Partnership for Clean Competition

64 - Developing Novel Anti-Doping Assays to Monitor Collagen Turnover - Andy Hoofnagle, MD, PhD - PCC - Global Anti-Doping Research Grants for Scientists and Researchers 0.75x 1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 0:0026:12 64 – Developing Novel Anti-Doping Assays to Monitor Collagen Turnover – Andy Hoofnagle, MD, PhD Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsPlayer EmbedShare Leave a ReviewListen in ...

You can learn more about this work in these two episodes of our Anti-Doping Podcast featuring Dr. Hoofnagle:

cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

#cleansport #collagenturnover #hGH #growthhormone #research #science

The text reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Translating Specific Assays of Collagen Turnover, Dr. Andy Hoofnagle, University of Washington". There is a photo of Dr. Hoofnagle on the right above the text logo of the Partnership for Clean Competition.

Human growth hormone (hGH) abuse is hard to detect directly, and the PCC was proud to fund research, led by Dr. Andy Hoofnagle, on the use of biomarkers of collagen turnover to indirectly detect doping with hGH. This work led to the development of novel assays to monitor collagen turnover.
🚫💊 🧪

They found sulfate ratios were more sensitive for detecting multiple administrations of testosterone undecanoate tablets and T gel, lengthening the window for detection compared to conventional steroid profile biomarkers.

Evaluation of endogenous steroid sulfates and glucuronides in urine after oral and transdermal administration of testosterone. Part I: Male participants The detection of the performance-enhancing drug testosterone (T) remains a significant challenge in doping control analysis. Longitudinal monitoring t…

Detecting testosterone (T) doping is a challenge in #antidoping, even with advances in the Athlete Biological Passport. Researchers investigated the effects of oral and transdermal T administration on various biomarkers and phase II metabolites in males. 🧪

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition appears at the top, above the words "The Anti-Doping Podcast". Below, there is a quote from Shannon Rowbury, OLY, that reads, It was hard to wrap my head around the Games, because on the one hand, I felt like I was in the best fitness I had ever been in. I felt like I was mentally experienced and physically prepared. But on the other hand, there were all of these unexpected people with suspicious performances or suspicious pasts that were suddenly thrown into the ring." There is a headshot photo of Shannon in the lower right.

Olympian Shannon Rowbury had to wait 13 years to be recognized as a London 2012 Games bronze medalist because of doping competitors. She shared her hard-fought journey as an athlete, how doping has impacted her and her sport, and what's next on the horizon. 🚫💊

cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

The image shows details about the paper. It was published in The Journal of Physiology, and the title of the paper is, "Clenbuterol induces lean mass and muscle protein accretion, but attenuates cardiorespiratory fitness and desensitizes muscle β2-adrenergic signalling".

Through a controlled administration study, researchers found that 2 weeks of daily clenbuterol induced lean mass gain and muscle protein accretion, but it had clear negative effects on cardiorespiratory fitness & muscle oxidative capacity.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

#antidoping #science

151 - Detecting and Quantifying Peptide Doping Agents and Developing Smart Samplers - Trine Halvorsen, PhD - PCC - Global Anti-Doping Research Grants for Scientists and Researchers 0.75x 1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 0:0033:09 151 – Detecting and Quantifying Peptide Doping Agents and Developing Smart Samplers – Trine Halvorsen, PhD Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsPlayer EmbedShare Leave a Revie...

Listen to our recent podcast interview with Dr. Halvorsen to learn more about her career and her PCC-funded research:

cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

#antidoping #cleansport #research #science #chemistry #biochemistry #analyticalchemistry

The text on the image reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Novel affinity sampler for sensitive analysis of challenging doping agents, Dr. Trine G. Halvorsen, University of Oslo." There is a headshot photo of Dr. Halvorsen on the right, and the text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition appears below.

Peptide doping agents can be hard to detect, especially if they are in low abundance in biological matrices. The PCC was excited to support a research project led by Dr. Trine Grønhaug Halvorsen which focused on developing & testing a novel smart sampler using affinity capture to address this issue.

The study also revealed differential effects of fear of failure across countries, highlighting potential cultural differences.

The ‘selves’ in doping and its psychosocial mechanisms: harmonised multi-country evidence from high-performing athletes in the UK, US, and China - Harm Reduction Journal Background Doping remains an ongoing threat to clean competition. To date, global preventive initiatives have not addressed critical psychosocial antecedents of doping thoroughly due to the scarcity of knowledge regarding its psychosocial mechanisms from a harmonised cross-country perspective. We, therefore, conducted a multi-country investigation testing the interplay of two important yet overlooked attributes, namely narcissism and self-compassion, and examined their psychosocial mechanisms underpinning doping. Methods Using a sample of 499 high-performing athletes (80% competing at national level or above) from the UK, US, and China, we performed a series of multi-variate multi-group moderation models to test the narcissism × compassion interaction on doping and examined potential psychosocial mechanisms underlying such effects. In all analyses, we applied cluster control to adjust for coach-/team-level confounds and compared fixed vs. random effects models for cross-country comparisons. Results We found an identical interaction across study countries showing self-compassion alleviates narcissism-related doping willingness (especially that vulnerable narcissism drives). Grandiose narcissism’s protective effect on vulnerable narcissism-related doping moral disengagement was invariant across countries. Resilient coping appears to be a consistent mechanism across study countries that explains narcissism-related risk and compassion-related protection. Fear of failure manifested varied mechanistic effects in different study countries, inferring potential cross-cultural differences. Conclusion Vulnerable narcissism is a critical person-level correlate of doping. Grandiose narcissism, in the presence of self-compassion, can alleviate such risk thanks to enhanced resilient coping. Future education and interventions should tackle these important person-level attributes for anti-doping.

What leads athletes to dope? New research sheds light on the psychosocial mechanisms of doping, and researchers' findings across 3 countries consistently showed vulnerable narcissism is a critical correlate of doping.

harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

#antidoping #science

159 - The 13-Year Battle for Olympic Bronze and the Impacts of Doping on Clean Athletes - Shannon Rowbury - PCC - Global Anti-Doping Research Grants for Scientists and Researchers 0.75x 1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 0:0053:38 159 – The 13-Year Battle for Olympic Bronze and the Impacts of Doping on Clean Athletes – Shannon Rowbury Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsPlayer EmbedShare Leave a Review...

New episode! The detrimental impacts of doping extend far beyond a missed medal ceremony for clean athletes. Olympic bronze medalist Shannon Rowbury shared her remarkable athletic career, her commitment to #cleansport, and her story from the London 2012 Games. 🚫💊
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

This is a screenshot from our website. The text reads "Empowering scientists globally to collaborate and innovate through research grants". There are images of buttons below for Research Priorities, Application Center, and Account registration, that are active on our site.

Our mission is to fund scientific research globally which advances knowledge in the anti-doping sphere, and contributes meaningfully to the protection of clean athletes. We're excited to support top #antidoping researchers and innovators.

Visit our website to learn more:
cleancompetition.org

Methylclostebol Metabolism Discovery by Untargeted Analysis Rationale This work introduces an alternative experimental approach by integrating high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) with multivariate statistical analysis for metabolite detection and identi...

Authors describe a new approach with high-resolution mass spectrometry & multivariate statistical analysis to enhance identification of new markers for prohibited substance use, & they used methylclostebol to show its effectiveness.

analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) USADA has tools and tips to help athletes at all levels navigate their anti-doping rights and responsibilities.

As one of the PCC's Founding Members, USADA has played a key role in protecting the integrity of sport and public health by supporting the world’s top scientists and innovators in high-quality #antidoping research and development. We're excited celebrate their 25th anniversary!

www.usada.org

Characterization and metabolic profiling of oxymetholone and methasterone metabolites studied with human liver S9 model using GC-Orbitrap-HRMS for anti-doping purposes - Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry In vitro metabolic models provide a means to circumvent the ethical concerns associated with human administration research, allowing for preliminary predictions of human metabolism while generating high concentrations of metabolites for characterization. As S1.1-class anabolic androgenic steroids on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, oxymetholone and methasterone have consistently appeared in the top 20 substances identified in adverse analytical findings (AAFs) in recent years, reflecting their persistent abuse patterns in sports. Given their exogenous nature, the metabolites of these steroid hormones fall within the scope of doping control, making metabolic studies a crucial aspect of anti-doping research. In this study, human liver S9 fractions were employed as a model for the characterization and metabolic profiling of oxymetholone and methasterone via gas chromatography-orbitrap-high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap-HRMS). The full scan mode of GC-Orbitrap-HRMS was utilized to detect free and two conjugated fractions of metabolites, comparing these with control groups to confirm the metabolites during in vitro incubation. Possible metabolite structures were inferred from EI mass spectra, and the metabolic pathways for both drugs were discussed. In vitro, three oxymetholone and five methasterone metabolites were identified, and among them, two metabolites, OMT-M3 (2α,17α-methyl-5ξ-androstan-3α,6β,17β-triol) and MTS-M3 (2α,17α-dimethyl-5ξ-androstane-3α,12ξ,16ξ,17β-tetrol), were characterized as novel metabolites based on recent human in vivo metabolic studies. These metabolites exhibited diverse metabolic pathways, and their structures were corroborated through complementary in vitro and in vivo metabolic analyses. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the applicability of the human liver S9 model in the metabolic studies of anabolic steroids in vitro, verifying novel human metabolites and providing valuable insights for future research in this field. Graphical Abstract

Using an in vitro model, authors characterized & examined metabolic profiles of the anabolic androgenic steroids oxymetholone (OMT) & methasterone (MTS). They identified 3 OMT and 5 MTS metabolites, including 2 novel metabolites, which may help improve detection. 🧪

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Anti-doping Podcast - Partnership for Clean Competition

With over 150 episodes, our #antidoping podcast is a great resource for anyone interested in staying up to date on important anti-doping research, stories from the field, and the people who are working to protect #cleansport.

Listen and learn more here:
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

Photo of our scientific advisory board members sitting at rectangle tables arranged in a U-shape.

It's been great to get our PCC Scientific Advisory Board together for our fall meeting! The group has been hard at work reviewing all of the excellent grant submissions we received.

Our next Pre-Application deadline is February 1, 2026!
cleancompetition.org/application-...

#antidoping #science

The Partnership for Clean Competition Announces New Head of Research Programs - PCC - Global Anti-Doping Research Grants for Scientists and Researchers The Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) is thrilled to announce that Rusty Smith has been hired as the new Head of Research Programs. The Head of Research Programs is responsible for developing, d...

We are thrilled to announce that Rusty Smith has joined the PCC as our new Head of Research Programs! In this role, he will be responsible for developing, directing, and driving organization strategy and overseeing daily operations. Welcome to the PCC, Rusty!

cleancompetition.org/2025/09/25/p...

90 - Investigating Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry for Anti-Doping - Chris Chouinard, PhD - PCC - Global Anti-Doping Research Grants for Scientists and Researchers 0.75x 1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 0:0036:17 90 – Investigating Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry for Anti-Doping – Chris Chouinard, PhD Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsPlayer EmbedShare Leave a ReviewListen in a New W...

To learn more about Dr. Chouinard and his research, listen to our podcast interview:
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

Also check out this article about his work on our website:
cleancompetition.org/2025/01/06/i...

The method uses a combination of chromatographic retention time & ion mobility collision cross section to differentiate between isomers or other molecules with similar masses &/or molecular formulas. Data were compiled in a new database that can be used by labs going forward.

The text on this image reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Establishing a predictive database for MS-based detection of AAS, Dr. Christopher Chouinard, Clemson University". There is a photo of Dr. Chouinard on the right with the logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition below.

Dr. Christopher Chouinard received a PCC Research Grant to establish a database to facilitate detection of anabolic androgenic steroids using mass spectrometry methods. He and his team developed a fast method that can detect 40 known prohibited steroids.

#antidoping #cleansport #science

This image shows details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis, and the title of the article is, "mRNA Biomarkers in Dried Blood Spots May Improve Detection of Autologous Blood Micro-Transfusions Using an Individualized Approach." This is an open access article.

Micro-transfusions of an athlete's own blood are prohibited in sport but hard to detect. Authors found ALAS2 mRNA expression (assessed via dried blood spots) may be a promising biomarker to identify autologous micro-transfusions. 🚫💊 🧪
analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

This image includes a headshot photo of Dr. Rahul Gupta in the lower left corner along with his name and titles on the lower right: "Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA, FACP, President of GATC Health Corp., Former Director of the U.S. ONDCP". There is also a quote from the interview: "What I found, through my work, is that it is easy to break trust. It's very difficult to build that trust, and it's important work. Whether we are working at global levels, at the world stage, or at national and subnational levels, it's really important to continue to work to build that trust with athletes and with larger communities. Because at the end of the day, sports is about trusting in a system and then competing within that system."

Trust is a cornerstone of #antidoping & #public health. Dr. Rahul Gupta shared the importance of working together and building trust, his work enhancing public health and safety over the years, and his experiences engaging with anti-doping leaders & stakeholders.
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

Estimation of Plasma Volume by Machine Learning to Improve the Interpretation of the Athlete Biological Passport A new machine learning model for plasma volume (PV) estimation was applied within the ABP framework. PV estimation was applied through visual displays or corrected ABP thresholds. With a favorable as...

To help interpret the ABP, authors developed & applied a machine learning model to estimate blood volume. The model was valid in the context of the ABP & provides useful data visualizations that may help identify confounding factors.

analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

This image shows details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis, and the title of the article is, "Biosynthesis and Identification of Clenbuterol Metabolites in Urine and In Vitro Microsome Incubation Samples Using UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: A Comparison Between Human and Bovine Metabolism".

Authors examined bovine & human urinary metabolites of the prohibited drug clenbuterol. They identified 8 metabolites, including 4 found only in bovine urine, which may help labs distinguish intentional doping from dietary exposure. 🧪
analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

1K views | Today's #AskUSADA question is: "My friend got an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF). What is that?" Listen in to hear what USADA's Chief Legal & Operations Officer Jeff Cook has to say!🤔🗯️ ... Today's #AskUSADA question is: "My friend got an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF). What is that?" Listen in to hear what USADA's Chief Legal & Operations Officer Jeff Cook has to say!🤔🗯️ Learn more....

#Antidoping has many acronyms & specialized terms. USADA's Jeff Cook shares what getting an adverse analytical finding (AAF) means for an athlete.
www.facebook.com/reel/1353550...

Check out our podcast episode to hear more about his perspectives on #cleansport.
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

I enjoyed speaking with Dr. Rahul Gupta in this interview about his work in drug control policy, including initiatives to address the opioid epidemic, save lives, protect clean sport, & improve public health. We also covered the cool work he is doing now in predictive diagnostics and drug discovery.

This image provides details of the paper published in J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. The title is, "Rapid Annotation Strategy for in Vivo Phase II Metabolites of Anabolic–Androgenic Steroids Using Liquid Chromatography–Ion Mobility–Mass Spectrometry".

Phase II anabolic androgenic steroids are long-term metabolites detectable for weeks in urine. Authors developed methods to identify intact phase II metabolites of 2 steroids & developed data analysis workflows to investigate possible secondary metabolites. 🚫💊 🧪

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

158 - Leading Efforts to Advance Public Health, Drug Control Policy, and Drug Discovery - Rahul Gupta, MD - PCC - Global Anti-Doping Research Grants for Scientists and Researchers 0.75x 1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 0:0053:29 158 – Leading Efforts to Advance Public Health, Drug Control Policy, and Drug Discovery – Rahul Gupta, MD Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsPlayer EmbedShare Leave a Review...

We were thrilled to host Dr. Rahul Gupta, GATC Health President & former ONDCP Director, in this new #podcast episode! Dr. Gupta discussed drug control policy, outcomes from initiatives he led, his role in safeguarding #cleansport, his latest endeavors, & more.

cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...

Application of the transient matrix effect for determination of anabolic–androgenic steroids in biological samples by GC–MS/MS - Forensic Toxicology Purpose Anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS) enhance athletic performance, giving athletes an unfair advantage and disrupting fair competition. Banned in sports and listed by World Anti-Doping Agency, t...

Matrix effects can make it hard to detect substances in biological samples. But matrix effects can also enhance detection. Authors created a transient matrix effect that increased anabolic androgenic steroid signals in plasma, improving detection limits. #antidoping
link.springer.com/article/10.1...