In the battle for safe and fair sport , there is no room for stagnation , making it imperative that innovators across industries unite to explore how the latest technologies and solutions can improve anti-doping detection and deterrence efforts to better serve clean athletes . The collaboration aims to do just that . Epicore ’ s sweat collection device not only offers the opportunity for more collections , but also makes the collection process as convenient and non-invasive as possible for athletes while offering the intriguing possibility of giving real-time health data back to athletes to optimise their performance .

To date , athletes have been required to submit blood and / or urine samples for anti-doping efforts , which can be timeconsuming and feel invasive for athletes . The Epicore and USADA partnership aims to dramatically improve the status quo by providing a non-invasive , wearable approach to conventional screening using biomarkers and drug detection in sweat . The technology could be especially valuable for incompetition testing to minimise the impact of doping control during a time when athletes face significant demands on their time and bodies .

“ We are redefining hydration recovery and performance management with a suite of sweat-sensing products that bring value to organisations and people across sports , consumer health and industrial sectors . Partnering with USADA adds an entirely new dimension to our offerings , enabling analysis of new biomarkers to support athletes everywhere ,” said Matt Marrapode , Vice President of Strategy at Epicore Biosystems . “ This collaboration signifies a shared vision to empower athletes with tools that optimise their performance , while upholding the principles of fair play and a level playing field for all .”

The collaboration began in 2023 with a proof-of-concept study , which revealed the ability to easily and reliably collect a sweat sample from multiple locations on the body that is suitable for drug analyses from an exercising athlete . Epicore and USADA are continuing exploratory research work to better understand the viability and application of sweat as a drug screening matrix that is less burdensome for athletes while also providing them with valuable hydration health insights for performance , recovery and resilience .

“ USADA is constantly evaluating new technologies and innovative solutions from various industries to address the latest and most pressing problems in anti-doping ,” said Dr Matthew Fedoruk , Chief Scientific Officer at USADA . “ The partnership with Epicore allows us to achieve this mission with breakthrough biomedical research using the Discovery Patch to unlock the utility of sweat , which both expands our anti-doping capabilities and our service to clean athletes .”

Epicore develops advanced wearable solutions that capture sweat and measure its bio-composition in realtime , providing customised insights about hydration , stress , nutrition and disease progression – all captured with unobtrusive wearable sweat sensors and analysed through a proprietary cloud engine . The Discovery Patch is a single-use , flexible wearable microfluidic patch that is designed to be soft and compatible for wear on the skin . �

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