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NEW TEST FOR DOPING IN RACEHORSES

March 07, 2000

Scientists from Britain, Australia and South Africa have collaborated to develop a new test for drug abuse in racehorses. Use of growth hormone doping is worrying both horse racing and athletics authorities. Now new work, presented at the British Endocrine Societies annual meeting in Birmingham, may prevent cheating in horse racing, as well as possibly preventing horses being crippled in their prime.

Professor Martin Sillence, Glenys Noble (Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia) and Dr Scalk deKock (Jockey Club of Southern Africa), in collaboration with the Horse Racing Forensic Labs in Newmarket have measured naturally occurring hormone levels in 2000 horses from Australia and South Africa and the UK. They also conducted trials in which horses were 'doped' using newly-available equine growth hormone. Use of growth hormone leads to an increase in muscle, giving an unfair edge to both athletes and horses. As this is a naturally occurring product, growth hormone abuse has been undetectable until now.

Growth hormone causes a chemical called IGF-1 to be produced in the blood. While it's difficult to detect extra growth hormone, they found that they could easily distinguish between horses with the natural level of IGF-1, and those with elevated IGF-1 levels after 'doping'. According to Professor Sillence, their test has only a 1 in 30,000 chance of giving a false result.

Now horseracing laboratories throughout the world will consider adopting the new test. According to Professor Sillence "This work can help prevent hormone abuse in horse racing. But it's not only a doping issue, animal welfare is involved. Appropriate doses of growth hormone can be used theraputically, but high doses can damage growing bones, and could eventually cripple a young horse. Hopefully we can prevent that".

Society for Endocrinology

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