Blood Doping Can We Beat It - 1347 Words

Blood Doping: Can We Beat It? All humans, no matter what religion, skin color, age, or gender, have blood streaming through out our bodies. Blood rushes oxygen around the body, pulls carbon dioxide out of the body, sends white blood cells to fight illness and infection, is produced in the bone marrow, carries platelets and fibers that close up wounds, and comes in the types A, B, AB, and O, with type O being a universal blood donor. Blood is not just imperative, it is irreplaceable. Doctors can only rely on the generosity of strangers to donate blood and plasma to blood banks to be stored away for future use. There is no known way to artificially produce blood; this is why it is so valuable. However, some people misuse their own blood in†¦show more content†¦Artificial erythropoietin can also be used. By increasing the number of erythropoietin in your blood you increase the amount of oxygen that can be brought to your muscles and organs, resulting in fewer discomfort in musc les during workout and more endurance, stamina, and enhanced performance. Blood doping may be most known from lance Armstrong, who admitted to Oparh to using the blood doping method to win the Tour de France seven times (Pretot, 2012). Because of this he lost all of his credit and isn’t the only one to do so. Many former Olympians have been tricked into doping by their coaches as well and have lost all credit for former actions and achievements. It gives athletes an unfair advantage because the doped athlete has much more oxygen in their blood which allows them to perform for longer periods of time without feeling the effects. Blood doping is banned by the International Olympic Committee for this reason and the World Anti-Doping Agency is trying to eliminate it. Many have done blood doping by their own choice as well which not only takes away their right to compete but also damages their health considerably. It is stated that EPO tipped the sporting world upside down so that cynical doctors and drug gurus, rather than talent and training, came to do minate results (Schwarts, 2013).