Blood doping

• Blood doping is used to increase the number of red blood cells in the body
• • This increases cardiovascular fitness because an increase in red blood cells will result in more oxygen being delivered to cells for respiration
• Blood doping involves:

  • Blood doping involves:
  • Removing blood from the participant a few weeks before an event and freezing it for storage
  • The participant's body then produces more red blood cells to replace the removed blood
  • Just before the event (1 -2 days) the removed blood is thawed and injected back into the participant to boost red blood cell count
• This technique could benefit endurance athletes who rely on aerobic capacity, e.g.

  • Long distance runners
  • Distance swimmers
  • Distance cyclists
  • Cross-country skiers
• There are many side effects of blood doping, including:

  • Blood viscosity (thickness) increases; this can lead to blocked blood vessels, known as an embolism
  • If this happens in the coronary arteries of the heart, a heart attack may occur
  • Risk of infection from contaminated equipment