Blood doping is an illegitimate method used to improve an athlete’s physical performance by amplifying the blood’s ability to bring more oxygen to the muscles. (More Sports News)
It increases the amount of haemoglobin in the bloodstream which allows more oxygen to the muscles, thereby increasing the performance, especially where slow-twitch fibres majorly come into the picture - for example, running and cycling.
What is haemoglobin?
Haemoglobin is a type of oxygen-carrying protein present in the red blood cells (RBCs).
What are the types of blood doping?
There are namely three types of blood doping:
1. Blood Transfusion
2. Injections of erythropoietin ( EPO - stimulates RBC production)
3. Injections of synthetic oxygen carriers
What are potential blood doping risks?
Well, by amplifying the blood’s ability to bring more oxygen or by increasing the red blood cell production, the blood starts to become firmer or thicken. Hence, it asks the heart to do more than what it usually does to pump blood throughout the body.
When the heart starts to work overtime, there could raise a few potential risks like blood clot, heart attack and stroke. A few reports have suggested that European cyclists have died over the last two and a half decades.
There are also a few additional risks that could arise from infected blood, such as, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Blood transfusions can also cause a major buildup in iron which again causes risk.
However, blood doping has been completely banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
