- HOME
- NEWS
- SPORTS
- BUSINESS
- FYI/LIVING
- ENTERTAINMENT
- OPINION
- JOBS
- CARS
- REAL ESTATE
- RENTALS
- CLASSIFIEDS
- SHOPPING
- EXTRAS
Posted on Mon, Jul. 14, 2008 10:15 PM
What is blood doping?
More News
Some in sports things just go together. Hot dogs and mustard. The New York Yankees and haughtiness. Blood doping and the Tour de France.
But what exactly is blood doping?
It’s the practice of raising the number of red blood cells in an athlete’s body. Because red-blood cells carry oxygen to the muscles, the increase in their numbers helps increase stamina and performance, according to the World Anti-Doping Association.
Hematocrit measures the percentage of red blood cells in whole blood. According to the National Anemia Action Council, the normal average hematocrit for adult males is 46 percent, with the range being between 40 percent and 52 percent.
To increase that percentage, some athletes will train at high altitudes where there is less oxygen. The body then produces more red blood cells to make up for the difference. Back at low altitudes, the athlete will have a higher hematocrit for a short time.
Although it is legal, the benefits are slight, because it is a small increase in the hematocrit.
Illegal blood doping is done in one of two ways: transfusions and EPO.
In transfusions, an athlete has donates his/her own blood, usually about two months before racing. The red blood cells are separated using a centrifuge and put in cold storage. Shortly before racing, the red blood cells are injected back into the athlete.
Sometimes, an athlete will use a transfusion of blood from another person with the same blood type. The upside of this is it makes it easier to continue training in the weeks leading up to the race, because the athlete’s body will not be compensating for the blood that was lost in his/her own transfusion.
A transfusion can increase an athlete’s hematocrit by up to 10 percent.
Erythropoietin — or EPO — is a hormone that is produced in the kidneys and acts on the bone marrow to produce extra red blood cells. It is believed that EPO also can increase the hematocrit by as much as 10 percent, usually for about a six-week period.
Used for the treatment of anemia resulting from renal failure, EPO can be metabolized in less than a week, which makes it difficult to detect. However, a test for EPO was introduced in 2000.
Last week, Manuel Beltran was kicked out of the Tour de France after testing positive for EPO.
To reach Pete Grathoff, send e-mail to pgrathoff@kcstar.com
Posted on Mon, Jul. 14, 2008 10:15 PM
-
SERVICE TECHNICIAN
Superior Door Service, Inc.
-
Management - Sales
Confidential Company
-
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church
@Nyx.CommentBody@