Analysis of doping control test results in individual and team sports from 2003 to 2015

• Published in: Journal of sport and health science Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 160 - 169
• Main Authors: Aguilar-Navarro, Millán, Muñoz-Guerra, Jesús, del Mar Plara, María, Del Coso, Juan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Elsevier B.V 01.03.2020; 上海体育大学; Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, 28692, Spain; Faculty of Education, Francisco de Vitoria University, Madrid, 28223, Spain%Department for Doping Control, Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sport, Madrid, 28016, Spain%Department of Education, Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sport, Madrid, 28016, Spain%Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, 28692, Spain; Shanghai University of Sport; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anti-doping; Attitude; Banned drugs; Basketball - statistics & numerical data; Bicycling - statistics & numerical data; Boxing - statistics & numerical data; Doping in Sports - statistics & numerical data; Elite athlete; Football - statistics & numerical data; Hockey - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Incidence; Performance-Enhancing Substances - analysis; Prevalence; Team Sports; Type of sport; Weight Lifting - statistics & numerical data; Anti-doping; Banned drugs; Type of sport; Attitude; Elite athlete
• ISSN: 2095-2546; 2213-2961; 2213-2961
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2019.07.005

•The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the number of samples analyzed and the proportion of adverse/atypical findings found in some of the most popular sports using data on samples analyzed by World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratories.•Cycling, weightlifting, and boxing were the individual sports with the highest percentage of adverse and atypical findings; in team sports, ice hockey, rugby, and basketball presented the highest proportion of adverse and atypical findings.•The number of anti-doping controls has increased on a yearly basis in most sports, but this has not translated into a concomitant increase in the proportion of banned substances found in anti-doping controls.•This investigation indicates that the incidence of adverse and atypical findings was not uniform in all sports disciplines, suggesting that some specific sports might present a greater use of banned substances.•Thus, despite the idea of a harmonized fight against doping proposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, anti-doping strategies should consider the differences in the risk of doping among sports. Determining the prevalence of doping in sport might be useful for anti-doping authorities to gauge the effectiveness of anti-doping policies implemented to prevent positive attitudes toward doping. Using questionnaires and personal interviews, previous investigations have found that the prevalence of doping might be different among different sports disciplines; however, there is no sport-specific information about the proportion of adverse and atypical findings (AAF) in samples used for doping control. The aim of the present investigation was to assess the differences in the frequency of adverse analytical and atypical findings among sports using the data made available by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The data included in this investigation were gathered from the Testing Figures Reports made available annually from 2003 to 2015 by the World Anti-Doping Agency. These Testing Figures Reports include information about the number of samples analyzed, the number of AAFs reported, and the most commonly found drugs in the urine and blood samples analyzed. A total of 1,347,213 samples were analyzed from the individual sports selected for this investigation, and 698,371 samples were analyzed for disciplines catalogued as team sports. In individual sports, the highest proportions of AAF were 3.3% ± 1.0% in cycling, 3.0% ± 0.6% in weightlifting, and 2.9% ± 0.6% in boxing. In team sports, the highest proportions of AAF were 2.2% ± 0.5% in ice hockey, 2.0% ± 0.5% in rugby, and 2.0% ± 0.5% in basketball. Gymnastics and skating had the lowest proportions at (≤1.0%) for individual sports, and field hockey, volleyball and football had the lowest proportions for team sports (≤1.4%). As suggested by the analysis, the incidence of AAF was not uniform across all sports disciplines, with the different proportions pointing to an uneven use of banned substances depending on the sport. This information might be useful for increasing the strength and efficacy of anti-doping policies in those sports with the highest prevalence in the use of banned substances. [Display omitted]