Anne-Marie Elbe1, Stine Nylansted Jensen2, Peter Elsborg2, Monika Wetzke3, Getachew A Woldemariam4, Bernd Huppertz5, Ruprecht Keller5, Anthony W Butch4. 1. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Allé 51, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark. amelbe@nexs.ku.dk. 2. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Allé 51, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark. 3. RUMA GmbH, Aachener Straße 338, 50933, Cologne, Germany. 4. UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 2122 Granville Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90025-6106, USA. 5. Central Laboratory at the Hospitals of the City of Cologne, Ostmerheimerstraße 200, 51109, Cologne, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Urine sample collection for doping control tests is a key component of the World Anti-Doping Agency's fight against doping in sport. However, a substantial number of athletes experience difficulty when having to urinate under supervision. Furthermore, it cannot always be ensured that athletes are actually delivering their own urine. A method that can be used to alleviate the negative impact of a supervised urination procedure and which can also identify urine as coming from a specific athlete is the urine marker test. Monodisperse low molecular weight polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are given orally prior to urination. Urine samples can be traced to the donor by analysis of the PEGs previously given. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the use of the urine marker during urine doping control testing. METHODS: Two studies investigated athletes' acceptance of this new method via two questionnaires (n = 253). Furthermore, a third study (n = 91) investigated whether ingestion of the marker can identify the urine as coming from a specific person and whether the marker interferes with the detection of prohibited substances. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that this new method finds wide acceptance both from athletes who have only heard about the procedure and those who have actually tested the new method. Furthermore, the marker, which can identify urine as coming from a specific person, does not interfere with the detection of prohibited substances.
BACKGROUND: Urine sample collection for doping control tests is a key component of the World Anti-Doping Agency's fight against doping in sport. However, a substantial number of athletes experience difficulty when having to urinate under supervision. Furthermore, it cannot always be ensured that athletes are actually delivering their own urine. A method that can be used to alleviate the negative impact of a supervised urination procedure and which can also identify urine as coming from a specific athlete is the urine marker test. Monodisperse low molecular weight polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are given orally prior to urination. Urine samples can be traced to the donor by analysis of the PEGs previously given. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the use of the urine marker during urine doping control testing. METHODS: Two studies investigated athletes' acceptance of this new method via two questionnaires (n = 253). Furthermore, a third study (n = 91) investigated whether ingestion of the marker can identify the urine as coming from a specific person and whether the marker interferes with the detection of prohibited substances. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that this new method finds wide acceptance both from athletes who have only heard about the procedure and those who have actually tested the new method. Furthermore, the marker, which can identify urine as coming from a specific person, does not interfere with the detection of prohibited substances.