A key test for catching drug cheats in sports should be scrapped because it fails to take into account vital ethnic variations, according to a study by a leading Olympic anti-doping lab. The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, claims the testosterone test is “not fit for purpose”, and should be replaced by an athlete “passport” system that tracks a competitor’s biological patterns. The study, funded by football’s world governing body FIFA, was conducted at the anti-doping laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone but is used as a steroid in synthetic form to enhance performance. The Swiss researchers examined the testosterone levels of 171 football players in six different countries after steroids were deliberately added to their urine samples. The scientists studied the steroid profiles of 57 Africans, 32 Asians, 50 Caucasians and 32 Hispanics. The researchers reported “significant differences” among the groups. Levels were naturally highest among Hispanic players, who on average produced marginally more testosterone than Africans and Caucasians, but significantly more than Asians.

Testosterone test should be binned, say experts

__________________
www.chemicalmass.com