Blood doping has been an issue in the athletic community for quite some time now. Oxygen is a key component when it comes to taking part in any athletic competition. It allows the muscles to create energy and assist the athletes in taking part in their sport. In most cases, blood doping allows the person to increase the amount of hemoglobin in their blood. This helps because hemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen in the red blood cells. It can be done through blood transfusions, injections of erythropoietin (EPO) or injections of synthetic oxygen. Our kidneys normally produce EPO to activate the production of red blood cells and so when additional amounts are injected, they allow more oxygen to be transported to our muscles. However, what the athletes sometimes do not realize that they are at a risk for heart attacks, strokes or blood clots through these methods of blood doping. Other alternative methods for increasing oxygen levels in the blood should be taken into consider. For example, training in higher altitudes slowly but surely start increasing the amount of red blood cells we have to compensate for the lack of oxygen there and so it can really help when taking part in a sport later.
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