The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has welcomed the rejection of a legal challenge to the whereabouts rule which it says is a key element in the fight against doping.
French unions representing rugby, football, basketball and handball players had filed a complaint against the rule at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), saying it violated the right to respect for private and family life.
The complaint was rejected on Thursday, the ECHR said in a statement.
It said that the judges accepted the rule had an impact on the athletes' private lives but "took the view that the public interest grounds which made it necessary were of particular importance and justified the restrictions" on their freedom.
The rule requires targeted athletes to file information on where they will be for at least one hour of every day to allow drug testers to locate them for random out-of-competition tests.