U.S. cyclists, Lance Armstrong, had to give up all of his title at the Tour de France was stripped after he was found guilty of doping. Riders are known to perform doping sophisticated, professional, and hard traced, blood doping.
Doping is a criminal act in the sport. Blood doping is an illegal method to improve an athlete's performance by increasing the body's ability to carry more oxygen to the muscles.
In many cases blood doping increases the amount of hemoglobin in the blood circulation. Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein in the blood. With the increase in the amount of hemoglobin oxygen as fuel is also increasing muscle athletes. This will lead to performance and stamina, especially in long-distance races, such as cycling or running.
Yourself banned blood doping by the International Olympic Committee and other sports organizations. In general there are 3 known blood doping, ie, blood transfusion, injection of erythropoietin (EPO), and injection of synthetic oxygen carriers.
1. Transfusion
Blood transfusion is actually a medical practice to replace blood lost due to accident or surgery, or even provide a low blood cell due to anemia or kidney failure. Blood transfusions are used to improve the performance of athletes there are two types, ie, autologous blood transfusion using athletes themselves were taken and stored for later use.
The second type of blood transfusion are homologous transfusion, use of blood of another person who has the same blood type. However, doping can be detected. The detection method came into use in 2004 in the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
2. EPO injection.
EPO is a hormone produced in the kidneys and regulates red blood cell production. In medical practice, EPO injections are given to stimulate the production of red blood cells. EPO in athletes used to stimulate the body to produce red blood cells higher than normal levels thus increasing stamina.
Blood and urine tests can detect EPO sinteteis. But EPO in the body in a short time despite the long-term impact. This means that rather difficult to detect.
3. Synthetic oxygen carriers.
Using a chemical that has the ability to carry oxygen. In the medical world this practice is permissible if no human blood, there is a risk of blood infections, and not enough time to find a suitable blood donor.
The athletes use synthetic oxygen carriers to achieve maximum performance by increasing oxygen in the blood. Tests to determine the doping practices has also been available since 2004.
In the doping test procedure, the test is actually not only be done when the competition but also when not competing. There are officers who would come home athletes to take a blood sample. But athletes often obscure or hide from the officers. Or they are also accustomed to using certain substances that can neutralize blood viscosity that doping was detected.
Effect of blood doping
Although able to increase stamina during a match, but blood doping has a very dangerous risk. With the increasing number of red blood cells, it also increases risk of blood clots. This means the heart must work harder memopa blood throughout the body. As a result, the risk of deep vein thrombosis, heart attack and stroke also increased.
Within 25 years there were about 20 cyclists died from blood doping.
Doping blood transfusion increases the risk of such additional HIV infection, hepatitis B and C. It also can cause allergic reactions, fever, or a rash.
Meanwhile EPO injection may cause hyperkalemia (increased plasma levels of potassium in the dangerous level). Increased blood pressure, as well as flu-like symptoms.
