- va-nie mountains-mo-on ros-ta. For this purpose, a test of other bio-markers, such as IGF-1 and the N-terminal peptide of type III procollagen (PIII-NP) in ka - honor-ve long-term-no-go mar-ke-ra injections of growth hormone. But these methods of determination are still active, but not used. However, the development of technologies in this area requires sportsmen to pay attention to peptides, other fragments of somatotropin.

Blood doping tests: there are quite a large number of them, since blood doping can be very different. Their essence lies in the enrichment of the blood with ge-mo-glo-bi-nome, which can be achieved by transfusing one's own enriched blood (auto-logic trans-fusion) or the blood of another person. The last method is not very pu-la-ren, due to the risk of death and a fairly easy way to find out. But auto-logic transfusion is a challenge for An-ti-do-pin-go-go-ko-mi-te-ta, but a lot of development has already been done in this area. The most promising in this regard is the test with the help of a bio-lo-gi-ches-to-go pass-port-ta sports shift, which makes it easy to identify non- right-to-to-add-but quick-ry from-me-not-niya in co-hundred-ve blood-vi.

Conclusion: doping tests are constantly being improved, but this is not so much the use of doping drugs as it forces athletes to look for new ways to circumvent these tests. Firstly, they do not give a 100% guarantee of identifying even well-known pre-pin-go-ing agents, and secondly, the development of new chemical compounds and ways to ma-on doping tests allow not-good-ro-co-west-ny at-le-there to win with the help of prohibited substances, in connection with which even those who dope mother doesn’t want to, you need to do this if you want to win. Before-for-the-telst-vom after-ice-no-go-la-yut-sya modern records, clearly exceeding the physio-lo-gi-ches-kie-possibility-no-things-lo- ve-che-th organism. In addition, the "Russian doping scandal" seems to be, how much the An-ti-do-pin-go-th committee can be engaged, so we believe that the question of do-ping-ga in professional sports must be discussed and re-viewed in such a way that all athletes are in the same -y honest conditions-lo-vi-yah.

Sources

www.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK305894/

www.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3264812/

www.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4357770/

www.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2696478/

www.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4152917/

www.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657498/

www.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15713722/

Recently, the topic of doping in sports often pops up in the top world news. What is A and B, what is the procedure for their selection, research and influence on the result, read in this material.

Features of the doping control procedure

First, let's talk about general information about the doping control procedure:

• This procedure is a test of blood (still rarely taken) or urine taken from athletes for the possible presence of prohibited drugs.
• Athletes of the highest qualification pass such control. The athlete must report to the sampling site within one hour. If he did not appear, then sanctions can be applied to him: either disqualification, or the athlete is removed from the competition.
• An official, such as an anti-doping judge, will accompany the Athlete to the Sample Collection Point. He ensures that the athlete does not go to the toilet until the sample is taken from him.
• It is the athlete's responsibility to inform the doping control officer of any medications he has taken during the last three days.
• During sampling, the athlete chooses two containers of 75 milliliters each. In one of them, he must urinate two-thirds. This will be sample A. In the second - one third. This will be sample B.
• Immediately after passing urine, the containers are sealed, sealed, and the remaining urine is destroyed.
• The DCO must also measure the pH. This indicator should not be less than five, but should not exceed seven. And the specific gravity of urine should be 1.01 or more.
• If all these indicators are insufficient, the athlete must pass the sample again.
• If there is not enough urine to take a sample, then the athlete is offered to drink a certain drink (as a rule, it is a mineral water or beer in closed packages).
• After taking a urine sample, the athlete is divided into two parts and marked: “A” and “B”, the vials are closed, a code is put on it, and it is sealed. The athlete makes sure that everything is done according to the rules.
• Samples are placed in special containers, which are transported to the laboratory under reliable protection.

Sample studies and their impact on doping test results

Sample A

At the very beginning, the doping control organization analyzes the “A” sample. The "B" sample is retained in case the urine is tested for prohibited results a second time. So, if a prohibited drug is found in the “A” sample, then the “B” sample can either refute or confirm this.

If a Prohibited Substance is found in the A Sample, the Athlete shall be informed of this and that he has the right to open the B Sample. Or give it up.

In this case, the athlete has the right to be present in person during the opening of the “B” sample, or send his representative. However, he has no right to interfere with the procedure for opening both samples and can be punished for this.

Sample B

The B sample is opened in the same DCO laboratory where the A sample was tested. However, this is performed by a different specialist.

After the vial with sample B is opened, the laboratory specialist takes part of the sample from there, and the rest is poured into a new vial, which is sealed again.

In the event that the B sample is negative, the Athlete will not be penalized. But, in fairness, it should be noted that this happens extremely rarely. Usually the A sample confirms the result of the B sample.

The cost of the research procedure

As a rule, the analysis of the A sample for the athlete is free. But if the athlete insists on opening the B sample, he will have to pay.

The amount of the fee is about one thousand US dollars, depending on the laboratory conducting the research.

Storage and rechecking of A and B samples