Hair Analysis of Seven Bodybuilders for Anabolic Steroids, Ephedrine, and Clenbuterol

Abstract

Several bodybuilders, all winners of international competitions, were arrested for trafficking of a number of doping agents including anabolic steroids, ephedrine, beta-adrenergics, human chorionic gonadotropin, antidepressants, and diuretics. In accordance with the recent French law against doping, the judge asked to test seven bodybuilders to identify doping practices. Hair and urine specimens were collected for analysis. After decontamination, a 100 mg hair strand was pulverized in a ball mill, hydrolyzed, extracted, and derivatized to be tested by GC/MS for anabolic steroids, beta-adrenergic compounds, ephedrine, and other doping agents. Urine was analyzed for anabolic steroids and metabolites, beta-adrenergic compounds, ephedrine, and human chorionic gonadotropin, in addition to a broad spectrum screening with GC/MS. The following compounds were detected in urine: ephedrine (29 and 36 ng/ml, n = 2), clenbuterol (0.2 to 0.3 ng/ml, n = 3), norandrosterone (4.7 to 100.7 ng/ml, n = 7), norethiocholanolone (0.9 to 161.8 ng/ml, n = 6), stanozolol (1 to 25.8 ng/ml, n = 4), methenolone (2.5 to 29.7 ng/ml, n = 4), testosterone (3 to 59.6 ng/ml, n = 7), epitestosterone (1 to 20.4 ng/ml, n = 7) and ratio testosterone/epitestosterone n = 6 for four subjects (18.5 to 59.6). The following drugs were detected in hair: ephedrine (0.67 and 10.70 ng/mg, n = 2), salbutamol (15 to 31 pg/mg, n = 3), clenbuterol (15 to 122 pg/mg, n = 6), nandrolone (1 to 7.5 pg/mg, n = 3), stanozolol (2 to 84 pg/mg, n = 4), methenolone (17 and 34 ng/ml, n = 2), testosterone enanthate (0.6 to 18.8 ng/mg, n = 5), and testosterone cypionate (3.3 to 4.8 ng/mg, n = 2). These results document the doping practice and demonstrate repetitive exposure to anabolic compounds and confirm the value of hair analysis as a complement to urinalysis in the control of doping practice.

Sudden unexpected death in a female fitness athlete, with a possible connection to the use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and ephedrine

“…In this context, it should be kept in mind that several studies have identified an association between the use of AAS and ephedra products [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. In fact, the use of AAS has been associated with the use of a wide range of illicit drugs and psychoactive pharmaceuticals [38][39][40][41][42][43][44].…”

Solid-phase micro extraction (SPME) and headspace derivatization of clenbuterol followed by GC–FID and GC–SIMMS quantification

“…The FDA must test meat stated for human consumption. In athletes, the drug is rapidly metabolized and is often present at only trace levels making it difficult to assay [3,9,10,11,12]. For these reasons there is much interest in methods of assay for clenbuterol that are not only highly sensitive and selective [13,14], but amenable to automation and high throughput as well.…”

The relationship between stress and hair cortisol in healthy pregnant women

“…[18][19][20][21] A variety of drugs and endogenous substances have been accurately measured in hair, including: opiates, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, anabolic steroids, cocaine, nicotine and recently, cortisol and cortisone. [21][22][23][24][25] In clinical settings, hair drug levels have been used to assist in therapeutic drug monitoring. 24 A limited number of studies by the same principle authors have examined the incorporation and detection of cortisol in human hair.…”