DRUGS IN SPORT How Lance Armstrong enhanced his

DRUGS IN SPORT How Lance Armstrong enhanced his performance to help him dominate world cycling.

LANCE ARMSTRONG Armstrong was a road cyclist who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. He made a full recovery and went on to win the Tour de France a record 7 times between 1999 and 2005. Retiring after his 2005 win, he made a brief return to cycling in the 2009 Tour, finishing third. In 2012 he was found guilty of being behind "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen. “ He was stripped of all his titles and Olympic medals, and banned from competing in all professional sport for life.

BLOOD DOPING What is Blood Doping? • Blood doping is defined by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) as the misuse of techniques and/or substances to increase ones red blood cell count. This involves the removal of two units (approximately 2 pints) of the athletes blood several weeks prior to competition. The blood is then frozen until 1 -2 days before the competition, when it is thawed and injected back into the athlete. • After the development of EPO, the use of blood doping fell considerably, however since the development of a test for EPO detection and the lack of test for blood doping, it is again on the rise. Effects on Performance • Blood doping is most commonly used by endurance athletes, such as distance runners, skiers and cyclists. By increasing the number of red blood cells within the blood, higher volumes of haemoglobin are present. Haemoglobin attaches to and carries Oxygen from the lungs, to the muscles. Blood doping therefore allows extra Oxygen to be transported to the working muscles, resulting in a higher level of performance.

BLOOD DOPING Side-Effects of Blood Doping • Blood can be mishandled or mixed up with someone else's and then reinjected. • Increased blood thickness • Heart attack • Pulmonary artery blockage • Blockages of arteries and veins • Stroke

ERYTHROPOIETIN (EPO) What it does: • EPO is a naturally occurring hormone produced by kidney cells that regulate the production of red blood cells in bone marrow. • Athletes inject it into the vein to increase performance. • Stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells to increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. • Reduces fatigue, improves endurance by increasing the rate of red blood cell production. • Increases the metabolism and the healing process of muscles because the extra red cells carry more oxygen and nutrients.

Side effects: • Blood thickening-increases chance of clotting, thrombosis, heart attack and stroke. • Blood thickening can be made worse by dehydration that occurs during training and endurance sports like cycling. • Increases blood pressure. • Can lead to liver and pancreas damage. • Increases risk of several types of cancer.