Anti-Doping in Performance Horses

By Chloe Pearson

Prohibited Substances Banned Substances Controlled Medication Substances ALL BANNED FOR USE IN COMPETITON Aims Fair and Level playing field for all competitors To maintain the welfare of the horses involved in

competition

FEI Prohibited Substances List was implemented in 2010 and is reviewed annually by the FEI List Group

FEI Clean Sport

B-Vitamins, Electrolytes and Amino Acids Preventative or Restorative Joint Therapies

FEI Cautions against ‘herbal therapies’ ‘Naturally found’ calming or energising

substances are expressly forbidden by the FEI Regulations

Permitted Substances of Interest to the Equine Feed Industry

Tested positive for Banned Substance Reserpine Title of winner of Burghley was taken off Jock

Paget Suspended from competition

Winning horse is usually dope-tested Possible case of Contamination

High Profile Case of Doping – Jock Paget and Clifton Promise, Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 2015

Rapid release of Serotonin and Norepinephrine Undergo rapid destruction by enzyme

monoamine oxidase (MOA Net destruction of serotonin and norepinephrine

creates the calming and relaxing effects of the Reserpine injection

Prolonged calming effect without sedation, drowsiness or loss of co-ordination

Banned Substance- Reserpine, sedative

Molecule isolated and precise mass measured Molecule broken into a series of fragments Mass and Fragmentation pattern are specific for each drug Run through the Mass Spectrometer in parallel with known

substances Mass Spectrum matching is considered definitive evidence

for the presence of the substance in the sample in question

Mass Spectral Confirmation

Phenylbutazone – common painkiller and anti-inflammatory known as ‘Bute’

1 sachet of ‘bute’ contains around 6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules

Majority eliminated by horse rapidly Bute has a 7.22hr half-life 50% eliminated after 7.22hrs, 75% eliminated by 14.44hrs,

87.5% eliminated by 21hrs, 90% eliminated by 24hr (1 day) For all practical purposes the drug has gone but can still be

detected for up to 21 days

Detection Times – e.g. Phenylbutazone

30mins post treatment with Caffeine, horses underwent an Incremental Exercise Test (IET)

Blood samples taken 15secs before the end of each velocity level

For determination of blood lactate, blood glucose and plasma insulin concentrations

RESULTS: Velocities achieved by treated horses at 180/200 bpm were

significantly higher Velocities corresponding to blood lactate at 2 and 4 mmol/L

increased significantly in treated horses Insulinemia was greater in control horses Glycemia was greater in treated horses

Effects of intravenous administration of Caffeine on Physiologic Variables in Exercising Horses

EFFECTS OF RESULTS: Blood Lactate comes from the dissociation of Lactic Acid

Lactic Acid Lactate + H⁺ ions H⁺ ions create an acid environment at the muscles This process of the accumulation of hydrogen ions is called

LACTIC ACIDOSIS and is proven to have detrimental effects on muscle performance, and to be a primary factor of muscle fatigue

Insulinemia is the presence of abnormally high levels of insulin in the blood

Insulin + Glucose Glycogen (stored energy)

Glycemia is high levels of glucose in the blood Oxygen + Glucose Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy