The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and GH-2000

Area of Science:

• Sports medicine
• Endocrinology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized growth hormone (GH) as a substance of abuse in 1992.
• Development of reliable detection methods for GH abuse has been a long-standing challenge in sports anti-doping efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a sensitive and specific test for detecting the abuse of growth hormone (GH) in athletes.
• To establish a detection method suitable for implementation at major sporting events like the Olympic Games.

Main Methods:

• The GH-2000 project, a collaboration between European scientists, endocrinologists, GH manufacturers, and the IOC, was established.
• Selected GH-dependent markers, specifically Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) and Procollagen Type III Amino-terminal Propeptide (P-III-P), for detection.
• Validated the chosen markers' efficacy in identifying GH administration.

Main Results:

• The developed test demonstrated 100% sensitivity in detecting GH use in men, with a false-positive rate better than 1:10,000.
• Sensitivity for detecting GH abuse in women was found to be reduced compared to men.
• The GH-2000 project successfully reported its findings and validated results by January 1999.

Conclusions:

• The GH-2000 project successfully created a highly effective test for detecting growth hormone abuse, particularly in male athletes.
• Despite the test's readiness for the 2000 Olympic Games, political and logistical barriers have prevented its official introduction and use.
• The study highlights the complexities and challenges in implementing anti-doping technologies within the existing sports governance structures.