Erythropoietin (EPO)

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a naturally occurring hormone secreted by the kidney. It stimulates the bone marrow and increases red blood cell production. This leads to an increase in red blood cell mass, hemoglobin and hematocrit. It’s main clinical use has been for patients suffering from anemia. However, athletes have admitted taking or been tested positive for EPO, particularly in cross country skiing and cycling events such as the Tour De France where the Festina team was caught with EPO in 1998. With an increase in red blood cell mass, increased oxygen-carrying capacity is created, which permits an increase in energy production by aerobic oxidation of glucose and free fatty acids. EPO provides benefits of blood doping without the risks of blood doping. EPO has shown to increase hemoglobin levels by 11% and improve VO2 max by 7% and exercise tolerance (17% increased time for run to exhaustion). The main adverse effect of EPO is hyperviscosity of the blood due to a raised hematocrit. This increases the risk of myocardial infarction (heart failure) and cerebrovascular accident. Other adverse effects include: fever, nausea, headache, anxiety, and lethargy.

Check out our previous post on blood doping to understand the differences between the two ⬇️
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