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.
