Many elite athletes have tried to find ways of gaining that slight competitive edge, whether it be new training techniques, nutritional supplements, anabolic steroids or blood doping. The last, blood doping, is certainly a hazardous way of trying to create that athletic advantage. Blood doping is the procedure where 2 pints of blood are removed from the athlete's body and frozen for up to 3 months. During this time, the body's blood levels return to normal, and just prior to a competition, the blood is reinfused into the athlete to potentially increase their endurance. Because it is the athlete's own blood, doping is very hard to detect. But, as you might imagine, freezing blood does take its toll. Up to 20% of the red cells are destroyed, and this technique can lead to ongoing health problems. In fact over the last number of years, a number of elite cyclists have actually died because the increased viscosity of the blood from doping caused serious circulatory problems. Many athletes will continue to push themselves to the limit when it comes to athletic performance, but they should all know the significant risks that they must consider when thinking about blood doping as a performance enhancer. So let's hope some day in the future, the best athlete will always win the competition, without the help of their local chemist!
