Each year athlete’s abilities to perform and exceed beyond previous year’s seems to increase. Better training methods, better conditioning techniques, and better overall health of the athlete can contribute to this increased ability. However, “some athletes always seem to take it a step further. They engage in a process called blood doping.” (Beckham, 2002, www). Blood doping, also called induced erythrocythemia, is an intravenous infusion of blood that produces an increase in the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity. The blood doping procedure does increase an athlete’s ability, but can potentially do more harm than good in the end. The ethics and safety issues concerning blood doping are very controversial throughout the scientific and athletic communities.
The procedure to blood dope generally begins several weeks before an athlete’s key competition. During this time 1 to 4 units of the athlete’s blood is withdrawn. “The blood i
The increase in the hemoglobin level and blood cell count is why blood doping works. The increase of the hemoglobin and blood cell allows more efficient transportation of oxygen through the muscles from the increase in the red blood cells. The more efficient transportation of oxygen in turn results in an overall improved performance during exercise.
Blood doping has both proponents and opponents throughout the scientific and athletic communities. In 1984 the International Olympic Committee, the NCAA and the American College of Sports Medicine ruled, “Any blood doping procedure used in an attempt to improve athletic performance is unethical, unfair, and exposes the athlete to unwarranted and potentially serious health risks (Catlin, 1996, 231).” However there is no sure way of detecting whether an athlete has undergone blood doping. The results of blood doping can look just like the results of an athlete training at high altitudes. As
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