Progress in antidoping control has been closely linked with improvements in analytical methods and equipment. Drug testing became really effective in the sixties with the development of paper chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography, and finally high-performance liquid chromatography. Soon afterwards, mass spectrometry revolutionised the detection of drugs by combining both specificity and sensitivity in a single assay. The different steps of qualitative and quantitative antidoping control are described, as well as its biological and administrative aspects defined by recognised quality standards. More complex molecules, such as peptides hormones (e.g. growth hormone) are now being used as doping substances. Their detection represents a real challenge for laboratories today.
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