Urine EPO test a complete farse

\'Urine EPO test a complete farse\'

I think your spelling is more farcical

So will WADA be sued?

From:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/epo/

"EPO was such a concern leading up to the Sydney Olympics that officials quickly came up with a test for the hormone. The test involves both blood and urine samples. The blood test looks for high levels of immature red blood cells, indicating that a large amount of the cells were produced recently.

If the number of young blood cells in a sample is too high (the cut-off point is a guarded secret), the athlete's urine is then tested using sophisticated molecular fingerprinting techniques. The urine test is meant to tease out molecular markers present in synthetic EPO that do not occur in the natural hormone."

How about a three strikes rule? Fail the blood test, fail the urine test, 'crit over 50%, yer out! Really, if someone fails the urine test but has a 'crit of 45-49% I really don't see the problem because the EPO wouldn't be doing a very good job if the person's 'crit is still in the mid 40s.

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

If the number of young blood cells in a sample is too high (the cut-off point is a guarded secret) . . .

Alan

I'd have to go back a re-read the literature on the Aussie blood test to be sure, but the "guarded secret" aspect suggests that this test also has not been adequately validated to ensure against false-positives. If it had been, the validation study likely would have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, eliminating any guarded secrets about the test.

Then why does this test exist if it is not accurate?

Sylverster wrote:

Then why does this test exist if it is not accurate?

...because they felt they needed SOMETHING to deter doping, even if it wasn't properly validated at the time they put it out there. Ever since they have been too worried about casting doubt on the test to revise and properly validate it. My opinion anyways.

There's been some questioning for a while from those who got caught cheating like Bernard lagat....kinda funny that now that Lance has been proven a cheater all this is coming out. All of a sudden everyones on a crusade to prove this test isn't accurate.

Just send Lance to jail already.....The guy used epo....he used a cream that enhanced Epo that he had a "doctors note" for....as did his teamate in 01', who also tested positive for EPO from that 99' sample. The guy cheated....This didn't fly for Kelli white....it shouldn't for Lance.

Maybe if he hadn't been using this EPO enhancing creme he might have a little more of a case, and if his teamate didn't have the same cheating doctors note.

AH wrote:

Sylverster wrote:

Then why does this test exist if it is not accurate?

...because they felt they needed SOMETHING to deter doping, even if it wasn't properly validated at the time they put it out there. Ever since they have been too worried about casting doubt on the test to revise and properly validate it. My opinion anyways.

I think you're right. The thinking seemed to be, We have to do something, anything. And they grabbed at the first test that showed promise. Unfortunately, it wasn't reliable.

Mrr82 wrote:

All of a sudden everyones on a crusade to prove this test isn't accurate.

It's not going to require much of a crusade. They simply need to point out that no validation study of the test has ever been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Here is the latest of the dubious EPO test results:

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/75600.asp

Sample A was first declared positive, the rider was immediately suspended from his team. Now after several weeks, the Sample B turned out as negative.

Adverse technical finding, it´s ok, the lab is insured, the test procedure is ok. So what?

"Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;

While night´s black agents to their preys do rouse..."

Shakespeare, Macbeth

...let me be the first to welcome our genetically enhanced, doped up overlords to the sport!

Thanks Dick Pound!!! You likely just opened the drug floodgates.