Quantitative detection of inhaled formoterol in human urine and relevance to doping control analysis.

Formoterol is a frequently prescribed β(2)-agonist used for the treatment of asthma. Due to performance-enhancing effects of some β(2) -agonists, formoterol appears on the prohibited list, published by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA). Its therapeutic use is allowed but restricted to inhalation.

Qualitative detection of desmopressin in plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

This work describes a liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry method for detection of desmopressin in human plasma in the low femtomolar range. Desmopressin is a synthetic analogue of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin and it might be used by athletes as a masking agent in the framework of blood passport controls. Therefore, it was recently added by the World Anti-Doping Agency to the list of prohibited substances in sport as a masking agent.

Quantitative detection of inhaled salmeterol in human urine and relevance to doping control analysis.

Salmeterol is a frequently prescribed β₂-agonist used for the treatment of asthma. Due to performance-enhancing effects of some β₂-agonists, salmeterol appears on the prohibited list published by the World Anti-Doping Agency and its therapeutic use is allowed but restricted to inhalation. Because the data on urinary concentrations originating from therapeutic use are limited, no discrimination can be made between use and abuse when a routine sample is found to contain salmeterol.

A pilot study on subject-based comprehensive steroid profiling: novel biomarkers to detect testosterone misuse in sports.

Context: Until now, the testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio is the main marker for the detection of testosterone (T) misuse in athletes. As this marker can be influenced by a number of confounding factors, additional steroid profile parameters indicating T misuse can provide substantiating evidence of doping with endogenous steroids. The evaluation of a steroid profile is currently based upon population statistics.

Prevalence of legal and illegal stimulating agents in sports.

This paper reviews the prevalence of legal and illegal stimulants in relation to doping-control analysis. Stimulants are among the oldest classes of doping agents, having been used since ancient times. Despite the ease with which they can be detected and the availability of sensitive detection methods, stimulants are still popular among athletes.