Drug Use and Ultra-endurance Race

Healthy Individuals

Sport, competition, ultra-endurance, trail running, doping

Hypothesis: To verify whether the use of drugs, in particular performance-enhancing drugs, is prevalent amongst participants in a very long distance mountain trail. Primary objective : To qualify and quantify drug use amongst participants in a very long distance mountain trail, by targeting the molecules most likely used by the runners.

Introduction : very long distance mountain trail which is particularly demanding for the organism. This kind of competition is likely to have an impact on the athlete's health and / or physical integrity. It is assumed that many participants may use medication in an attempt to i) prevent and /or treat medical conditions induced by prolonged muscular exercise, and ii) delay fatigue and improve physical and/or psychological capacities. Beyond ethical and regulatory considerations, such practice in this isolated environment is not without health risks. However, to our knowledge, there is no objective data on medication use during very long distance mountain trails. Methodology : Individual urine samples from male competitors participating in a very long distance mountain trail and using temporary urinals near the starting line will be collected within three hours before departure, anonymously, blindly, using hidden automated samplers. Simultaneously with automated urine sampling, demographic data (age class, ranking class, geographical area of residence, performance class over the year) will be collected anonymously via an automated system detecting the runners' electronic bibs. The quantification of different classes of drugs in the urine samples will be performed by World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratories using liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and / or gas chromatography. The classes of molecules sought will be the following: most common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, stimulants, narcotics, anabolic agents, metabolic modulators, cannabinoids, beta2-agonists, beta-blockers, diuretics, benzodiazepines. A questionnaire about drug use before/during the race and using the randomized response technique (RRT) will be proposed online, anonymously to female and male participant after the competition. Expected results : drug use is frequent amongst participants in a very long distance mountain trail. Drug use prevalence measured from automated urine collection is higher than that obtained from the RRT questionnaire.

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