Ever since the announcement of Lance Armstrong about his use of illegal training/racing methods, people have been interested in the topic. One of the main strategies used by elite athletes who want to cheat, use a hormone known as EPO (Erythropoietin).
What is EPO?
EPO is a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin to increase the amount of oxygen transfer in the tissues. EPO goes through the kidneys for processing, which is why it is often used by people suffering from chronic kidney disease.
Benefits?
Runners world recently posted an article about a study that was accomplished on the effects of EPO that shows the benefits of its use to athletes (Hutchinson, 2014). The bottom line of the study is that time to exhaustion is benefited by 54% after 4 weeks of use! It is a very powerful drug, but does that mean you should use it? Of course, if you race in any WADA monitored racing such as Ironman, and some Ultra-racing events, then they will be testing for this drug. Bottom line-- DON'T CHEAT! Be Ethical in your racing and training. Unfortunately, for you, it makes you wonder.. is the person next to you or the person who just rode past you doing something illegal? There is more to life than winning, and what are the side effect?
Side Effects?
There are many side effects that come with the use of EPO. According to WebMD, side effects include high blood pressure, heart failure, heart attack, and stroke. The last three is caused be an increase in hemoglobin in the body. It's just not worth it!
References
Hutchinson, A. (2014, August 21). How Does EPO Work? Runners World. Retrieved from http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/how-does-epo-work
WebMd. (2014). Erythropoietin Stimulating Agent. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/erythropoietin-stimulators.
What is EPO?
EPO is a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin to increase the amount of oxygen transfer in the tissues. EPO goes through the kidneys for processing, which is why it is often used by people suffering from chronic kidney disease.
Benefits?
Runners world recently posted an article about a study that was accomplished on the effects of EPO that shows the benefits of its use to athletes (Hutchinson, 2014). The bottom line of the study is that time to exhaustion is benefited by 54% after 4 weeks of use! It is a very powerful drug, but does that mean you should use it? Of course, if you race in any WADA monitored racing such as Ironman, and some Ultra-racing events, then they will be testing for this drug. Bottom line-- DON'T CHEAT! Be Ethical in your racing and training. Unfortunately, for you, it makes you wonder.. is the person next to you or the person who just rode past you doing something illegal? There is more to life than winning, and what are the side effect?
Side Effects?
There are many side effects that come with the use of EPO. According to WebMD, side effects include high blood pressure, heart failure, heart attack, and stroke. The last three is caused be an increase in hemoglobin in the body. It's just not worth it!
References
Hutchinson, A. (2014, August 21). How Does EPO Work? Runners World. Retrieved from http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/how-does-epo-work
WebMd. (2014). Erythropoietin Stimulating Agent. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/erythropoietin-stimulators.
