According to a Swiss research to be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the current methods for testing steroid and testosterone doping for international sports events should be scrapped. The research explained that current methods for testing use testosterone:epitestosterone ratio (also called T:E ratio, for short) does not take into account ethnic differences in tolerances and natural testosterone levels.

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, growth hormones, such as testosterone and other testosterone boosters are used as a performance enhancers and are the most widely abused substances used in international sports. The testosterone level is used as an indicator and is tested against a standard threshold to determine if testosterone boosters or other performance enhancing drugs have been used. A sample’s T:E ratio is determined through chemical analysis using gas chromatography.

The threshold is set at four for all, regardless of ethnicity. This is used as the standard threshold for all T:E testing of urine samples. This was proven when the research used football player’s steroid profiles of different ethnicities. The study had the players deliberately add steroid to their urine samples prior to testing. The gas chromatography tested for the variation in the UGT2B17 gene. The study built upon earlier research which showed that variations in the UGT2B17 gene resulted in differences in the urinary T:E ratio. There was significant difference between samples from whites, black africans, hispanics and Asians.

The gene is related to a person’s metabolism, and this affects the rate testosterone is passed out the body through the urine. The current research included 57 men of Black African origin; 32 of Asian origin; 32 of Hispanic origin; and 50 of white (Caucasian) origin. The men were between the ages of 18 and 36. The results showed a vide variation between the various ethnic groups. Genetic variation was noted in 22% of the African footballers; in 81% of the Asian players; one in 10 of the white men, and in 7% of the Hispanic players. These ranges were deemed significant and showed differences between ethnic origins in how testosterone affects the body.

With the findings, the researchers used a “recalibrated” T:E ratio threshold for each of the ethnic groups. The new T:E ratios were: 5.6 for men of African origin; 5.7 for white men; 5.8 for men of Hispanic origin; and 3.8 men of Asian origin. The research also concluded that a single threshold for all would not be adequate to take into account metabolic tolerances between ethnicities. The current tests were considered as “not fit for purpose” for testing against doping in international competitions.

It was further suggested that reference ranges should be used. These ranges should be tailored to an individual’s endocrinological or hormonal “passport.” The researchers concluded that “[such a] passport may detect modifications induced by abuse of testosterone and its precursors, but also alterations in the steroid profile caused by indirect androgen doping products.”

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