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Capillary Blood as a Potential New Matrix for the Athlete Biological Passport: A Field-Based Comparison Study
Lídia Requena-Tutusaus1,2, Indira Anselmo1, Sergi Coll1
1Catalonian Antidoping Laboratory, Doping Control Research Group, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, SPAIN.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|July 6, 2026
Summary
Liquid capillary blood offers a less invasive alternative for the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) hematology module. While most results show strong agreement with venous blood, pre-analytical issues like coagulation need addressing for routine anti-doping use.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Anti-Doping
- Hematology
Background:
- Venous blood sampling for the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) is invasive and operationally challenging.
- Liquid capillary blood sampling presents a less invasive alternative, but field data is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the suitability of liquid capillary blood collected via Tasso+ EDTA devices for the ABP hematological module.
- To evaluate capillary blood as a viable alternative to venous blood in routine anti-doping controls.
Main Methods:
- Collected 209 paired venous and capillary blood samples from athletes across 13 sports.
- Analyzed samples using an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited hematology method (Sysmex XN).
- Assessed analytical concordance, athlete perception, and impact on longitudinal ABP profiles.
Main Results:
- High athlete acceptance with minimal pain reported.
- Strong agreement (r ≥ 0.9) for key ABP markers (hemoglobin, reticulocytes, OFF-score, ABPS).
- Platelet count showed poor concordance; 44 samples excluded due to pre-analytical issues (coagulation).
Conclusions:
- Liquid capillary blood is a valid alternative for most ABP hematological parameters.
- Supports potential use in routine anti-doping testing, pending pre-analytical limitations.
- Capillary blood values generally did not alter longitudinal ABP interpretation.
