Hair Analysis for the Detection of Misuse of Drugs in Sports: A Perspective

Doping is forbidden by athletic organizations as well as by the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA) established in 1999. WADA defines doping as the “presence of prohibited substances in an athlete's body”. In last decades, urine & blood are the routine samples of choice for the analysis of drugs. However, in recent years, hair has become an alternative biological specimen for drug testing within the field of doping in sports, forensic toxicology & workplace testing. Hair testing can complement technique for conventional blood and urine analysis because it prolongs the detection window and by segmental analysis, permits discrimination between long-term therapeutic use and acute exposure.