Chemistry and Athletic Performance (Chem 290) T. C. Werner
From Game of Shadows, Fainaru-Wada and Williams, Gotham Books 2006:
The athlete caught using the steroid was the elite cyclist Tammy Thomas, who a year earlier had won a silver medal at the World Track Cycling Championships in Belgium. Thomas looked like a steroid userÉÉ. Thomas had a reputation for erratic behavior, and some within the Olympic movement feared how she would react. Employees ÉÉÉÉ..at CatlinÕs UCLA lab also girded for a violent reaction. Surveillance cameras were installed at CatlinÕs home and at the lab, and ThomasÕs picture was posted on the front door of the lab, with a warning: This woman tested positive for steroids, and campus police should be contacted immediately if she was spotted around the building.
A focus of this course will be the high tech cat-and-mouse game played by athletes who use banned performance-enhancing substances (e.g., steroids) and the scientists (e.g., UCLAÕs Don Catlin) and sports agency (WADA, MLB, NFL, NBA, etc.) administrators who try to catch these Òcheaters.Ó Perhaps the best example of this is the BALCO case, where several prominent athletes (e.g., Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery) have been accused of using ÒdesignerÓ steroids that were, until recently, undetectable. Other performance-enhancing substances and methods to be discussed include amphetamines (MLBÕs headache), blood doping by transfusions and by EPO (Did Lance use it?), human growth hormone, insulin and IGF (all undetectable?) and gene doping (the Ònuclear optionÓ of sports doping).
Emphasis will be placed on the attainment and interpretation of data using modern analytical methods, such as GC-MS, LC-MS, LC-MS-MS, isotope ratio MS, isoelectric focusing and immunoassays. There will be a significant amount of reading from primary and secondary sources along with subsequent discussion of these readings.
The course will also include the participation of coaches and faculty from non-science disciplines in discussions of the ethics of sports doping. The course syllabus has been developed in consultation with staff at the U.S. Olympic Analytical Laboratory at UCLA and Anti-Doping Research, Inc.
Required Text
Game of Shadows by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, Gotham Books 2006. In addition, there will be readings from the primary and secondary literature featuring the use of mass spectrometry and electrophoretic methods for the detection of banned substances.
Evaluation Criteria
Two exams will be given; one near mid-term and one in the 9th week (no final). In addition, students will be asked to prepare a poster presentation on a banned substance not covered in class. The poster session will be a joint session with Professor GmelchÕs class on baseball and American culture. The course does not have a lab component. There will be opportunity for in-class discussion, and student participation is expected.
Course Prerequisties
Chem 232 is required. Enrollment will be limited and preference will be given to juniors and seniors. The course will count toward the chemistry minor but not toward the chemistry major.
The course syllabus for Chemistry and Athletic Performance (Chem 290, spring term 2007)
GS = Game of Shadows TBA = reading to be announced
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Class (Week)
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Lecture Topic
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Reading Assignments
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Monday, April 2 (1)
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Drug Use Past and Present
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Wednesday, April 4
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Drug Use Past and Present
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ÒInside the Steroid StingÓ, SI, March 12, 2007
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Friday, April 6
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Review of Chromatography
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GS Prologue, Ch. 1 |
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Monday, April 9 (2)
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Review of Chromatography
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GS Ch. 2, 3
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Wednesday, April 11
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GC-MS LC- MS Part 1 |
GS Ch. 4, 5
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Friday, April 13
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GC-MS LC- MS Part 1 |
GS Ch. 6, 7
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Monday, April 16 (3)
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GC-MS LC- MS Part 1 |
GS Ch. 8, 9
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Wednesday, April 18
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GC-MS LC- MS Part 2 |
GS Ch. 10, 11
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Friday, April 20
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GC-MS LC- MS Part 2 |
GS Ch. 12, 13
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Monday, April 23 (4)
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GC-MS LC- MS Part 2 |
GS Ch. 14, 15
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Wednesday, April 25
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Isoelectric Focusing (Exam Review)
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Friday, April 27
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First Hour Exam
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Monday, April 30 (5)
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Immunoassays
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GS Ch. 16, 17
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Wednesday, May 2
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Immunoassays, Amphetamines
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GS Ch. 18, 19
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Friday, May 4
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STEINMETZ SYMPOSIUM
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Monday, May 7 (6)
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Amphetamine Analysis
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GS Ch. 20, 21
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Wednesday, May 9
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Amphetamine Analysis
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GS Ch. 22, 23. Epilogue
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Friday, May 11
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Steroids
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The Floyd Landis Defense
(pdf on Blackboard)
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Monday, May 14 (7)
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Steroids
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Floyd Landis Doping Case
(Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, 3/7/07) (Blackboard)
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Wednesday, May 16
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Steroid Analysis
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TBA
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Friday, May 18
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Steroid Analysis
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WADA Technical Documents on Steroid Testing (Blackboard)
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Monday, May 21 (8)
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Blood Doping
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TBA
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Wednesday, May 23
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Blood Doping
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TBA
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Friday, May 25
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HGH
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TBA
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Monday, May 28 (9)
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Future of PED use
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TBA
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Wednesday, May 30
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Future of PED Use
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TBA
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Friday, June 1
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Second Hour Exam
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TBA
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Monday, June 4 (10)
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Social Perspectives
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TBA
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Wednesday, June 6 |
Guest (sports ethics)
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TBA
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Friday, June 8
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Guest (Union coaches)
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LA Times articles on the ÒpersecutionÓ of athletes in doping accusations |