Blood boosting

Blood boosting is the giving of blood or blood products to an athlete to enhance performance. Other names for blood boosting are "blood doping" and "blood packing." Blood boosting is unethical and medically unsound. It conflicts with the standards of competitive sports. The International Olympic Committee and other competitive sports organizations ban it.

Blood boosting is very hard to detect. Methods are being developed to screen athletes for this practice.

The process of blood boosting starts with the removal of blood from the athlete. This blood is then frozen and stored for 6 to 8 weeks. The athlete continues training with a reduced amount of blood. The athlete's blood rebuilds itself over the next weeks. Just before competition, the stored blood is given back to the athlete. The athlete's blood now contains an above normal number of blood cells. This increased number of blood cells allows the athlete to perform with greater endurance.

Donated blood from another person can also be used to boost the blood of an athlete. However, there is a risk for serious allergic reactions and infectious diseases with the use of donated blood.

Another type of blood boosting is the injection of a synthetic hormone that stimulates the body to make more red blood cells. This blood boosting technique is a little easier to accomplish than a blood transfusion. However, the effects are the same and are just as dangerous as the other types of blood boosting.

Negative effects that are associated with blood boosting are that too many blood cells result in "thick blood." As dehydration progresses, the blood becomes even thicker. There have been many cases of reported strokes and deaths from this practice.

Although blood boosting can improve athletic performance, it is an extremely dangerous practice. Athletes who do this have an unfair and unnatural advantage over athletes who do not. It is not in the spirit of fair sports competition, nor is it worth the potential health risks.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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