Dealing with problematic substances “situations”?!
Endogenous androgens, such as testosterone, are critical for both human and equine sexual development and lifelong physical health. Circulating levels vary considerably between males and females in both species. Medical conditions may result in over- or under-production of testosterone, and this can have significant consequences for afflicted individuals. Therapeutic medications containing testosterone have been developed for use by those who require hormone replacement therapy. These products, or more commonly counterfeit and black-market forms, have been used illegally for performance and image enhancement - to increase muscle mass and strength, or improve recovery from injury and intense training.
To enable the detection of testosterone doping, anti-doping laboratories world-wide have conducted extensive research over decades to develop sophisticated testing techniques. The responsible international organisations, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), have subsequently published technical documents and guidelines to harmonise laboratory analysis and reporting of testosterone positive cases. For example in human sports, longitudinal steroid profiling and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry are used to unequivocally confirm doping abuse of testosterone. In equine sports, international thresholds for testosterone concentration are applied to urine and plasma analyses.
However, due to the endogenous nature of testosterone, differentiating natural variations in testosterone levels and subtle forms of testosterone doping is not a trivial task and requires a more wholistic approach. This presentation describes the operation of the athlete biological passport system in place in human sports, outlines some examples and reflects on similar cases in equine sports where a “positive” test result may not actually be indicative of doping.