Issue: Creating a level playing field for athletes in competition is the raison d’etre of drug free sport. National Anti Doping Organisations (NADO’s) and sporting federations have developed appropriate programs of testing of athletes both during events and when they are out-of-competition.
Strategic and random testing programs have been established; however manipulation of samples is common among those athletes who have been later identified of doping. Sample manipulation involves a product that is either ingested by the athlete or added to the sample.
Doping Control Officers (DCO’s) will observe the direct provision of a urine sample from the athlete under strict guidelines. The sample will be divided into two bottles, both of which are sent to WADA accredited laboratories for analysis. Following the sealing of the sample between the bottles, the specific gravity is tested to determine the suitability of the sample for analysis. If the sample measures a reading of below 1.005 then an additional sample is requested and forwarded to the laboratory at the same collection session. Each sample collected is analysed for specific gravity.
Problem: Excessive ingestion of water by the athlete to dilute the concentration of the substance or its metabolites is typically used.. Commercial products are also in use which may effect analytical measurement detection of substances or metabolites which may be present. The measurement of urine specific gravity has until recently been measured using clinical dip sticks which have poor accuracy, or using optical refractometers. These optical devices require appropriate training to assure correct measurement and do not allow the athlete to see the observed value. In addition the instrument requires a natural light source has to be held up to the eye, which is not the most hygienic choice.
Solution: ESSLAB now offer the Atago PAL-10s and Pen-Pro Urine digital instruments which are now the method of choice by many international sports bodies and NADO’s.
Measurement method: The instruments require just a few drops of urine to make a specific gravity reading, temperature corrected and without any intervention or adjustment by the DCO. The value may be clearly seen by the Athlete, at which stage he/she may be requested to provide an additional sample.
Further information with respect to anti doping can be found on the UK Sport website
