Understanding Doping Control in Sports: An Interview With Professor Peter Van Eenoo

Doping control plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of sports. There have been numerous controversial cases, including high-profile athletes, where testing has caught cheats attempting to enhance their performance through varying illegal means. The results of doping tests have not only seen cheats removed prior to competition but changed the outcome of important sporting events after the fact and prompted further investigations into their past achievements and activities. Yet these individuals continue to try and beat the system in pursuit of glory.

With 2024 being a year of epic sporting events, athletes will once again be subjected to rigorous scrutiny. But how do the scientists tasked with maintaining fairness and standards go about this?

We sat down with Professor Peter Van Eenoo, director of the Doping Control Laboratory (DoCoLab), part of the University of Ghent, Belgium, to discuss the intricacies of anti-doping testing and the challenges faced in catching sporting cheats.

Karen Steward (KS): What is the role of DoCoLab?

Peter Van Eenoo (PVE): DoCoLab at Ghent University, is one of only 30 + labs worldwide accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) responsible for sports drug testing. Established in 1963, originally for testing horses, it is the oldest continuously operating laboratory in the field of anti-doping in human sports.

Our goal is to detect prohibited substances and ensure fair play in sports. We adhere to strict WADA standards to maintain credibility.

KS: Who is WADA and how do they impact DoCoLab?

PVE: WADA's primary role is to develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries. As the umbrella organization, they aim to provide global leadership in the fight against doping by ensuring that consistent standards are applied worldwide.

KS: How do you stay on top of testing?

PVE: At DoCoLab, we conduct rigorous testing on 17,000 to 20,000 samples annually. Chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS) instruments account for over 95% of our substance detection.

The significance of high-quality instrumentation cannot be overstated. We seamlessly integrate both new and older instruments into our routine testing and training processes. Recently, we introduced Agilent’s Bravo – an automated solid phase extraction (SPE) system, whereas we previously used manual extraction methods. Each analysis batch is comprised of approximately 80 samples.

With the Bravo, we transitioned to working with 96-well plates, necessitating miniaturization. Fortunately, the instruments exhibit remarkable sensitivity, mitigating any challenges. Unlike most automated SPE systems that handle 8, 12 or 24 samples at a time, the 96-sample capacity significantly accelerated our workflow.

Figure 1: The Bravo with Fiona Hooghe, technical QA manager at DoCoLab. Credit: © Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2024.

Moreover, the instrument employs 96 positive displacement pipettes, ensuring precise and consistent extraction. This enhancement has allowed us to extract far more than was feasible with manual methods. Notably, we specialize in analyzing sulfated metabolites of anabolic steroids – potent compounds that were previously elusive using manual extraction. Thanks to the SPE system, we can now incorporate these metabolites into our methods.

KS: What challenges do you face in anti-doping testing?

PVE: Catching cheats is like a game of cat and mouse. Around 250 athletes test positive for doping each year in our lab alone, with about 50% of those samples testing positive for more than one substance. We have to maintain strict quality control systems to ensure the accuracy of their results. The lab stands by its results, stating that if a sample tests positive in the lab, the substance is indeed present in the sample.

WADA is constantly changing the rules and we must follow them. Everything has to be entered into the quality system, meaning method development is key, as is the validation of the methods. That is the hardest part.

One of our key goals is to extend the detection window, i.e., the time after the use of a doping agent. For some substances, they have succeeded in extending this window to over a year, even after taking a mini dose of 5 milligrams. For substances similar to naturally occurring ones like testosterone and erythropoietin (EPO), the detection window is currently only a few days. Our aim is to refine our current methods, as well as develop new methods to both detect the proliferation of new substances and prolong this detection window.

KS: How do you ensure sample security?

PVE: Our commitment to maintaining high standards is evident in our rigorous testing procedures and the secure handling of samples, which are treated with the utmost confidentiality and care.

Security is paramount. We meticulously track all samples, which are likened to "liquid gold", from arrival to their destruction 10 years later, with every action being recorded.

Quality control is essential; even a 5% probability of error is considered unacceptable. For this reason, we have three methods: two gas chromatography (GC) and one liquid chromatography (LC) method. Every sample gets analyzed across all three methods, so we have multiple quality control checks. This multi-level, strict quality control process means that we can be certain that if we have a positive result in the lab, then we know for absolute certainty that the substance is present in the sample.

KS: What does the future hold for doping testing?

PVE: We are a routine testing, as well as a research lab. This means that we are constantly looking to improve our methods or implement new ones to counteract the changing rules from WADA. Advancements in software, like Agilent MassHunter and Agilent Mass Profiler, enhance our ability to process results more effectively. We’ll continue the fight against doping, maintaining the highest standards to protect the integrity of sports.

Prof. Peter Van Eenoo was speaking to Dr. Karen Steward, Senior Scientific Specialist for Technology Networks.

About the interviewee

Credit: © Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2024.
Dr. Peter Van Eenoo has been a professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and the director of the Doping Control Laboratory (DoCoLab) at Ghent University in Belgium for over 14 years. The DoCoLab focuses on analyzing samples for prohibited substances, developing detection methods and raising awareness about anti-doping efforts. Throughout his career, Dr. Van Eenoo has been involved in groundbreaking research and routine work related to anti-doping excellence. His expertise contributes significantly to maintaining clean competition in sports.