Why do Russian athletes pass doping tests more often than others? Everything secret becomes clear or how doping samples are analyzed How doping tests are carried out

Let's look at the problem of doping not through the eyes of athletes, but through the eyes of chemists who work in Anti-Doping Centers.

A huge number of anti-doping tests are done around the world, not only during competitions, but also between them. What samples are taken from athletes and what problems do chemists face?

FSUE Anti-Doping Center analyzes about 15,000 urine samples and about 4,000 blood samples per year. Most of the substances on the list of prohibited drugs are determined in urine samples. However, over the past ten years, blood tests have been increasingly taken, since this is the only way to check whether the athlete has had a blood transfusion, as well as determine the hemoglobin level, hematocrit, red blood cell concentration and other parameters that the Athlete’s Biological Passport program assumes.

Growth hormone, some types of erythropoietin and insulins are also determined exclusively in blood serum. Today, some anti-doping laboratories are conducting studies to demonstrate that blood testing can be comprehensive and can determine everything. But since it is still more difficult to collect blood (sampling requires a specialist with a medical education), and many techniques will have to be developed anew, anti-doping control will probably continue to be mainly based on the analysis of urine samples.

Chemists working in the field of doping control have quite a lot of problems. Over the past ten years, the list of prohibited drugs has expanded significantly, new prohibited classes of compounds have appeared, for the determination of which it was necessary to develop and implement analytical methods. It is clear that this requires money and extremely highly qualified laboratory personnel.

In general, the system works as follows:

There are anti-doping laboratories that analyze samples received by them, and there are national and international anti-doping organizations that plan and collect these samples from athletes, both during and outside of competition. So that doping control inspectors can take a sample at any time, international athletes provide information about their whereabouts several months in advance (for every day!). The list of substances prohibited out of competition is almost half as long, but in general doping control occurs almost continuously. The laboratory's analysis results are sent to anti-doping organizations, which draw appropriate conclusions and investigate violations. The laboratory only detects the presence (or absence) of prohibited substances in athletes’ samples and does not provide feedback to athletes.

How is it possible to identify such a large number of diverse substances? And what new methods do chemists offer for this?

It's really not easy. About ten years ago, when the list of prohibited substances was approximately half as long, most anti-doping laboratories followed the practice of having a separate line of analysis for each class of substance. In other words, volatile stimulants, narcotics, anabolic steroids, diuretics, beta blockers, corticosteroids, etc. were separately determined. Due to the large number of assay lines, it was not possible to examine many samples quickly. To “catch” small concentrations of substances, samples had to be concentrated. Most laboratories combined gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. To determine substances in nanoquantities, high-resolution mass spectrometers (magnetic sector analyzers) were used, and this is complex and difficult-to-use equipment.

At some point, the laboratories were simply overwhelmed, as anti-doping services, trying to test as many athletes as possible, sent more and more samples. Today, laboratories use systems that combine high efficiency chromatographic separation (gas and liquid chromatography) and mass spectrometric detection. These are the so-called triple quadrupole mass analyzers. New instruments determine with the highest sensitivity and reliability whether the sample contains the substances of interest to us. Firstly, this allows you to use a smaller sample volume (to the point that it can be diluted several times with water and directly introduced into the device, if we are talking about liquid chromatography), and secondly, it increases the number of compounds determined in one analysis . Thus, thanks to modern equipment, methods have become simpler and more universal, and this has significantly increased the productivity of anti-doping laboratories.

Liquid chromatograph combined with an orbital ion trap mass spectrometer (desktop version, manufacturer THERMO)

At the same time, sample preparation methods were developed. If previously liquid-liquid extraction was mainly used, which is almost impossible to automate, now solid-phase extraction is increasingly used, including an option in which a sorbent with the desired properties is applied to the surface of magnetic microparticles. It is very convenient to manipulate such particles - the suspension is added to the test sample, and the compounds being determined are themselves adsorbed on their surface. The tube is then placed in a magnetic field, which fixes the particles at the bottom, and the remaining sample is poured out. After this, the microparticles are usually washed to remove unwanted components, and the desired compounds are washed off with a small volume of organic solvent - and that's it, the sample is ready for analysis.

Gas chromatograph in combination with a triple quadrupole mass analyzer (THERMO manufacturer)

The sample preparation procedure is not only simple, but can be easily automated. This is a kind of nanotechnology in chemical analysis, and is usually used to search for substances of a peptide nature, such as synthetic analogues of insulin, in urine or blood. Now chemists are finding out whether this method can also be used to extract low molecular weight compounds. Unfortunately, the method is quite expensive, so it is not always used in all laboratories.

Time-of-flight mass spectrometer that can be combined with both liquid and gas chromatographs (manufacturer WATERS)

In general, anti-doping control is focused on identifying specified compounds. During the analysis, you will see only those prohibited drugs for which your gas chromatography-mass spectrometer is pre-set, and all other information about the sample is lost. At the same time, the list of prohibited substances in many sections contains the following wording: “... and other substances with a similar structure or properties” or in general “any substances that are at the stage of clinical trials and not approved for official use.” To be able to analyze the sample again for some other substances without repeating sample preparation, you need to use instrumental methods that save all information about the sample. There are such devices: these are time-of-flight mass spectrometers or mass spectrometers operating on the principle of an orbital ion trap. They record all data (not just given data) with high resolution, but working with such devices also has its own difficulties and limitations. Despite their high cost, they have already become part of laboratory practice - for example, we have several orbital ion traps in Moscow (they are called “Orbitrap”).

How quickly is one analysis done? Why is an athlete sometimes disqualified after he has already received a medal?

According to the international standard, 10 working days are allotted for analysis. At major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, this period is 24 hours for samples that show a negative result, 48 hours for samples that require additional testing (i.e. where the screening result shows the presence of a prohibited substance), and 72 hours for complex tests - such as the determination of erythropoietin or the origin of testosterone by isotope mass spectrometry.
However, in recent years, the practice of long-term (up to eight years) storage of samples has emerged so that in the future, as new prohibited drugs and methods for their determination become available, it will be possible to carry out repeated analysis. This was the case, in particular, with samples from the 2008 Olympics: more than a year after the end, they were analyzed for the new generation erythropoietin MIRCERA in the Lausanne anti-doping laboratory, and the result for some athletes was disappointing.

When did they start testing athletes for the use of prohibited drugs? How many are on the list for the Olympics this year?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) published the first list of prohibited drugs in 1963, but testing began only five years later (in 1968) - at the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble and the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Actually, the history of anti-doping control began from the moment when it became technically possible to do such analyzes en masse thanks to the active development of chromatography and mass spectrometry methods.

At first, the list of prohibited drugs included only stimulants, narcotic analgesics and anabolic steroids. Over time, other classes of compounds were added - diuretics, beta-blockers, beta2-agonists, drugs with anti-estrogenic activity, peptide hormones, and the number of drugs within each class increased markedly.

Currently, the list of prohibited drugs, which is reviewed once a year, contains about 200 compounds of various natures. It should be noted that a significant part of them (for example, almost all anabolic steroids) are completely metabolized (modified) when they enter the human body, so laboratories often determine not the prohibited drugs themselves, but the products of their transformation in the body. This is a rather difficult task - in order to solve it, you must first study the metabolic process in detail, and then learn to identify the longest-lived metabolites. In fact, modern anti-doping analysis is at the intersection of analytical chemistry, biochemistry and pharmacology.

The preparation of the anti-doping laboratory for the Olympic Games begins long before them. After all, by the right time, she should already have all available methods and techniques, including those that have not yet entered into everyday practice.
There don’t seem to be many laboratories in the world officially accredited by the IOC, the results of which are recognized by the IOC. But at the same time, there are probably other laboratories in every country that monitor their athletes and, undoubtedly, can warn them if they detect any prohibited substances.

Nevertheless, scandals do happen. What is the problem? In athletes or in the level of qualifications and equipment of accredited laboratories that determine lower concentrations and a wider range of substances?

Only laboratories accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have the right to test athletes. There are currently 33 such laboratories in the world, and in Russia there is only one - FSUE Anti-Doping Center (WADA suspended the activities of the center on November 10, 2015). International sports organizations categorically condemn assisting athletes in the use of prohibited drugs, but there is evidence that in a number of countries there are laboratories that do not operate entirely officially. Of course, they have limited access to new methods for testing prohibited substances. So it’s absolutely true: accredited laboratories can do more and are better equipped, so it’s difficult to deceive them.

However, even these 33 laboratories differ in equipment - it strongly depends on the level of financial support from the state. In addition, it must be taken into account that some laboratories received accreditation only a couple of years ago, while others have existed for thirty years. Therefore, all these laboratories formally comply with WADA requirements, but not all are equally good. In addition, some techniques are mastered by only one or two laboratories in the world. Therefore, doping scandals are still an integral part of modern sports.

If you look at the dynamics, are there more or fewer cases of disqualification of athletes due to doping at each Olympics? What's the trend?

Most likely, we have already passed the maximum. As equipment and chemical analysis techniques improved, more and more cases of violations of the anti-doping code were identified from Olympics to Olympics. It is believed that the apogee was reached in 2004. Now the situation is changing for the better, as well as the consciousness of the athletes, so the organizers of the 2016 Olympics are hoping for “clean” games this year.

However, not everything is so simple with our “Anti-Doping Center”: On November 10, 2015, the Global Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) temporarily stopped the work of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, after which its head Grigory Rodchenkov resigned, which was accepted by the Ministry of Sports. According to the WADA commission, Rodchenkov eliminated 1,417 doping samples three days before the test. Later, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that the recertification of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory should be at the end of two thousand fifteen or at the very beginning of two thousand sixteen. The Government of the Russian Federation will reorganize the anti-doping center in Moscow into a federal budgetary institution, the powers of the founder will be exercised by the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. The main goal of the institution’s activities will be anti-doping support for Russian national sports teams.

Let's follow the news.

Source of information: “HiZh” (2012)

The content of the article:

Everyone was taught in childhood that lying is wrong. However, as you grow up, you realize that you won’t be able to be one hundred percent honest throughout your life. In some situations, a lie is preferable to the truth. At the same time, an unpleasant aftertaste remains in my soul. But when it comes to doping control, then surely not a single athlete who managed to deceive him will regret what he did.

Today we will try to answer the question of how to bypass doping control when preparing for competitions? Let's not remember all the athletes whose lives were ruined due to errors in doping determinations or fraudulent samples. For many, the very word “doping” is unacceptable, because every person should have the right to choose the path that can lead him to the heights of Olympus.

We are not saying now that the drugs used by athletes are safe, but when choosing this path, they are aware of the possible risks. It is difficult to imagine modern sport without doping. There is an opinion, which is not without foundation, that all anti-doping laboratories are secretly looking for ways to hide traces of the use of prohibited drugs for a select few.

Many athletes want to know how to bypass doping controls when preparing for competitions. There are many ways to solve this problem, many of which are secret. However, certain information becomes publicly available and this is what our article will be based on. At the same time, you should understand that we do not call for the mandatory use of doping or concealment of traces of its use. The article is purely informational and should give athletes food for thought.

Time limits for removing prohibited drugs

It should be said right away that all substances prohibited in sports can be divided into three large groups:

Short-acting stimulants and beta blockers.
Anabolic substances.
Masking agents.

Today we will talk mainly about the second group, since these are the drugs that are the most accessible and therefore popular. When talking about the timing of removal of metabolites from the body, it is necessary to take into account its individual characteristics. Also, do not forget that methods for detecting prohibited substances are constantly being improved, as is doping control equipment. This leads to the fact that the time frame for disposing of doping metabolites is constantly increasing.

The best ways to bypass doping control when preparing for competitions?

If you are interested in the question of how to bypass doping control when preparing for competitions, now we will talk about the most popular methods of achieving this goal.

Elite Athlete Techniques

Special designer steroids and masking agents are created for high-level professional athletes. Designer AAS are drugs created in laboratories that are not mass produced. Today it is often said that new AAS are no longer being created, but in practice this is not the case. Another thing is that they simply do not end up in industrial production.

On the sports pharmaceutical market, accessible to everyone, today you can really only find those drugs that were created in the middle of the last century. However, this does not mean that all work on creating new steroids has been stopped. It's just that the cost of designer steroids is high. You may have heard about a drug called genabol, which was found in the body of almost all the Olympic medalists held in Sydney.

This drug was created in the eighties and has never been mass produced. During doping control, this substance was detected, but it was impossible to identify it. We have already noted that designer steroids are most often created by the same doping laboratories that are designed to find prohibited substances in athletes’ bodies.

It is quite obvious that documentary evidence of this cannot be found, because such secrets are guarded very carefully. However, sometimes information leaks to the surface. For example, many people know about the BALCO laboratory and tetrahydrogestrinone created by its employees. Although this drug most likely belongs to the group of masking agents, it is not excluded that anabolic drugs were also created in the laboratory.

Sometimes masking agents can even end up in industrial production, for example, Green Clean or Urine Luck. But you should not rejoice at this fact, since their effectiveness most often turns out to be significantly lower than that declared by the manufacturers. Those drugs that are created specifically for elite athletes will not end up in mass production, or this will happen at a time when there will be little benefit from them.

There are very few elite athletes that the nation can be proud of. It is quite obvious that any state will not spare money on their preparation. Let us remember the GDR and its secret program, within the framework of which Turinabol was created. But there are many ordinary athletes who also want to improve their results. Actually, they have no choice but to use old methods that can still work.

Substitution of doping tests

Perhaps this method of bypassing doping control is the most “ancient”. Although the doping test procedure is strictly controlled at all major sports forums, some athletes manage to substitute samples. For example, they can pump “clean” urine into their bladder using a catheter. Substitution is possible directly and in the laboratory, and all sorts of methods can be used here, from bribery to blackmail. Sometimes it even comes to the theft of samples, as this happened in 1984 during the Olympic Games.

Damage to doping samples

This is another old way to cheat a doping test. To do this, simply introduce foreign substances into the sample. It is easier for women to achieve this - not to carry out hygiene procedures for several days. This leads to rapid growth of various bacteria in intimate places, which, once in the sample, blur the overall picture. As a result, it becomes more difficult to prove that the athlete took AAS.

However, there is no absolute guarantee that the deception will be successful, because to obtain the desired result it is necessary that there be a sufficient number of bacteria in the urine. Since the male genital organs are located externally, it is impossible to naturally introduce bacteria into the urine. To solve the problem, use regular machine oil. A couple of drops of this substance are enough for the sample to be spoiled.

Accelerating the processes of utilization of steroid metabolites

Doping laboratories are constantly working to increase the removal time of prohibited drugs. It is not entirely clear how a drug used a year or two ago can affect current results, but this is the state of affairs. It is quite obvious that athletes are trying to solve the exact opposite problem and remove doping metabolites in the shortest possible time.

It should be recalled here that injected AAS accumulate in adipose tissues and gradually enter the bloodstream. It is not difficult to understand that while the active components of doping are in the fat depot, their metabolites will also be present in the urine. This suggests that the elimination period, for example, of testosterone enanthate is quite long. If we talk about nandrolone, then everything is quite complicated with this drug.

To speed up the process of removing AAS metabolites from the body, it is necessary to get rid of fat. Actually, in bodybuilding, all athletes pay increased attention to this issue before competitions. You all know about drying. But in other sports, not everyone does this and it is completely in vain. Periodic visits to the bathhouse (sauna), fasting days, or even fasting can reduce the period of doping in the body.

The situation is different with tableted AAS. Their more active components do not accumulate in adipose tissues and, in theory, metabolites can leave the body a few days after administration. But the whole point is that steroids are bound by two protein compounds - albumin and globulin. As a result, the use of anabolic steroids can be detected in the body until these protein structures are completely renewed. This requires about 35 days.

After this period, we can safely say that the metabolites of tableted AAS will not be found in the body. Thanks to the use of special drugs and techniques, which we will talk about later, the above periods can be reduced. However, there are two exceptions to this rule - norethardrolone and stanozolol. However, the first drug is extremely difficult to obtain and is used infrequently. But serious problems can really arise with stanozolol. It is difficult to imagine how doping laboratories manage to find traces of the use of oral AAS two months after the end of its use. Surely they have secret knowledge, which is carefully guarded from outsiders.

Short-term fasting

We already mentioned this a little higher. In addition to the fact that fasting for one to three days helps eliminate fat depots, it also accelerates the process of updating transport protein structures. To obtain faster results, “dry fasting” is used, when even water is not consumed.

Synthetic thyroid hormones

Hormones T3 and T4 promote the breakdown of protein compounds, including transport ones. This fact speaks in favor of the use of thyroid hormones during drying.

Phenobarbital

The substance is available in the form of a separate drug, and is also one of the ingredients of Corvalol, Pentalgin and Valocordin. Several years ago, phenobarbital was a fairly popular sleeping pill, but today it is practically not used for these purposes. When talking about how to bypass doping controls when preparing for competitions, phenobarbital is useful because it activates the liver's monooxygenase system.

As a result, the oxidation processes of steroid compounds are accelerated. To enhance the effect of this drug, succinic acid is often used. Note that phenobarbital is on the list of prohibited drugs, but its metabolites are utilized fairly quickly.

Today we looked at just a few ways to bypass doping control when preparing for competitions. You must remember that no method can give a 100% guarantee of successfully passing doping tests.

For more information about the types of anti-doping rule violations, see below:

DOPING SAMPLES FROM SALT LAKE CITY ANALYZED IN MOSCOW

Moscow, Elizavetinsky proezd, 10. At this address is located one of the most mysterious sports institutions - the Anti-Doping Center of Russia, the only laboratory in our country that has received accreditation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The center is headed by Professor Vitaly Semenov. SE correspondents went to him to ask questions that interested our readers.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN?

Thanks to Professor Semenov: he immediately agreed to become our guide and show us the storage facilities and laboratory rooms of his center.

But first of all, Semenov gave a short lecture.

It all started in 1967,” he said. - It was then that a medical commission was created under the International Olympic Committee, which, in particular, was called upon to wage the war against doping. This commission was headed by IOC member Prince Alexandre de Merode from Belgium.

At that time, there were only two groups of drugs prohibited for use by athletes - psychostimulants and narcotic substances. The commission immediately attracted particular attention to track and field athletes and cyclists. And the first to undergo serious testing were the participants of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The development of medical science forced the IOC Anti-Doping Commission to include a group of anabolic steroids in the list of prohibited drugs. This happened just before Montreal '76.

By the way, the history of the appearance of anabolic steroids in sports is very interesting - and instructive. Steroids were given to patients (among whom were athletes) in the postoperative period - to quickly restore strength and quickly gain muscle mass within 2 - 3 weeks. But they gave it, which is very important, in therapeutic doses. Unfortunately, this technique then migrated from medicine to sports. And the line was overcome that, as Paracelsus used to say, separates medicine from poison.

Also in 1976, the first cases of anabolic steroid use at the Olympics were recorded - 12 athletes, mostly weightlifters, were caught using nandrolone and methandrostenalone. It was a shock for everyone: no one suspected how seriously this disease had affected the sport.

True, it was still a long way off before the emergence of WADA (it, as is known, arose in the wake of the scandalous Tour de France '98, when almost half the peloton was disqualified after doping control).

The 1976 Olympics became a turning point in the protracted and endless war against doping, Professor Semenov emphasized. And then the Hewlett Packard company developed the first doping detection and identification systems, which were adopted by the IOC laboratories.

HOW ARE DOPING TESTS TAKEN?

As for the Moscow laboratory, it was created a little later - in 1971. And it received accreditation from the IOC (and, accordingly, the right to conduct analyzes of samples taken at major world competitions, including the Olympic Games) on July 7, 1980. And even then, computers came to the aid of anti-doping service employees.

True, the machines of that time resembled huge cabinet-like monsters with a gigantic database. Two years before the Moscow Olympics, all the necessary equipment was purchased directly from Hewlett Packard. And in the time remaining before the Games, the laboratory workers mastered the equipment and methods. At the same time, the volunteers who took the tests were employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, under whose leadership the laboratory was equipped.

And even then, regulations for taking tests from athletes were developed. A requirement for strict control over the samples taken was immediately introduced. Moreover, urine or blood is taken for analysis only in the presence of witnesses - doctors and representatives of the athlete. Containers are immediately sealed. Sample "B" is stored at a temperature no higher than -20 degrees, while sample "A" is immediately sent to the laboratory.

If the “A” sample gives a positive result, the commission sets a deadline for a control analysis. As a rule, 15 to 20 days after the results of the first analysis are announced.

Anti-doping services achieved today's precise work through trial and error.

After the ’76 Olympics,” Professor Semenov continued, “when the “A” doping tests of 12 athletes gave positive results, it was decided to turn to control samples, which were stored in refrigerators at a temperature of -20. And then an incident occurred. Before Montreal, all sample jars, sealed with lead seals, were stored in freezers. But the organizers of the 76 Games apparently considered it wasteful to use such an amount of lead and, as an experiment, sealed these jars with plastic seals, assigning each a code number.

And when, in the presence of representatives of countries whose athletes were accused of using prohibited drugs (and they certainly endorse the inviolability of containers with sample “B”), the freezers were opened, it turned out that the plastic seals could not withstand the low temperature and cracked. Of course, there were protests from athletes and their representatives. I had to reseal the jars, put them back in the freezer for 3 weeks, and then re-open them. Thank God, we managed to convince all interested parties that it was not the doctors’ fault that the seals were broken.

An important detail: today, any - even the smallest - violation of the regulations for taking samples or storing containers with blood or urine can lead to the invalidation of all results of the laboratory’s work.

According to Semenov, the main thing that disappeared from the work of anti-doping services along with the de Merode era was the presumption of innocence of an athlete whose sample tested positive for a prohibited substance. Then decisions were made only after hearing explanations from the athlete himself, his coach and doctor. And today WADA often replaces the IOC medical commission, taking over its functions.

WHO HAS ACCESS TO SAMPLES?

It turns out that only two people from the laboratory’s impressive staff have access to the doping sample storage area. Only Vitaly Alexandrovich himself and his assistant, who processes the samples delivered to the laboratory, have the keys to this holy of holies center. However, the director of the center opened a secret door to the SE correspondent.

Containers come to us from all over the world - sealed and with code numbers,” Semenov said. - None of the laboratory workers where the analysis will be carried out is present when samples are taken. This is done in order to ensure complete anonymity in work. So none of us knows whose sample he is currently analyzing. My assistant records all receipts in a special journal and makes sure to recode each container. You see in this journal a six-digit digital code assigned to the sample jar when the analysis was taken, but this four-digit code is the code assigned to the sample already in our laboratory. In this case, the protocol, which indicates the number and surname of the athlete, is sealed in the presence of witnesses and handed over to the chairman of the IOC medical commission.

The staff of our center, the professor continued, like other laboratories, deal only with recoded samples. Look, the journal notes which of the workers in my laboratory accepted the brought samples, on what date, from which competition, the date and signature of the person who accepted them. In addition to the sample, a protocol is also brought to the laboratory, which notes what the athlete took and for what reason in the last three days, what medications he used if he was sick at that time.

- Who brings samples from competitions?

A courier who also doesn’t know whose samples are in his bag. By the way, the bag is also sealed - and no one except the receiving specialist can open it. From the brought jar with samples, our workers take 5 microliters for the analysis of psychotropic substances, steroids, diuretics, drugs, beta blockers... In a word, the entire range of necessary tests is performed within these walls.

After the “B” sample is analyzed, which confirms the athlete’s purity or, conversely, his guilt, the container is transferred to a special refrigerator, where it is stored for some time until it is written off. Previously, we did not store clean samples at all, but at the end of last year, after the addition of tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) to the list of prohibited substances, WADA issued a circular requiring that even negative doping samples be stored for up to 8 years! Obviously, in anticipation that means of detecting new substances will be developed and retrospective analysis will have to be carried out. Can you imagine what size refrigerators laboratories will now need?!

- Did the Russian center receive samples from Salt Lake City?

But of course! And recently we received instructions from WADA to double-check them for THG content. As you know, these samples turned out to be clean. By the way, we keep all the jars with tests in these refrigerators. - Professor Semenov pointed to the rows of freezing units along the wall. - The numbers glowing on the settings panel indicate the temperature mode. For example, for samples containing darbopoietin, the optimal temperature range is from -36 to -86. At slightly higher temperatures, hydrolysis is possible.

And also about the sensational THG. As Semenov said, this substance was first obtained and clinically studied back in 1963! Moreover, it was even recommended as a contraceptive. Its structure is close to nandrolone, but its properties are different. This resemblance to a criminal steroid is what put THG outlawed.

HOW DO LABORATORIES TAKE EXAMINATIONS?

The center's employees will also serve the Olympic Games in Athens. They received this right on December 24 last year, when a message came from WADA headquarters that the World Anti-Doping Agency had extended the accreditation of the Russian center for another year.

All 29 laboratories accredited by the IOC are certified for professional suitability annually. And passing this exam is not easy. After all, in order to meet the required level, the center’s employees must efficiently and quickly analyze a huge number of samples (according to Professor Semenov, up to 15 thousand per year!) to identify all known prohibited substances. In addition, every quarter WADA sends laboratories from 6 to 8 samples (the so-called professional test), which must be analyzed within 12 days and provide the agency with a complete picture of the “cocktail” contained in the control container.

As you understand, the equipment must be appropriate. And oh, how expensive it is.

Your correspondents were shown the most modern devices that are capable of detecting any doping that can be identified today in the blood or urine by the smallest particles. And all the equipment costs about two million dollars. Since work at the center is continuous, the equipment wears out and ages physically and mentally. According to WADA rules, the laboratory's arsenal must be updated at least once every three years.

HOW IS A DOPING TEST TESTED?

A very insignificant amount - 50 microliters - is taken from a sample jar for each type of analysis and inserted into the receiving device of a special apparatus. After the smart machine analyzes the biochemical composition of urine or blood, it displays a graphical picture of the substances contained in the sample. A Hewlett Packard gas chromatograph will tell you exactly what doping and in what quantity is contained in an athlete’s sample.

As Semenov reported, it is very difficult to identify darbopoietin. Here it takes three days to analyze the sample.

WHO SECURES THE SAMPLES?

In the hands of Professor Semenov and his colleagues is the fate of medals of all possible ranks, thousands and even millions of prize money. It was logical to ask how such an important facility is protected. It turns out that until 1992 the laboratory was guarded by a double police post. And today the police are on duty only on the first floor of the building, and the entrance to the third floor, where the center is located, and to individual blocks are guarded by reliable electronic locks, which can only be opened by employees who have the right to access a particular area of the laboratory. In addition, the entry and exit times of each employee to particularly important blocks of the center are recorded.

WHO ELSE DOES THE ANTI-DOPING CENTER HELP?

At the end of the excursion, Semenov said that laboratory workers often have to carry out instructions from criminologists.

Our center is always ready to help the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB in cases when their laboratories capitulate to unknown narcotic substances,” the professor boasted. - Already now we can identify negligibly small doses of concentration of any substance. The sensitivity of the center's instruments is amazingly high. Although there are no professional criminologists on the staff of our institution - only doctors, chemists, biochemists and analysts.

But what qualifications!

Rovshan ASKEROV

"Blood or urine?" Answers to the most stupid questions about doping

How to deceive an officer, what a blood passport is made of and who they are - innocent asthmatics - everything you wanted to know about doping, but were afraid to ask.

We, reading comments on articles and news, saw that not all of our readers understand the rules of the game in modern anti-doping. So the idea came up to create a text in the genre of the so-called FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), timing it just in time for the start of the biathlon season, where, unfortunately, in recent years this topic has also been encountered more often than we would like.

So, we gathered a pool of experts and asked them the most stupid and naive questions about doping - everything that ever came to our minds. Below are their answers. Some surprised even us.

Who collects doping samples?
There are two types of control: competitive and non-competitive. It is carried out by specially authorized people - the so-called doping officers, representing either national anti-doping agencies, or structures that have a contract for sampling with WADA, as well as international sports federations. For example, in athletics the Swedish company IDTM has such a contract.

In front of the inspector, if he is attentive, it is impossible to write from a fake penis. Opportunities for manipulation only appear if the inspector is corrupt, but this is a separate topic.

Competition control is the one that operates from the start to the end of the competition. Out-of-competition, respectively, during the training period, outside of starts.

How do doping officers recognize the athlete they are looking for?
First of all, of course, from photography. But to be sure, the athlete is always asked a clarifying question. Having received an affirmative answer, they show the controller’s ID. Usually one or two people come. Most often this is a man and a woman, since control must be exercised by a person of the same gender.

Can an athlete refuse or take a break?
Refuse - no. Otherwise it will be counted as a positive test. As for the pause, he must justify the reason, which must be valid. Well, let's say an athlete mom wants to breastfeed her baby. But usually the sample is taken right away - there are actually very few reasons to postpone the sample collection. A control protocol is filled out in a standard form, which indicates the authorized organization, date, time. A separate important column is what the athlete took seven days before the control: vitamins, medications, supplements, absolutely everything. Do not confuse this with so-called "therapeutic exclusions". By them we mean prohibited drugs that, for medical reasons, can be used during a certain period. The final protocol is signed by the athlete and the anti-doping control inspector.

How is the sample submitted?
The athlete, excuse me, is peeing in a jar. The process of passing urine must be carried out in the presence of an officer in order to exclude the possibility of sample substitution. Theoretically, it is possible to replace the sample, if you divert the inspector’s attention, but if you strictly follow the instructions, this is impossible. There were various stories using various devices -. But in front of the inspector, if he is attentive, this is impossible to do. Opportunities for manipulation only appear if the inspector is corrupt, but this is a separate topic.

Does doping control involve taking urine or blood too?
With blood, everything is much more complicated, because there are more stringent requirements for this. The room must be suitable for blood collection and the collection must be carried out by an officer who is certified to do so. Urine is taken in order to find prohibited substances in it. Blood is taken extremely rarely for these purposes, because apart from growth hormone and a limited number of other prohibited substances, it is very difficult to find anything there. Blood is taken mainly for the so-called blood passport. Very often, both blood and urine are taken together. Previously, before the introduction of the passport, blood was the basis for a more thorough check - in case of deviation of some indicators.

What is an anti-doping passport?
This is a very serious topic, and therefore it is better to talk about it in detail. Well, if you really want to figure it out. Let's get this straight: this is not some kind of paper or document. This is a computer program that is maintained by the anti-doping organization in relation to athletes who are part of the international testing pool, that is, who are members of their national teams and take part in international competitions. Its official name is “athlete’s biological passport.”

In general, the profile of an athlete in the anti-doping organization (that same passport) consists of three parts. These are a hematological profile (the blood passport itself), a steroid passport and an endocrine passport. At the moment, the steroid and endocrine profile are not widely used. A set of material and indicators is being collected, but no one will be disqualified based on them yet due to the fact that the criteria by which it would be possible to recognize whether an athlete has used prohibited substances or not have not yet been determined. But sooner or later this will happen.

Why are these passports needed?
Blood passport is mainly associated with the use of erythropoietin, which affects endurance. Since erythropoietin cannot be found in urine after 14-17 days, methods for detecting it in urine are often ineffective. Erythropoietin, while leaving the body after two weeks, nevertheless has a longer lasting effect in terms of endurance. But erythropoietin and blood transfusion, which also affects endurance, change some blood parameters - such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocyte percentage. Therefore, scientists and sports hematologists specially developed the so-called stimulation index. This is a specially developed formula into which certain blood parameters need to be entered, and with a 99 percent probability, if the required level is exceeded, it shows that the athlete has taken prohibited substances or manipulated blood. All these parameters are in the athlete’s biological passport.

And how does a passport prove doping?
The athlete's blood is taken over a long period. All indicators are entered into a program that builds graphs of normal blood parameters. After all, blood is usually taken in different conditions: when he is not participating in competitions, during competitions, when he is in the mountains. And the program analyzes all this data. There are absolute indicators: for example, in women, hemoglobin is over 165 - this is an absolutely accurate indicator of manipulation. A woman cannot have such an indicator - this has been proven by many years of research. In addition, the program builds so-called corridors with upper and lower limits for a specific person. When some indicators go beyond the boundaries of this corridor, this means that the athlete used manipulations with blood.

That is, a blood passport does not reveal doping, but serves only as indirect evidence of its use?
Now, from a legal point of view, the indicators of an athlete’s biological passport are the same evidence as a positive result on a urine doping test. As it usually happens: all the indicators of the athlete’s biological passport are entered, the program gives a “red” - an indicator that something is unclean. Each anti-doping organization has its own experts who immediately receive these indicators. Anonymously, without indicating the name of the athlete or sport - just indicators. If all three experts say that these indicators are 99.9 percent indicative of blood manipulation, then this equates to a positive test result. Yes, of course, this is not direct, but indirect evidence. But from the point of view of legal force, it is no different.

Why then do athletes take illegal drugs and manipulate blood? Surely they cannot help but understand that they will be caught?
The first reason is that they hope that the anti-doping service will not come to them during the out-of-competition period. The second and most common is that they will have time to remove traces of a prohibited substance from the body before the start of the competition, and at the competitions the test of the sample will show a negative result.

During the out-of-competition period, alcohol is allowed in any quantity. Drinking is prohibited during competition in motorsports, aeronautics, powerboating and archery.

But there is such a thing as metabolism. Metabolism is purely individual, and athletes are told the average time frame for removing drugs from the body. For some they may be more than the average, for others less. This is where they usually “burn out”, incorrectly calculating the timing of withdrawal. They consider themselves clean, but it turns out that there is still something left there. Only because their body has such a feature - the drug is eliminated longer.

The ADAMS system, into which an athlete must enter data about his location, is called by some almost slave-owning. Is this really true?
. Let those who think so read it. Maybe their opinion will change.

Where and for how long are samples stored?
Blood samples have a very limited shelf life, but urine can be stored for a long time. All this is stored in certain laboratories with high standards. It is necessary to observe certain temperatures, special conditions and other storage parameters. According to the new WADA code, samples can be rechecked for 10 years - so they are stored for a maximum of this period.

But not all samples are stored for 10 years. According to the standard, they are supposed to be stored for three months. And then, unless there is a special instruction from the testing organization, the laboratory destroys them. Only those for whom appropriate instructions have been received remain. Samples from major competitions – the Olympic Games and World Championships – are usually stored for a long time.

Why are there situations when a sample is tested for a very long time - conventionally in November, and the result is announced, say, in March?
For six months, samples are checked very rarely. Most often this is several days, in special cases one or two weeks. It’s hard to even name an example where samples were tested for so long.

?
So this was a recheck. For example, they tested an athlete using one method, the sample turned out to be clean - that’s it, no questions. Then, after a certain time, it is rechecked with new, more advanced methods and can give a “plus”.

Who decides that a particular athlete needs to be retested?
The organization that orders the testing is WADA or the international sports federation. Here was the 2005 World Athletics Championships - they tested everyone using the same method, and caught one or two athletes. Three to five years later, new methods for detecting the same substance appear. And the testing organization (that is, the laboratory) announces: we have received a new method for detecting oralturinabol or stanozolol. If you still have samples from previous competitions, you can order them to be retested. Then WADA or the international federation decides whether to recheck the old samples or not.

Why are these rechecks needed after so many years?
If we adhere to the concept that clean athletes should win, then what difference does it make when a prohibited substance is found in his sample? There is only one goal - to punish those who want to win dishonestly. This can be compared to the statute of limitations for crimes. For example, a criminal offense has been committed and there is no evidence of guilt. And then, a few years later, new methods for determining DNA or witnesses who were not interviewed at the time appeared, and the crime was solved. The same thing happens in the area of anti-doping.

How many times can samples be rechecked?
Theoretically, an infinite number of times. But you need to understand that the urine in the sample taken is not liters. And in reality, it can be checked no more than twice, then there simply won’t be enough “material”. And you do not have the right to pour sample B, because it must be opened only in the presence of a specialist.

How is sample A different from sample B?
Nothing. This is the same sample. The athlete receives a container, does his job and gives the sample to the doping officer. In front of him is a set of cones - one of them is A, the other is B. One half of the sample is poured into one, the second into the other, after which they are sealed.

Is sample collection free for the athlete?
Samples A - yes. If an athlete wants to open sample B (this happens, as you understand, if sample A gives a positive result for doping), then this costs money. The specific cost depends on the laboratory where the autopsy and analysis takes place. The order of the amounts is 800-1000 dollars.

What happens if an athlete intentionally destroys a sample during autopsy?
A violation of anti-doping rules is not only the use of prohibited substances, but also obstruction of the doping control procedure at any stage. If an athlete runs away from doping officers, uses physical force against them, offers them a bribe, or breaks a test tube, these are also considered violations. Which are followed by penalties that can be even more severe in duration than disqualification for doping.

Who determines that one substance is doping and another is not?
There is a special WADA committee that every year approves the so-called prohibited list, which lists all prohibited substances. Accordingly, this committee determines whether a particular substance should be classified as prohibited or not. There are two criteria here. First: if the substance can improve athletic performance. Second: its use for non-medical purposes harms the body. If these two criteria are present, then the substance is included in the list of prohibited drugs. There is also a third criterion – compliance with ethical principles. But there are not many such drugs - for example, alcohol in some sports or marijuana.

Is alcohol prohibited in sports?
During the out-of-competition period - no, as much as you like. Drinking is prohibited during competition in motorsports, aeronautics, powerboating and archery. For a long time, alcohol was prohibited in motorsports, but since 2016 this is no longer relevant.

How does the process of discussing and recognizing a substance as doping go?
Some substances are not immediately included in the prohibited list, but are monitored. Monitoring has been ongoing for some time. Then the WADA committee meets, discusses, studies the reports of scientists, scientific arguments and, based on this, makes a decision on including drugs among the prohibited drugs.

For some substances, debate has been going on for several years - whether to include or not to include. Some don't turn it on in the end.

Is there liability for laboratories for errors?
The case when sample A gives a positive result, and sample B is negative, is the basis for either suspension of accreditation or complete revocation of accreditation. Such cases are a very serious omission, an extremely serious mistake. ? The laboratory can defend itself; we are not talking about automatic deprivation of accreditation. The Cologne laboratory proved that it was not her fault that the doping test was not confirmed.

Why are some substances that athletes have been quietly taking suddenly declared prohibited?
This never happens. Substances are never declared prohibited suddenly, retroactively. In fact, the list of prohibited substances is updated annually - on January 1 of each year. At the same time, no later than October, WADA publishes a new list for the next year on its website. That is, a conscientious athlete who follows updates knows at least a couple of months in advance which substances have been removed from the list and which have been added there.

And the last question. Why are asthmatics allowed into sports to gain illegal benefits?
Sports asthma EIB is called "asthma" only for simplicity. It has little to do with ordinary bronchial asthma, which affects about 5 percent of the world's population. The often promoted image of an asthmatic athlete who chokes, turns blue and chokes, and then, having legally received a life-giving dose of doping, bypasses his healthy competitors at the turn, is extremely far from reality.

Sports asthma occurs in those who engage in physical activity outdoors. It cannot be faked in order to take drugs. Moreover, according to numerous studies, treating asthma does not provide any advantages over competitors; more often, the opposite is true. The drugs simply enable sick athletes to compete on equal terms with healthy ones. However, after the end of a career, indicators often return to normal. So we recommend that you forget all these stories about Norwegian or other asthmatics who benefit thanks to miraculous inhalations.

report immediately to the doping control station;
remain in the field of view of the Doping Control Officer (DCO) and the accompanying person until the end of the procedure;
present an identification document;
comply with all requirements associated with the doping control procedure;
check that the doping control protocol is filled out correctly.

Rights of an Athlete Receiving a Doping Control Notification

the right to familiarize yourself with the certificate of the doping control inspector (DCO) and the accompanying person;
right to a representative;
the right to an interpreter (if possible);
the right to further clarification of the procedure;
the right to a delay to finish training, change clothes, take documents, participate in a press conference, awards ceremony, further competitions, and receive medical care;
the right to choose equipment for taking a sample from several offered: urinals and storage kits;
the right to take a sample in the presence of a DPC of the same sex;
the right to record comments in the doping control report;
the right to receive a copy of the doping control report;
the right to modifications to the procedure for athletes with disabilities (see below).

Taking urine and blood for doping

Important!!! The test result is invalid if the sample integrity. Sample integrity is key.

SELECTION OF ATHLETES

An athlete may be selected for doping control anywhere and at any time.

NOTIFICATION

The Doping Control Officer (DCO) must provide identification and a warrant. It will notify you that you have been selected for testing. Having received the notification, you must immediately report to the doping control station. You can ask for a deferment to finish training, change clothes, take documents, participate in a press conference, awards ceremony, further competitions, or receive medical care.

Important!!! After notification, the athlete must remain in the field of view of the IDK or accompanying person at all times and must NOT go to the shower or toilet.

AT THE DOPING CONTROL STATION

At the doping control station there should be a waiting room where athletes spend time before testing and where they complete paperwork, a toilet, a sink, and a refrigerator for storing samples. Blood sampling is carried out in a specially equipped room, separate from the urine collection room.

During the procedure, the athlete may be accompanied by a representative (doctor, coach) and an interpreter. Everyone is required to provide documents (passport, driver's license) and register at the doping control point.

Important!!! Before the blood passport test, the athlete must be at rest for two hours; for other blood tests, 10 minutes is enough.

Important!!! Do not drink more than 1.5 liters of liquid, as the density of the urine may change. Drink water, juices, carbonated drinks, and non-alcoholic beer from commercially sealed glass bottles. Do not exchange glasses or bottles with other athletes.

Important!!! The minimum volume of urine for the test is 90 ml; it is better to wait and take the sample right away.

SELECTION OF CAPACITY

The athlete may select a urine jar and/or blood tube from three options.

Important!!! Check that the packaging is not damaged.

Important!!! Keep the container in sight during the entire procedure.

PROVIDING A Urine SAMPLE

Only the athlete and the DCO or accompanying person are allowed to be in the toilet.

Important!!! The DCO or accompanying person must be the same gender as the athlete.

The athlete will be asked to wash their hands, remove clothing from the stomach to the knees and roll up the sleeves to the elbows. Don't be embarrassed! The DCO, in the presence of the athlete, must ensure that there is at least 90 ml of urine. If the athlete fails to get 90 ml on the first try, then the urine is poured into a jar with a tight lid and sealed. The athlete returns to the waiting area until another fresh jar is ready. Urine from two, three... six jars is mixed until the treasured 90 ml is collected.

Important!!! The athlete may take the sealed urine with him to the waiting area so as not to be lost.

SEPARATION OF URINE SAMPLE

The athlete will be asked to choose one of three kits for transporting and storing the sample. Each kit contains two bottles individually sealed in foil: sample A (red label) and sample B (blue label).

Important!!! There must be at least three sets to choose from; the set is sealed; There is one number on the box, bottles and caps.

The athlete pours urine into bottles. If assistance is needed, a representative or DCO may dispense the urine. First, 30 ml of urine into bottle B, up to the bottom edge of the blue label. Then the rest, about 60 ml, into bottle A with a red label. A little urine should be left so that the IDK can measure the density. If the density does not meet the standards, the athlete must retake the sample. Seal bottles “A” and “B”; when the caps are screwed on tightly, you will hear a click.

In addition to the urine sample, a blood test may be taken.

COMPLETING THE DOPING CONTROL PROTOCOL

Urine and blood tests can be recorded in one protocol.

You must include all medications and nutritional supplements, as well as any recent transfusions, blood donations, or infusions you have received.

Important!!! Check the number on the bottles and in the protocol.

If you have any comments about the procedure, be sure to indicate this in the doping control report. If there is even the slightest doubt about the safety of the sample, reflect this in the protocol.

Verify that the copy of the laboratory report (yellow copy) contains the sample number, date and time of analysis, sport type and gender of the athlete. Personal data is anonymous for laboratory employees.

The athlete will be asked if he agrees to have his sample analyzed anonymously after the doping test. You can answer yes or no.

The athlete and his representative are asked to sign the protocol. A copy of the protocol must be kept for up to 6 weeks.

What happens if the doping test is positive?

The athlete's sample is sent to a WADA-accredited laboratory. The results of the analysis are reported to WADA and the anti-doping organization that ordered the testing. They check whether a TUE has been granted for a prohibited drug, and whether the doping control procedure and sample analysis were carried out in accordance with established procedures.

The athlete will be notified of the results of the sample analysis by e-mail or letter. If the Athlete or Anti-Doping Organization decides to conduct a B Sample analysis, the Athlete may attend or send a representative.

If a Prohibited Drug or Prohibited Method other than Specified Substances is found in the A Sample, the Athlete will be provisionally suspended. The Athlete may exercise the right to a hearing as to the reason for the imposition of such suspension. If the B sample does not confirm the results of the A sample, any provisional suspension will be revoked.

Doping control for minors and athletes with disabilities

If the athlete is a minor or disabled when he is notified that he has been selected for doping control, a third party may also be notified.

When donating blood, minors, as well as athletes with disabilities, can be present at the procedure with a representative. However, this representative is not allowed to be present during the actual sample collection process.

If the Athlete decides not to have a representative present, his Anti-Doping Organization or DCO may request that a third party be present.

If an Athlete has mobility or motor impairments, the Athlete may request assistance from the Athlete Representative or DCO to operate Doping Control Equipment, separate a Sample, or complete paperwork.

If the athlete has a significant lack of coordination, he may use a larger sample container.

If an Athlete is visually impaired, an Athlete Representative may accompany the Athlete throughout the Doping Control procedure, including the restroom. However, the representative cannot be present during the actual process of donating urine. The Athlete Representative or DCO may read the Doping Control Report to the Athlete, and the Athlete may ask the Athlete Representative to sign the report on his or her behalf.

If the athlete is using a rubber drain or indwelling catheter, they should remove the existing urine bag and drain it to obtain fresh urine. You can use your own catheter or a catheter provided by the DCO to collect urine. The catheter must be tamper evident.

An Athlete Representative may accompany the Athlete with an Intellectual Disability throughout the doping control process, including the restroom. However, the representative cannot be present during the actual process of donating urine.