Banned Substances
Why are there regulations on what
you can take to improve your
performance?
Is it fair that some organizations
allow substances that others may
not?
Blood Doping
“The misuse of certain techniques and/or substances to
increase one’s red blood cell mass, which allows the body
to transport more oxygen to muscles and therefore
increase stamina and performance” (WADA, 2011).
Blood Doping
Blood Doping
Some individuals naturally have a higher hemoglobin level
The hemoglobin level is expressed as the amount of hemoglobin in grams (gm) per deciliter
(being 100 milliliters).
•
Children: 11 to 13 gm/dL
•
Adult males: 14 to 18 gm/dL
•
Adult women: 12 to 16 gm/dL
•
Men after middle age: 12.4 to 14.9 gm/dL
•
Women after middle age: 11.7 to 13.8 gm/dL
(Butterworth, 2012).
Blood Doping
Endurance sport athletes artificially increase their
hemoglobin level by:
● Transfusing their own blood prior to competition
● Transfusing others blood prior to competition
● Taking a substance to increase level in the body (EPO)
Blood Transfusions
Blood Transfusions
Possible Side effects:
thickening the blood and increasing the volume of blood,
leads to an increased risk of several deadly diseases, such
as heart disease, stroke, and cerebral or pulmonary
embolism as well as possible contraction from diseases
carried through the blood.(WADA, 2011)
EPO
Erythropoietin:
Is a synthetic drug that carries oxygen as blood does.
The intended (and legal) use of EPO has an enormous
therapeutic benefit in the treatment of anemia related to
kidney disease, by improving the bloods ability to transport
oxygen as well as nutrients to the body.
Lance Armstrong
Convicted of both use of blood transfusions as well as use
of EPO
Excessive drug testing was done through his career, none
of which came up positive for EPO
(Butterworth, 2012).
Should Blood doping be allowed?
Very hard to test for
Very prevalent in professional competition
Could it be regulated to create an even playing field?
Can a test be created to test for it?
Works Cited
Butterworth, T. (2012). The Kafkaesque Trial of Lance Armstrong: A Former Fedral Prosecutor On the
US Anti-Doping Agency's Disregard For Due Process. Forbes.
Magnay, J. (2008, August 2). Russia faces IOC action over drugs. Retrieved 2014, from
theage.com.au: http://www.theage.com.au/news/latest-news/russia-faces-ioc-action-overdrugs/2008/08/01/1217097535147.html
USADA. (2012). Statement From USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart Regarding The U.S. Postal Service
Pro Cycling Team Doping Conspiracy. USADA.
WADA. (2011, September). World Anti-Doping Agency play true. (W. 2014, Editor, & WADA,
Lightmaker) Retrieved April 23, 2014, from www.wada-ama.org: http://www.wadaama.org/en/resources/q-and-a/blood-doping/
Thurston, J. (n.d.). Chemical Warfare: Battling Steroids in Athletics. Retrieved January 28, 2015, from
http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=sportslaw