Blood sampling in doping control. First experiences from regular testing in athletics

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Anti-Doping Research
• Biochemistry

Background:

• First-time blood sampling for doping control in athletics.
• Study involved 99 athletes during IAAF meetings (1993-94).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of blood doping and misuse of performance-enhancing substances.
• To evaluate the impact of sampling conditions on test results.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of blood samples for allogenic blood, hemoglobin levels, erythropoietin (EPO), growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1, and testosterone.
• Comparison of athlete data with control groups and normal reference intervals.

Main Results:

• No evidence of blood doping with allogenic blood.
• Hemoglobin levels were similar to controls; EPO levels were markedly lower in athletes.
• GH and IGF-1 levels did not indicate GH misuse; one female athlete showed elevated testosterone.
• Abnormal testosterone levels were noted in one-third of male athletes, potentially due to sampling time and exercise.

Conclusions:

• Sampling circumstances (time of day, post-exercise) significantly impact the interpretation of blood test results in athletes.
• Further research is needed for more sensitive tests to detect doping with endogenous substances like GH and EPO.