[Doping control in race horses].

Abstract

Doping in performance horses is defined as the "illegal application of any substance, except normal diet, that might modify the natural and present capacities of the horse at the time of the race." The prohibition of doping is mainly based on the protection of animals. Doping can be performed with various aims: "doping to win" can be regarded as the classical method by mobilization of overphysiological capacities. Such positive doping may be classified as an acute form using psychomotoric stimulants, as a chronic form using anabolic hormones, and as a paradoxical form using small doses of neuroleptics or tranquilizers in excitable horses. In larger doses these sedatives are acting for "doping to loose" in a more subtle manner as compared to hypnotics. According to the doping regulations there is no difference between therapy and doping at the time of the race. Thus at the race all medications to restore normal performance have to be regarded as doping. This fact especially concerns the therapy of lamenesses with non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs or local anesthetics. A particular problem is "inadvertent" doping due to unknown side effects, combinations of drugs, galenic supplements or food additives. Accidental doping may further be caused by the unawareness of elimination times. At the moment no exact withdrawing times can be defined due to the manifold interindividual variations at different levels of the pharmacokinetics. As a border-line case of doping the application of endogenous substances, like electrolytes or glucose, may be regarded. Though their parenteral application is prohibited prior to the race, only bicarbonate or "blood doping" may be considered to be effective as positive doping. Special doping methods are the use of "masking" substances or diuretics in order to make more difficult the detection of illegal drugs as well as physical doping procedures which are often hardly to define and which thus are only in part included in the doping regulations.