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Cobalt as a Banned Substance in Racehorses

Besides being a micronutrient, cobalt is considered an erythropoietic agent. Racing authorities such as the International Federation of Horse Racing (IFHA), the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have banned the use of cobalt because its erythropoietic effect has been demonstrated in scientific studies. However, a threshold limit has been set for plasma and urine samples due to the fact that there is some amount naturally in the body. Various studies have also been carried out by IFHA stakeholders to determine threshold limits. And a threshold limit of 100 ng/ml for urine and 25 ng/ml for plasma was determined. Since the threshold limit was determined in 2015, the increase in cobalt violations in races has led to an increase in the related sanctions. These violations pose an important problem in Turkey as well as in the world. Scientific researches on oral and parenteral applications of cobalt have been carried out in order to investigate the applications that may lead to cobalt violation, and possible risks have been tried to be revealed. In addition, the effects of cobalt on erythropoiesis have been shown and although it was used in the treatment of anemia in the past, its use was abandoned due to the occurrence of undesirable effects when applied at a certain dose and frequency. Furthermore, the erythropoietic effects seen in studies in humans and experimental animals have not been clearly demonstrated in studies performed in horses, and their effects on performance have not been reported. In this study, the pharmacological properties of cobalt, its toxic effects, cobalt requirements in horses, determination of cobalt threshold limits and applications that may lead to violations has been presented in this study.