Some potential side effects are:
- Muscle stiffness
- Diarrhoea
- Chest Pain
- Depression
- Lethargy
Blood Doping
Definition
Re-injection of somebody's own blood cells: the practice of re-injecting an athlete with his or her own red blood cells shortly before a competition in order to enhance performance. The practice is illegal in most organised competitions.
Blood doping" refers to any illicit method of boosting an athlete's red blood-cell supply in advance of competition.
Since red blood cells carry oxygen through the bloodstream, increasing the number of them allows an athlete's blood to deliver oxygen to muscles more efficiently, reducing fatigue and giving the athlete an edge. Endurance athletes often train at high altitude for precisely this reason. The lower air pressure and diminished atmospheric oxygen at altitude spur the body to generate extra red blood cells, and can bump the hematocrit up two or three (non-illicit) percentage points.
Athletes can get a bigger—and illegal—boost by injecting themselves with erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates RBC production. A urine test for artificial EPO was introduced in 1997, but it's not foolproof; while testable traces of artificial EPO disappear from an athlete's body within four days, the hormone's effects are strongest three weeks after injection.
Blood doping has several side effects including kidney damage, jaundice and blood clotting. From the process of re-injection it can also cause infection and lead to heart problems.
Use of creatine monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the most popular and effective bodybuilding supplement.
Our bodies naturally make the compound of creatine, which is used to supply energy to our muscles. It is produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys, and is transported to the body's muscles through the bloodstream. Once it reaches the muscles, it is converted into phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate). This high-powered metabolite is used to regenerate the muscles' ultimate energy source, ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
One function of creatine is that it replenishes ATP, the more creating that is present in muscle cells, up the maximum storage level, the more efficiently ATP can be replenished and hence more ATP is available for energy. Therefore by supplementing creating phosphate stores with creating monohydrate energy stores can be maximised. Giving you more energy to carry out the athletic activity.
Creating can also promote muscle growth by stimulating protein synthesis:
- From the increased work you are able to do as a result of its energy replenishes actions.
- The more creating phosphate that is stored in the muscles, the more water is drawn into muscles making it fuller and stronger. With more creating phosphate and water in the muscles the volume increases. When a muscle call is volumised this helps to trigger protein synthesis and minimise protein breakdown and increase glycogen synthesis.
If a muscle is then trained properly this could lead to enhances muscle growth.
Having the use of creating may also effect recovery time and the removal of lactic acid. It also acts as a buffer and can help delay the onset of fatigue.
Creating monohydrate is a safe method of improving athletic performance. But there are small side effects from creating which arises such as irritation to the stomach and nausea; also some athletes found that they got headaches and mild muscle cramps.
Use of RhEPO (recombinant erythpoetin)
RhEPO achieves similar effects to blood doping. The body is injected with the hormone erythpoetin (EPO).
EPO is made by recombinant bacteria and is slightly different from the naturally produced human EPO. This has made is possible to detect and its use and random tests are now carried out on athletes in and out of competition.
This method of improving athletic performance is illegal.
The use of RhEPO is very dangerous, as the performer will have a high heamatocrit, which increases the viscosity of the blood. This may reduce the supply of oxygen to some parts of the body, and also increases the risk of a blood clot developing, potentially causing pulmonary embolism, strokes or even heart attacks.
Altitude Training
As scientists have consistently pointed out, training at altitude usually leads to decreased power outputs (slower running speeds, more lethargic cycling velocities, etc.) during workouts, leading to smaller gains in fitness, compared to training at sea level - where higher training intensities are easier to attain.
The longer term changes are
- A decrease in maximum cardiac output a decreased maximum heart rate
- An increased number of red blood cells
- Excretion of base via the kidneys to restore acid-base balance. (Unfortunately, the net result is that you have less tolerance for lactic acid.)
- A chemical change within red blood cells that makes them more efficient at unloading oxygen to the tissues.
- An increase in the number of mitochondria and oxidative enzymes
Problems at working at high altitudes include the lack of oxygen. Until you have fully adapted, it will reduce your ability to work hard.
Moving from low altitude to high altitude and the low concentration of oxygen in a person’s blood immediately stimulates breathing depth and rate to increase up to 65%. If they remain at high altitude for several days their ventilation rate may increase up to 500%.
References
Websites
Texts
Jones M, Jones G, Human Biology for A2 (2005)
