7.3.6

Blood Doping

Test yourself

Blood Doping

Blood doping is an illegal process. The steps are as follows:

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Blood removal

  • An athlete removes blood (about 2 pints) from their body many weeks before competition.
  • This blood is then frozen and stored for later use.
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Body produces more red blood cells

  • After the blood is removed, the body produces more red blood cells to make up for the loss of blood.
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Injection of stored blood

  • After training, once the body's blood content has returned to normal levels, the athlete thaws out and injects the blood that has been stored away 1-2 days before competition.
  • This increases the red blood cell content hugely.
    • This lets the body absorb and deliver more oxygen from the air to the working muscles.

PROs and CONs of Blood Doping

Blood doping improves sporting performance but puts the performer's well-being at risk.

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PRO - produce energy faster

  • Allows more oxygen to be carried to the muscles to create energy.

Jump to other topics

1Applied Anatomy & Physiology

2Movement Analysis

3Physical Training

4The Principles of Training

5Using Data

6Sports Psychology

7Socio-cultural Influences

8Health & Fitness

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