What is EPO in doping?

What is EPO in doping?

Erythropoietin—more commonly known as EPO—is a type of blood doping that can help improve an athlete's endurance. ... EPO stimulates the production of red blood cells in bone marrow and regulates the concentration of red blood cells and haemoglobin in the blood.

Is taking EPO illegal?

Blood doping and EPO use are illegal acts... cheating. ... Erythropoietin increases in the body as do red blood cell counts and oxygen-carrying capacity. It's a perfectly legal strategy and accepted by WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, because of its safety record.

Why is EPO a banned substance?

The drug erythropoietin, often called EPO, is banned from sports because it is believed to enhance an athlete's performance and give people who use it an unfair advantage over unenhanced competitors. ... EPO thickens a person's blood, which can lead to an increased risk of clots.

Do athletes take EPO?

Athletes using EPO do so to encourage their bodies to produce higher than normal amounts of red blood cells to enhance performance. Synthetic oxygen carriers. These are chemicals that have the ability to carry oxygen.

Is EPO still used in cycling?

EPO may not improve cycling performance at all, according to new scientific research. The banned drug increases the number of oxygen-carrying cells in the blood but a new study has raised doubts that it actually helps cyclists. ... Half of the cyclists were injected with the drug and half with a placebo.

How can I get EPO naturally?

0:002:20Increase EPO naturally. Be like Lance Armstrong, but here's how to do it ...YouTube

How many Tour de France winners were stripped?

seven Tour de France titles Declaring that they have "listened to the world's reaction to the Lance Armstrong affair," leaders of the international governing body for cycling today said that no one will be awarded the seven Tour de France titles that have been stripped from Armstrong's records because of the doping scandal surrounding the one- ...

Why did Lance Armstrong EPO?

Armstrong has been connected to many drugs over time, but one of the most well-known drugs he reportedly used is the so-called "EPO." ... Outside EPO use—called exogenous use—artificially increases endurance and stamina. It does so by increasing the oxygen-carrying ability of the blood.

What triggers EPO production?

When blood oxygen concentration is normal (normoxia), synthesis of erythropoietin occurs in scattered cells located predominantly in the inner cortex, but under conditions when blood oxygen is deficient (hypoxia), interstitial cells within almost all zones of the kidney begin to produce the hormone.

Does Echinacea increase EPO?

Echinacea is an herbal supplement used by endurance athletes for its performance boosting properties. It is thought that Echinacea improves the blood's oxygen carrying capacity by increasing production of erythropoietin (EPO), a glycoprotein that regulates red blood cell formation.