EPO? Yes of no?

Nas_kaj

I like how I made the title rhyme. Anyway, how can someone (not me of course, hehehehheeh) obtain this highly coveted substance. What are the legal parameters surrounding it? What are the side effects?

alienator

Get cancer, and then develop issues with your blood chemistry. Sure, there's the risk the cancer might kill you, but in reality, I doubt anyone would miss you.

Phill P

It is a legal perscription drug, usually used as part of treatments that decrease your red blood count. It kept Lance alive while he was being hammered with his cancer treatment for example.

It is legal in competition (or training) as it is highly dangerous as well as being an artifical boost to performance. The effect of the drug is to induce your body to produce more red blood cells. If you have a healthy red blood cell count your body will produce more faster than the old one die off, and depending on the amount of EPO your levels could get very high.

The obvious risk is that your blood could become too viscous, and you could have a heart attack from the heart having to work too hard just to pump your thick blood.
You could have a stroke or pop a blood vessel due to the increased arterial pressures.
I think there are even issues when you inject it (I've heard of atheletes waking every two hours to do squats after injecting the stuff).
There is nothing known of the long term effects, and it has been suggested there could be long term neurological issues (hard to prove).

Its quite simple...unless you are going to die and your doctor wants you to take it to stay alive under thier close watch.........then don't do it.

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Nas_kaj

Good thing Phill P set me straight. I didn't know it could be that severe but, can't you just take blood out of your system, and inject it back into yourself before a race?

ScienceIsCool

For real? You're being even a tiny bit serious? Of course, even if you are joking, you have incredibly poor taste. Why not just pack a gun. Someone gets too far ahead of you, just shoot them. It's about the same level of ethics and morality.

John "I can't believe I responded to this" Swanson
www.bikephysics.com

Nas_kaj

Oh my god, that would be an even better idea! Just to set the record straight, I had no intentions of getting it. All questions asked are just for the sake of seeking knowledge. We all know that performance enhancing drugs all have bad side effects and is just ethically wrong. On top of that, I don't have time to compete, so it would be pointless for me anyways. Lighten up guys!

Phill P

What the Astana riders got done for last year, and what that Spanish mess was over, was blood doping.

EPO can be tested for. The point of EPO is to increase red blood cell count.

However one way to have more red blood cells is to just provide some more red blood cells.
Method #1 (harder to detect) is to provide a pint of blood during the off season when you aren't training and need the red blood cells. You spin it down and the dense red blood cells can be seperated. During the season you reject them. This can only be detected by measuring the maturity levels of red blood cells. If you have a high percentage of mature cells to developing it suggested something has been altered. They also track the red blood cell levels over the course of many tests, and have an upper level that is considered "normal" that sets of red flags.
Method #2 (used by Astana because thier Spanish/German Doctors were out of business) do the same proceedure but use somebody elses blood (family member so the cells aren't rejected by immune system). This is easier to detect as you have two different sets of red blood cells.


Side effects.....much the same as EPO....blood too thick, heart explodes.

Doing this stuff is dangerous, and hence stupid.

Cheating is only cheating if it is against the rules. I don't think you should be allowed to take pain killing medication stronger than aspiron. What about dietry supplements? If it isn't in your food should it be in your mouth?

Gee never seen John so fired up before.......

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TheDarkLord

By legal, you mean illegal?

leestevens

http://www.eposino.com/ they also have a forum, i cannot remember the address for the forum though. Plenty of info there though.
In no way do i condone the use of PED's in training or competition. You asked a question i have given you the answer.
http://eposino.com/yabb/YaBB.pl this is the forum address.

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gemship

So killing the guy in front of you is the same as potentially killing yourself for a possible win. That's a stretch.

Nas_kaj

If it's not against the rules, is it cheating? Doping can probably offer you the same advantages as having a very good coach as oppose to not having a coach. We all know that your choice in a coach won't get you arrested. Is being unethical almost equivalent to breaking the law?

gemship

That's a good question.Personally I'm rooting for Roger Clemens but I know alot of folks feel he's in the wrong. Kinda wish congress and everyone else would just let that one go, as what's done is done and no more whining. So what if he lied? If he had been caught at the time then that would be a different story.

Personally I agree with the comments of the posters on this thread that EPO is extremely risky for one's health/borderline suicide behavoir just for a little edge on race day, not worth it. Racing should be as simple as may the best trained one win without use of any performance enhancer period. Upon saying that EPO should probably be made illegal as the consequences could be deadly and further more could lead to a lot of bad press.

TheDarkLord

That is just wrong - especially the "so what if he lied". So, it is ok in your book to lie? If Clemens were to be let go, then others would be emboldened to lie with impunity. And the one of the reasons he was not caught was the lax or inexistant attitude towards doping.

AFAIK, EPO is a PED, and is not legal in competitive sports - am I wrong about this?

Powerful Pete

EPO is a PED. It is illegal to use unless you can prove a medical necessity to use it. And believe me, if you are prescribed it by your doc chances are you are more concerned with trying to stay alive than competing on your bike.

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