A bit of an unusual post this one, but I thought I'd share some information with you as I regularly see people asking about testing / detection for sporting events. I attended a series of conferences this week that involved a presentation from WADA, (World Anti Doping Agency). These guys are basically "the rules" in terms of testing for PED's if you're a national / international level athlete. When I competed in martial arts, these were the guys that controlled testing at the European championships as an example.

The questions I see on eroids generally relate to how to cheat competition tests, employer tests, half lives etc. The reality of the situation is it depends on the test. Most employers use very basic levels to check for narcotics, rarely interested in PED's as a general rule, cheap, fast solutions. For the competitive athlete, this is an entirely different ball game. There's some major inroads being made into doping.

It's a well known fact in drug manufacture that invariably these days WADA have testing capabilities before the drug is even on the market. What was interesting about this conference is it involved a drug my company is involved with, one which I know a fair bit about as I was involved in the design of the delivery system. It's not designed as a PED but will have some positive effects that could be exploited in the right hands. It's due to hit the market late 2016 / early 2017. Guess what? WADA can already trace it in your blood in minute quantities 2.5 to 3 years before it's available on prescription.

Lots of money going into this area now, the media / Armstrong farce etc making it more visible to the public eye being the major fuel behind it. If you're a competitive athlete, be aware that these guys are way ahead of the game now and investing SERIOUS cash into their science.......