What's on the doping menu? Eight options...
Yet another doping story to hit the mainstream media headlines; this time concerning a data leak that, according to the Sunday Times paper, reveals the "extraordinary extent of cheating" at the world's most prestigious sporting events.
12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes between 2001 and 2012 have been scrutinised by world-leading anti-doping experts under the direction of the newspaper and German broadcaster ARD/WDR. Emminent scientists Robin Parisotto and Michael Ashenden say that the data reveals that a third of endurance event medals at The Olympics and World Championships were won by athletes with suspicious tests, and that athletes are increasingly using blood transfusions and EPO-microdosing as a means of boosting their red blood cell count.
In light of this recent story, the EPM team has decided to take a closer look at the various current and emerging doping methods:
On the increase
1. More and more athletes are taking the so-called blood doping route. As referred to above, this is achieved via blood transfusions or EPO-microdosing (EPO or erythropoietin is a naturally occurring hormone found in the kidneys that stimulates red blood cell production). Both methods involve boosting athletes' red blood cell count, thus increasing its oxygen-carrying capacity to the muscles and in turn heightening energy levels and performance. In both instances, blood or EPO is harvested either from the athletes themselves or a donor and delivered via injection prior to competing.
The next big thing!
2. Forecast as having the ability to revolutionise the way athletes cheat, gene doping is a spin-off of gene therapy. A synthetic gene is engineered to secrete a specific protein, one that is normally involved in muscle growth and repair. The gene is delivered to the cell it is designed to work on via a harmless virus and on reaching the cell 'activates'. With access to more of the protein than would normally be produced, the muscle is enhanced. In tests, rats injected and made to do resistance exercises increased their muscle mass by 15% on top of what they would have achieved through exercise alone.
The usual suspects...
3. Because they help to eliminate fluid from the body, diuretics are favoured by some athletes looking to achieve a target weight. They also fall into the masking drugs category as they dilute urine.
4. There are several classes of drug that help athletes build muscle and train harder, the most common of which are anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (hGH). HGH is responsible for cell reproduction and regeneration.
5. Masking drugs, including diuretics, are used to reduce the likelihood of other drugs being detected. A common method is injecting the natural steroid Epitestosterone after using steroids to increase testosterone. Because the methods that raise testosterone do not naturally also elevate Epitestosterone, athletes will increase their Epitestosterone levels so that, when tested, the ratio between testosterone and Epitestosterone is normal (it should be 1:1).
6. Narcotic analgesics, or painkillers as they are more commonly referred to, numb pain and enable athletes to still compete. This typically leads to further injury as pain is a necessary indicator that tells us our body needs downtime to heal.
7. Stimulants or 'uppers' increase activity in the central and peripheral nervous systems and allow athletes to experience enhanced focus and energy.
8. Sedatives or 'downers' are used to decrease nervousness or enable athletes to feel calmer and more steady.