The Brazilian Doping Control

Laboratory tested about 6,000

samples of urine and blood in

the 2016 Olympic and

Paralympic Games

Feature

Dr. Francisco Radler is the coordinatorand responsible for the Brazilian Doping

Control Laboratory

Rio de Janeiro, sun, beach and sports! The Olympic and Paralympic Games, the largest sporting event

on the planet, was held this year in the “wonderful city”.

Sports aside, an important point that demands attention is anti-doping control. Doping is when an athlete

makes use of substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which can harm their health,

or uses specific methods to increase performance during a competition.

When Rio de Janeiro was chosen to host the Games, the commitment to establish a zero doping policy

had to be signed by Brazil, as this was required by WADA. Then, the Brazilian Doping Control Authority

(ABCD), inspired by the models of the world's best doping control institutions, was created in late 2011.

The establishment of this anti-doping authority in Brazil has met the requirement established by WADA

that countries have a specific and independent doping control agency.

As a national anti-doping organization, it is the responsibility

of ABCD to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in

sport, in an independent and organized way, in and out of

competition, according to the guidelines established by WADA

and the protocols and commitments made by Brazil. The

Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory (LBCD) was also

established as part of the Technological Development Support

Laboratory (LADETEC) at the Institute of Chemistry, Federal

University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). All anti-doping control

tests in the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games were

carried out by the LBCD, which was reaccredited by WADA in

May 2015.

With the expectation to perform the doping tests of the

Olympic and Paralympic Games, the LBCD staff were surprised

In the first week of July, new tests were carried out at the LBCD by WADA experts. Olivier Rabin, the

scientific director of WADA, and six directors of other accredited laboratories came to Brazil. These

inspectors gave 60 samples containing substances which were difficult to detect. After three days of

analysis, the experts sent a report to WADA asking for revocation of the accreditation suspension. A month

after the suspension, WADA announced the return of the LBCD accreditation.

Br. J. Anal. Chem., 2016, 4 (13), pp 57-60

External area of the Technological

Development Support Laboratory

(LADETEC) building

when the lab's accreditation was suspended by WADA on 24 June this year. The reason for the suspension

of the accreditation was nonconformity with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) in one of the

tests carried out by the Brazilian lab. After adjustments made to an analytical method, which is a normal

procedure in a Quality Assurance System, everything proceeded in accordance with expectations.

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Feature

The LBCD was responsible for performing all doping tests during the Olympic and Paralympic Games

in Rio de Janeiro. There were about 6,000 samples of blood and urine to be tested during the games.

Know more about LBCD at the Olympic Games

The Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory

(LBCD) is situated inside the LADETEC building

Around 500 drugs or their metabolites used in sports doping and banned

by WADA were tested for in urine and blood samples of athletes. The lab

team, with the cooperation of 120 national volunteers, worked for three weeks

in three continuous shifts per day, 7 days a week. Each sample was analyzed

within an average time of 26 h, when the stipulated time was 30 h. Several

adverse analytical findings (AAF) were detected and duly confirmed. An AAF

is the result of the analysis of a doping control sample that shows the

presence of a substance prohibited by WADA.

The LBCD is installed in the new building of LADETEC, occupying about

half the total area of 10,000 m², in the complex of chemistry at the UFRJ.

With 35 state-of-the-art mass spectrometers of high resolution and high

sensitivity, and a team of 50 specialized professionals, under the

coordination and responsibility of Prof. Dr. Francisco Radler de Aquino

Neto, the LBCD is the greatest Olympic legacy for the Brazilian Academy.

LBCD was highly praised by around 80 foreign scientists who were present

in the lab, collaborating with its operation.

The definition of whether the presence of the prohibited substance is doping

or not depends on many factors; this decision is the responsibility of the entity

that organizes the event. In the case of the Olympic Games, the responsible

entity is the International Olympic Committee (IOC), through its Medical Commission, and the International

Paralympic Committee (IPC), through its doping control commission.

The work done at the LBCD meant the proof of excellence of the analytical chemistry in Brazil. It is

interesting to note that in the field of clinical/toxicology/forensic analyses, there are more than 16,000

laboratories in Brazil, but only the LBCD is accredited by WADA. Only 34 laboratories around the world

have successfully obtained this accreditation.

Olympic campaign and its legacy

Dr. Francisco Radler said “The final balance of the Olympic campaign was as planned, and has

provided the introduction of the most technological advance of the analytical chemistry equipment, in

particular the chromatography systems coupled to mass spectrometers with different types and

configurations of analyzers and ionization systems. Current systems, among which we can highlight the

Orbitrap analyzer, have greater sensitivity and selectivity allowing the increasing of the number of

substances analyzed in multiresidue methods and detected in the nanogram level per mL of sample. And

this, with rapid methods essential for the release of results in 24 h, in the range of 10 to 15 min for

analysis”.

Inside view of the LBCD with LC-MSinstruments in the foreground

Finally, it is worth highlighting the legacy of the Olympic and

Paralympic Games to the Academy. Dr. Radler emphasized

that all of the equipment will be utilized in the LBCD or other

research laboratories, and the modern facilities will allow the

Institute of Chemistry at the UFRJ to make many

achievements in the future, with positive reflexes not only at

the UFRJ, but also in the chemistry field of Rio de Janeiro

state and even at a national level.

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“The LADETEC practice profile in its 30 years of existence, which is to promote the use of its equipment

and facilities by the national science without restrictions, should get a boost in the face of new conditions"

explained Radler.

According to Radler, the Olympic and Paralympic Games enabled 80 experts from the other 33

accredited laboratories around the world to come to Rio to collaborate in the analysis and share their

experiences in a rich scientific environment, where different schools of thought discussed the current issue

of the analysis of multi components in complex matrices. There were more than 50 international exchange

missions with over 500 days of advanced training for the LBCD workforce, with training at home for foreign

experts.

The first medalist of Rio 2016 to be disqualified for doping was Izzat Artykov, the weightlifter from

Kyrgyzstan. He had won bronze in the category up to 69 kg, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)

took his medal due to a positive test for strychnine. In an official statement, the Court explained that

Artykov was caught for doping in the final of the weightlifting. His medal was withdrawn and he was

disqualified from Rio 2016.

Doping control tests in the Olympic and Paralympic Games

The entity responsible for the punishment of the athlete beyond exclusion from the 2016 Olympic

Games is the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), which is also responsible for the reallocation of

the athlete in the ranking of the sportive modality. On the other hand, the transfer of the medal is a joint

task between the IWF and the IOC. This is the first time that the Olympic Games have had the CAS in

charge of doping cases. The Court has even been temporarily transferred to Rio de Janeiro to quicken the

trials.

Izzat Artykov participated in the final and felt like an Olympic medalist for only nine days. This was the

only medal won by Kyrgyzstan in Rio 2016. The person who benefited from the decision was the

Colombian Luis Javier Mosquera Lozano, who had been fourth in the same category, so inherited the

bronze medal.

Strychnine is used as a pesticide, particularly to kill rats, and is banned in several countries due to its

high toxicity. In smaller doses, the substance may have an effect of muscle tonic. The use of strychnine

was common in the early modern era of the Olympic Games, when runners were taking injections to

achieve better performances, but it fell into disuse and the substance is rarely found in the bodies of

athletes.

Other banned substances

The use of any substance included in a list that is updated and published annually by WADA takes the

athlete to judgment. Punishments range from a simple warning to banishment from the sport. These

substances are divided into 15 major groups. Some cannot be used at any time, as they are anabolic

agents, while others only lead to punishment if detected during competitions, such as stimulants which

help athletes to feel better and more focused.

The mere attempt to defraud the test is already considered doping. One of the most curious cases

occurred with Michelle Smith de Bruin, an Irish swimmer who won three gold medals at the Olympic

Games in Atlanta in 1996. In 1998, she was suspended for four years when trying to tamper with a

sample by mixing an alcoholic beverage with the collected urine. According to the IOC, the sample had an

alcohol concentration "incompatible with human consumption" and "a strong smell of whiskey."

Substances prohibited at all times and their effect on sports performance

(Note: several substances are banned not for their biological activity, but because they have side effects that may

represent an improvement in sports ability)

- Anabolic steroids: Help to promote the growth of muscle tissue and reduce body fat.

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Feature

- Beta-2 agonists: Found in asthma medications, can have anabolic effects in certain quantities.

- Hormonal and Metabolic Modulators: Do not change sports performance, but may mask the

adverse effects of anabolic steroids, such as breast enlargement in men and hair growth in women.

Other substances such as meldonium may improve performance via several mechanisms or could

introduce the same anabolic side effects as insulin.

- Diuretics: Used for loss of weight and to mask the use of substances in anti-doping tests.

- Blood doping: When athletes re-inject their own blood or use a synthetic hormone such as EPO,

they report an improvement in strength and conditioning.

- Chemical or physical manipulation: This is the attempt to amend a sample taken for anti-doping

tests.

Feature

- Genetic Doping: This is considered the future of doping. It changes the body to regulate physical

- Peptide hormones and growth factors: Amplify the effects of natural hormones or stimulate their

production by the body (releasing factors of growth hormones). The growth hormone hGH, which is

more common, stimulates the gain of muscle mass and recovery from injuries. Erythropoiesis-

stimulating agents (ESAs), including erythropoietin (EPO) increase the release of red cells into the

blood, while hypoxia-inducing stabilizers (HIF) increase the production of erythropoietin.

Substances banned during competitions

- Stimulants: Can eliminate signs of fatigue, cause improvements in concentration, help athletes to

feel more willing, and increase aggressiveness.

- Narcotics: Can relieve pain and reduce anxiety.

- Cannabinoids: In addition to use for recreational purposes, marijuana derivatives may have relaxing

effects and cause euphoria.

- Glucocorticoids: Relieve pain and have anti-inflammatory functions.

- Beta-blockers: Have calming effects, and reduce anxiety and tremors. Investigated especially in

precision sports such as shooting.

- Alcohol: Does not improve sports performance, but can give a feeling of relaxation. Prohibited in

very few sports, usually where the loss of attention and control can be fatal (racing).

strength, the production of hormones or the increase of muscle mass, but the methods currently under

development suggest that it will be a method of doping that is easy to detect.

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