Italian researchers have come up with the first-ever test to catch athletes using human growth hormone, one of the most common doping agents.
The Higher Health Institute (ISS), working with American labs, has found a way to detect recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in athletes' urine.
Up till now rhGH has eluded doping sleuths because its metabolism is so fast it is eliminated by the body before doping samples are taken.
Anti-doping labs have also found it impossible to tell rhGH from the growth hormone the body naturally produces.
''This test appears to be so innovative that it could make a decisive contribution to the fight against doping,'' said ISS President Enrico Garaci.
ISS pharmacological researcher Roberta Pacifici said ''it is currently too hard to catch rhGH, even if tests are performed just 24 hours after it was taken''.
''If the research results are confirmed, we will have another formidable weapon against doping,'' she said.
