Denmark has become the first country in the world to implement the Dried Blood Spot (DBS) method in sports, a revolutionary doping test touted as more reliable for the authorities and more convenient for athletes.
Dried blood spot testing (DBS) is a form of biosampling where blood samples are blotted and dried on filter paper. Jakob Mørkeberg, is a senior scientific consultant at Anti Doping Denmark, called it pioneering.
“The groundbreaking thing is that the collection of the test itself is extremely fast. The athlete gets a tiny prick in the shoulder, where you use a specially designed device that allows you to collect the sample in a few minutes”, Jakob Mørkeberg told Danish Radio.
Compared to the urine sample, which is the most go-to method, there is time to save. Especially if the athlete is dehydrated after the strenuous physical activity, the urine sample can take time, and thus the new method allows for an increase in the number of doping tests.
“Even with the same budget, we will be able to test more than we do today,” Jakob Mørkeberg said.
“Even with the same budget, we will be able to test more than we do today,” Jakob Mørkeberg said.
According to Mørkeberg, just being able to test more is a good thing if you want to clamp down on doping. Sara Amalie Solheim, a fellow scientific consultant at Anti Doping Denmark who has written a PhD about the method, assured that more frequent doping controls can have a deterrent effect.
“Another good thing is that the athletes do not have to wait to pee if they can not, and then they also skip having someone watch while they to the toilet. It is not so intimidating, and the study also shows that the method does not hurt so much”, Sara Amalie Solheim concluded.
Furthermore, during the trial period run by the Anti-Doping Denmark, wholly 96 percent of those tested preferred the new method.
Still, the introduction of the new method does mean the death of old ones. The new method has its disadvantages as well, as it fails to correctly detect the presence of a few substances.
“The decision will be made on the basis of which athletes you want to test, or how many you want to test,” Sara Amalie Solheim concluded.
Still, the introduction of the new method does mean the death of old ones. The new method has its disadvantages as well, as it fails to correctly detect the presence of a few substances.
“The decision will be made on the basis of which athletes you want to test, or how many you want to test,” Sara Amalie Solheim concluded.