Thought I'd make a post about this for interested peeps as it seems a few people are aware of the test but not sure how it works.
I have the equipment to do the test in my lab and I have administered the test on at least 100 occasions. I've also done the test myself around 10 times.
It works on the principle of dilution. If you measure the saturation of CO bound to Hb (%HbCO) in the blood before and after a precise dose of CO is given, then the smaller the change in %HbCO, the larger the tHbmass.
%HbCO is measured from a capillary blood sample first. The subject then rebreathes through a glass pipe that looks rather like a big crack pipe or something, which has attachments for a syringe to administer the CO dose and a 3L rebreathing bag. You insert a CO2 scrubber inside the pipe so that you don't end up hyperventilating like a psychopath with a brown paper bag. Upon inserting the CO dose into the rebreathing pipe, the subject breathes for exactly 2min. The remaining CO left in the lung is measured (in ppm) by conducting a complete forced expiration, and the remaining CO in the rebreathing bag is also measured by sucking it out with a hand held piston. Further capillary blood samples are taken after about 5min.
It really is quite a simple test to conduct and is over in about 10-15min. The measurement of %HbCO in the blood samples is rapid and would always be performed immediately to ensure stability of the blood is not compromised by longterm storage.
I don't think the test could ever be conducted in the morning before racing, because you can notice some sluggishness in performance if you train immediately after the test, but after about 3hr, you don't feel any different to normal. The amount of CO administered is so small that within 6-8hrs you are back to baseline values. I don't believe the test can be administered twice in a row, but it most certainly can be done on a daily basis without any long term effect on aerobic performance.
The main source of error is if there is a leak of CO from the rebreathing pipe, but if it is conducted properly, the variation in test results is actually lower than many standard full blood count variables used in the bio-passport. The lower the inherent variability in a measure, the better its use from an anti-doping perspective, because it means the thresholds can be tighter.
The beauty of the test really lies in the fact that it zeros in on the criterion variable. The object of doping manipulation IS to increase tHbmass, so why not measure it directly instead of relying on a host of indirect markers? The only way to beat the test is to know exactly what your previous test result was and know exactly when you are going to be tested, because you could of course remove the appropriate amount of blood, do the test, then just put it back afterwards. Not such an easy thing to do though, if the actual results don't get released to the team doctor. Remember that a big decrease in tHbmass is also evidence of tampering.
The big problem is the leak issue. I think there will be significant legal hurdles to overcome in the event that an athlete continually sabotages the test by causing a leak on purpose ie: not keeping a seal around the mouthpiece through which they must breathe. If they can fix that problem somehow, then we have a winner!
I have the equipment to do the test in my lab and I have administered the test on at least 100 occasions. I've also done the test myself around 10 times.
It works on the principle of dilution. If you measure the saturation of CO bound to Hb (%HbCO) in the blood before and after a precise dose of CO is given, then the smaller the change in %HbCO, the larger the tHbmass.
%HbCO is measured from a capillary blood sample first. The subject then rebreathes through a glass pipe that looks rather like a big crack pipe or something, which has attachments for a syringe to administer the CO dose and a 3L rebreathing bag. You insert a CO2 scrubber inside the pipe so that you don't end up hyperventilating like a psychopath with a brown paper bag. Upon inserting the CO dose into the rebreathing pipe, the subject breathes for exactly 2min. The remaining CO left in the lung is measured (in ppm) by conducting a complete forced expiration, and the remaining CO in the rebreathing bag is also measured by sucking it out with a hand held piston. Further capillary blood samples are taken after about 5min.
It really is quite a simple test to conduct and is over in about 10-15min. The measurement of %HbCO in the blood samples is rapid and would always be performed immediately to ensure stability of the blood is not compromised by longterm storage.
I don't think the test could ever be conducted in the morning before racing, because you can notice some sluggishness in performance if you train immediately after the test, but after about 3hr, you don't feel any different to normal. The amount of CO administered is so small that within 6-8hrs you are back to baseline values. I don't believe the test can be administered twice in a row, but it most certainly can be done on a daily basis without any long term effect on aerobic performance.
The main source of error is if there is a leak of CO from the rebreathing pipe, but if it is conducted properly, the variation in test results is actually lower than many standard full blood count variables used in the bio-passport. The lower the inherent variability in a measure, the better its use from an anti-doping perspective, because it means the thresholds can be tighter.
The beauty of the test really lies in the fact that it zeros in on the criterion variable. The object of doping manipulation IS to increase tHbmass, so why not measure it directly instead of relying on a host of indirect markers? The only way to beat the test is to know exactly what your previous test result was and know exactly when you are going to be tested, because you could of course remove the appropriate amount of blood, do the test, then just put it back afterwards. Not such an easy thing to do though, if the actual results don't get released to the team doctor. Remember that a big decrease in tHbmass is also evidence of tampering.
The big problem is the leak issue. I think there will be significant legal hurdles to overcome in the event that an athlete continually sabotages the test by causing a leak on purpose ie: not keeping a seal around the mouthpiece through which they must breathe. If they can fix that problem somehow, then we have a winner!
!
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