Partnership For Clean Competition

Estimating doping prevalence is complex, and new models and statistical approaches can help improve the accuracy of prevalence estimates. In this new podcast episode, we spoke with Dr. Maarten Cruyff about his work on different models for calculating doping prevalence, how to account for biases in survey responses, and his work estimating doping prevalence using results from doping tests. The ability to estimate doping prevalence is pivotal in anti-doping research, driving policy and governance, resource allocation, and protecting athletes and fair competition.

Listen to the full episode here:
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-podcast/174

174 – Developing New Approaches to Address Bias and Improve Doping Prevalence Estimates – Maarten Cruyff, PhD Dr. Maarten Cruyff is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences and Chair of Methodology and Statistics at Utrecht University. In this episode, he discusses how methods used to measure doping prevalence have changed over time, his work on different models for collectin...

Detecting doping with testosterone esters can be impacted by enzymes in the blood, sample storage temperatures, and other factors. Researchers recently examined the detectability of two testosterone esters with dried blood spots (DBS), capillary serum tubes, or sodium fluoride (NaF)-containing plasma tubes subjected to conditions that mimic common shipping scenarios. Detectability was similar in cool temperatures, but DBS and NaF-containing plasma tubes are more appropriate for non-temperature controlled shipping.

https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.70102

PCC is excited to announce our grant application program has moved to Altum! With a host of improved features including OrcidID integration, we will be better able to serve our applicants and further bolster our world-class research funding capabilities. Pre-applications are open now and can be accessed through the link below. For information on how to set up or access your account and tips for improving your application, please visit our website at Fund your Anti-Doping Research - Partnership for Clean Competition.

Submit your pre-application here:
https://tinyurl.com/3r7m59t9

Flmodafinil and Fladrafinil are two stimulants that are banned in-competition and are available in commercial products. Researchers investigated the elimination profiles of the drugs and their metabolites in urine and blood. In the administration study, metabolites of both stimulants were detectable for up to two weeks, so care must be taken in interpreting adverse analytical findings to distinguish between in-competition and out-of-competition use.

https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.70100

BIG NEWS: For the first time since its inception in 2008, the Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) welcomes a new member to the Board of Governors: the PGA TOUR!

As a long-time supporter of the PCC, we are thrilled to have them as an official member of our Board. We look forward to continuing to work together advancing science to preserve sports integrity and athlete health and safety worldwide.

Read the full press release here:
https://cleancompetition.org/2026/06/08/pga-tour-joins-board-of-governors-of-the-partnership-for-clean-competition/

We know exercise affects steroid hormone levels in blood, but how does this impact how we interpret values from the blood steroid profile of the Athlete Biological Passport?

In this PCC-funded research project, scientists examined the acute effects of real-world football (soccer) training on 26 circulating steroids in blood. They reported rapid changes in key steroid hormone biomarkers, including the testosterone-to-androstenedione ratio, that were related to training loads and perceived exertion.

Results from this study emphasize the importance of considering recent training exposure when interpreting variations in the Athlete Biological Passport.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-026-02467-8

First author Dr. Federico Ponzetto is a former PCC Fellow and Research Grant recipient, and we are proud to have supported him as an early-career researcher. The PCC's Fellowship program plays an important role in helping promising trainees in anti-doping science continue on to become leaders who make long-term contributions to the field.

Doping control relies on timely detection and identification of performance-enhancing substances. Dr. Michael Zimmerman sought to improve this process in his PCC-funded project “Use of LC-MS/MS and Molecular Networking for the Open Detection of novel performance-enhancing steroids.”

His study proposed and established the feasibility of a novel approach to identify unknown androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) through a combination of MS/MS prediction and molecular networking of simulated and experimental data.

This approach showed promise for clustering and classifying AAS based on their structural features and for predicting how they may break apart during metabolism. Dr. Zimmerman and his team have compiled a theoretical database of more than 1,400 steroids and their predicted metabolites to help identify previously undescribed steroids.

Hormones encompass various substances that can have powerful performance-enhancing effects through different mechanisms (e.g. steroids, EPO, and growth hormone). This book provides an overview of the state of hormone doping in sport, types of hormones used for performance enhancement, analytical challenges, and important gaps in the field.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK305894/

The author David Handelsman has received PCC funding to support his research.

Does doping behavior develop over time, beginning with the use of supplements that athletes believe may impact performance? Researchers examined how athletes' use of and beliefs surrounding supplements were related to doping attitudes. While the associations were weak, their findings support the incremental model of doping behavior and suggest that athletes who are young, male, and non-competitive may be particularly vulnerable.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13119637/

A review of 44 studies on prohibited substances and adulterants in dietary supplements found that approximately 9-15% of the commercially available supplements tested were contaminated with prohibited substances and/or unapproved drugs (most commonly stimulants and anabolic agents).

Their findings highlight the magnitude of the contamination issue, the need for improved manufacturing and labeling practices, and the potential exposure risks for athletes and others who consume supplements.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13021601/

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