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Related Experiment Videos

Prohormones and sport.

Frans T Delbeke1, Peter Van Eenoo, Wim Van Thuyne

  • 1Doping Control Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. frans.delbeke@rug.ac.be

The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
|March 26, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Performance-enhancing drugs like testosterone and nandrolone precursors are banned in sports but legally sold as supplements. Athletes may fail doping tests for up to 120 hours even with low doses due to contamination.

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Science
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Several testosterone and nandrolone precursors are marketed as nutritional supplements.
  • These compounds are banned in sports but legally available without prescription in the US.
  • Concerns exist regarding the safety and doping implications of these unregulated supplements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the excretion patterns of 7-keto-DHEA and 1-androstenediol.
  • To identify the main metabolites of these compounds.
  • To assess the impact of contaminated supplements on doping test results.

Main Methods:

  • Excretion studies were conducted using 7-keto-DHEA and a commercial preparation of 1-androstenediol.
  • Analysis of urine samples to identify and quantify metabolites.

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  • Administration of contaminated nutritional supplements to simulate real-world athlete exposure.

    • Main Results:

    • The primary metabolites of 7-keto-DHEA were identified as 7-hydroxylated compounds.
    • The commercial 1-androstenediol preparation was found to be contaminated with multiple anabolic steroids.
    • Oxidation to 1-androstenedione was identified as the major renal metabolic pathway for 1-androstenediol.
    • Intake of even sub-recommended doses of contaminated supplements led to positive doping tests for up to 120 hours.

    Conclusions:

    • Athletes using these supplements, even at low doses, risk failing doping tests due to inherent contamination.
    • The presence of undeclared anabolic steroids in nutritional supplements poses a significant challenge for anti-doping efforts.
    • Regulatory oversight is needed for nutritional supplements containing performance-enhancing precursors.