Growth hormone (GH), an endogenous peptide regulating anabolism and lipolysis in humans, is known to be abused by the athletes to improve their performances. Despite the development of two distinct screening methods, few positive cases have been reported by the anti‐doping authorities, probably due to the GH quick turnover and the masking effects of age, ethnicity and sex.

Venoms were first identified as potential doping agents by the racing industry in 2007 when three vials of cobra venom were seized during a stable inspection at Keeneland Racecourse in the USA. Venoms are a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, and other substances with a wide range of biological effects, including inhibiting the transmission of nervous and muscular impulses. As an example of this

Cerumen was found to be a promising alternative specimen for the detection of drugs. In a pilot study, drugs of abuse were identified at a high detection rate and a longer detection window for abused drugs than in urine. In the present study, cerumen from subjects was analyzed after controlled oral ingestion of the designer stimulant 4‐fluoroamphetamine (4‐FA).

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has been approved by the FDA as a general anesthetic because of its rapid onset and high potency. However, since 2013 an opioid epidemic involving fentanyl or fentanyl‐related compounds (FRCs) has swept the United States and caused numerous deaths in every state. The identification of novel FRCs is complicated by the rapid turnover of modifications to the core fentanyl

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a prototypical serotonergic psychedelic drug and the subject of many clinical investigations. In recent years, a range of lysergamides has emerged with the production of some being inspired by the existing scientific literature. Others, for example various 1‐acyl substituted lysergamides, did not exist before their appearance as research chemicals. 1‐Cylopropanoyl‐LSD

Dried blood spots (DBS) have been considered as complementary matrix in sports drug testing for many years. Especially concerning substances prohibited in‐competition only, the added value of DBS collected concomitantly with routine doping control urine samples has been debated, and an increasing potential of DBS has been discussed in the scientific literature. To which extent and under which prerequisites

Decontamination of samples prior to analysis is common practice and recommended for EtG hair testing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applied decontamination procedure during routine hair EtG analysis by monitoring of EtG concentrations in the washing solutions on a representative cohort of individual hair samples.

Inhaled beta2 -adrenoceptor agonists (beta2 -agonists) are among the most used substances in competitive sports. The 2020 Prohibited List issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency restricts use of all selective and non-selective beta2 -agonists in- and out- of competition with few exemptions. Formoterol, salbutamol, and salmeterol are allowed by inhalation within defined dosing limits. These restrictions

The athlete biological passport (ABP) was implemented by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in 2008. However, this improvement in the fight against doping was preceded with different milestones since 1996. In this paper, a detailed evolution of the ABP from traditional direct (urine) testing for antidoping purposes is presented. A chronological overview of the ABP including earlier non-disclosed

Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) enables data independent acquisition (DIA) and untargeted screening. However, to avoid the handling of the resulting large dataset, most laboratories in that field still use targeted screening methods, which offer good sensitivity and specificity but are limited to known compounds. The promising field of machine learning offers

The quantification of peptide hormones by means of liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) or other techniques (e.g. immunoassays) has been a challenging task in modern analytical chemistry. Especially for insulin, its synthetic analogs, and C-peptide, reliable determinations are urgently needed due to their diagnostic value in the management of diabetes and insulin resistance

Hemapolin (2α,3α-epithio-17α-methyl-5α-androstan-17β-ol) is a designer steroid that is an ingredient in several "dietary" and "nutritional" supplements available online. As an unusual chemical modification to the steroid A-ring could allow this compound to pass through antidoping screens undetected, the metabolism of hemapolin was investigated by an in vivo equine drug administration study coupled

The constant legal adaptation of new psychoactive substances (NPS), challenges their evaluation in different fields. In sports, NPS are prohibited in competition with a reporting limit (RL) of 50 ng/mL for the parent compound or a metabolite. However, there is a lack of comprehensive methodologies and excretion studies for monitoring NPS. This work aims to develop an analytical methodology for the

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) have become established drugs of abuse. They play an increasing role in drug therapy, where abstinence control testing is required. Differentiation between recent drug uptake and uptake in the distant past is important for drug therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the detection window of a metabolite commonly used as a consumption marker for AB-FUBINACA and AMB-FUBINACA

Drug misuse in prisons contributes to increased disruption and violence and negatively impacts prisoner safety, rehabilitation, and recovery. Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs), colloquially known as "spice", are infused into papers and are of particular concern in a prison setting where they are commonly vaped. Methods for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of SCRA infused papers

A 5‐week‐old infant was admitted to the pediatric emergency department with agitation and incessant crying. Investigations led to a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis following coma due to severe bromazepam intoxication (blood concentration 656 μg/L). The infant was hospitalized and his condition rapidly improved. Ten days later, an inquiry was opened to determine whether he could have been repeatedly intoxicated