The pipeline of new drugs is unlikely to run dry, says Dr Cooper, for the human body contains hundreds of processes and chemical targets that might be tweaked to boost sporting performance.
There is often more than one biochemical way to achieve the desired effect.
达到预期效果的生化方法往往不止一种。
Rather than beefing up an athlete's muscles, another new class of drugs, myostatin inhibitors, slow the routine breakdown of muscle tissue, offering an alternative way of increasing strength.
另一类新药，“肌抑素抑制剂”，它无法增强运动员的肌肉，而是通过减缓肌肉组织的常规分解来增强力量。
Cyclists, meanwhile, are rumoured to have been experimenting with a drug called AICAR, hoping it will help them lose weight while holding on to muscle mass.
As with EPO, says Dr Tucker, the idea is to improve the all-important power-to-weight ratio— but by tinkering with the "weight" side of the equation instead of the "power" side.
Those who prefer to stick with the old favourites can simply try using less.
那些无法割舍旧爱的人可以尝试用一点点。
"Micro-dosing"—taking regular small doses instead of occasional big ones—ensures a drug will clear the body faster, making an athlete less likely to fail a test.
In a book published last year Grigory Rodchenkov, a chemist who ran the laboratory in Moscow that was at the centre of the Russian doping scandal, recounts how he developed "Duchess",
在去年出版的一本书中，格里戈里·罗琴科夫讲述了他是如何开发出“公爵夫人”鸡尾酒的，
a whisky-based cocktail that included the steroids trenbolone, oxyandrolone and methenolone.
The idea was that absorption directly through the tissues of the mouth would produce fewer telltale metabolites than injections or pills, and thus cut the risk of detection.
他们的想法是，直接通过口腔组织吸收会比注射或药片产生更少的代谢物，从而降低被检测到的风险。
Lower-tech strategies can work, too. One is to get a therapeutic use exemption (TUE)—a doctor's note saying you need a drug for medical reasons.
The pipeline of new drugs is unlikely to run dry, says Dr Cooper, for the human body contains hundreds of processes and chemical targets that might be tweaked to boost sporting performance. There is often more than one biochemical way to achieve the desired effect. Rather than beefing up an athlete's muscles, another new class of drugs, myostatin inhibitors, slow the routine breakdown of muscle tissue, offering an alternative way of increasing strength. Cyclists, meanwhile, are rumoured to have been experimenting with a drug called AICAR, hoping it will help them lose weight while holding on to muscle mass. As with EPO, says Dr Tucker, the idea is to improve the all-important power-to-weight ratio— but by tinkering with the "weight" side of the equation instead of the "power" side.
Those who prefer to stick with the old favourites can simply try using less. "Micro-dosing"—taking regular small doses instead of occasional big ones—ensures a drug will clear the body faster, making an athlete less likely to fail a test. New ways of administering old drugs help too. In a book published last year Grigory Rodchenkov, a chemist who ran the laboratory in Moscow that was at the centre of the Russian doping scandal, recounts how he developed "Duchess", a whisky-based cocktail that included the steroids trenbolone, oxyandrolone and methenolone. The idea was that absorption directly through the tissues of the mouth would produce fewer telltale metabolites than injections or pills, and thus cut the risk of detection.
Lower-tech strategies can work, too. One is to get a therapeutic use exemption (TUE)—a doctor's note saying you need a drug for medical reasons. WADA insists that TUES are granted only after rigorous checks. A paper from 2020 found no evidence that athletes with TUEs were more likely to win than others. But doubts persist. In 2018 Britain's Parliament accused Team Sky, a cycling team, of using TUEs to help supply PEDS to riders. (They deny it.)
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