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Human growth hormone doping in sport
M Saugy1, N Robinson, C Saudan
1Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, Institute of Legal Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland. martial.saugy@chuv.ch
British Journal of Sports Medicine
|June 27, 2006
Summary
Detecting human growth hormone (hGH) doping in athletes is challenging due to its natural variability and short detection windows. The direct detection method shows the most promise for identifying recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) abuse.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biochemistry
- Anti-Doping Research
Background:
- Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has been a banned substance since the 1990s.
- Its use in sports is suspected for anabolic effects and performance enhancement, often in combination with other doping agents.
- Detection is difficult due to the similarity between endogenous and recombinant forms, pulsatile secretion, and inter-individual variability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of human growth hormone (hGH) in relation to sports.
- To evaluate current methods for detecting hGH doping.
- To discuss the challenges in identifying rhGH misuse in athletes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on hGH, exercise, adverse effects, and doping detection methods.
- Evaluation of indirect and direct detection approaches for rhGH.
Main Results:
- Exercise influences hGH production, complicating doping analysis.
- Both indirect and direct analytical methods face challenges in proving rhGH misuse.
- The direct method offers better reliability but has a limited detection window.
Conclusions:
- hGH doping presents a significant challenge in anti-doping efforts.
- The short half-life and exercise-induced effects on hGH complicate detection.
- Direct immunoassay methods are currently the most promising for detecting rhGH doping.