DOPING AND DOPE ANALYSIS

Doping is banned by national and international sports federations and by the IOC. Doping is the use of a substance belonging to one of the b anned groups and the use of a doping method. The groups of doping subs tances, namely stimulants, narcotics, anabolic agents, diuretics and p eptide hormones, are introduced. The main analytical methods are based on gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS) and are summarized f or stimulants and anabolic steroid hormones. The use of mass spectrome try is unambigously necessary for identification of banned substances. In addition to GC/low resolution MS methods for anabolic agents, more sophisticated methods such as high resolution MS (to increase sensiti vity) and carbon isotope ratio MS (to distinguish between endogenous p roduction and exogenous application of anabolic hormones) are used in doping control.