With Lance Armstrong finally coming clean about his sophisticated doping regime, questions have been raised about way drug abuse has infiltrated professional cycling, with Lance himself referring to it as being as normal as putting ‘air in my tyres’.
A commonly used chemical is testosterone as one of the anabolic steroids. Though naturally produced in the body, some athletes choose to take excess amounts of the compound seeking a physical edge. Taken as a pill form, intravenously or as a topical cream, testosterone increases male traits like body hair growth as well as promoting muscle building and reducing recovery time following intense exercise. These benefits are not risk free however, misuse of anabolic steroids like testosterone have been linked to infertility and hypertension.
Used by Armstrong, and perhaps less well known, is Erythropoietin (EPO). Like testosterone, this is a chemical naturally produced in the body. EPO is released from the kidneys acting on the bone marrow to make more red blood cells. It gained popularity in competitive cycling in the 1990’s as more red blood cells mean that more oxygen can be carried throughout the body, making a larger amount available to the muscles and reducing fatigue. This is obviously advantageous in an endurance event like the Tour de France. Misuse is associated with blood thickening leading to a risk of stroke, heart disease and embolism and according to the Mayo clinic, was associated with 11 deaths in professional cycling throughout the 1990’s.
Growth hormone is often used in tandem with anabolic steroids as it has similar muscle building benefits and has been shown to enhance the properties of chemicals like testosterone. Diuretics thin the urine therefore making other banned substances more difficult to detect.
A doping method experiencing a comeback due to more efficient testing for EPO is the use of blood transfusions. Blood is taken, from another person with the same blood group, (homologous) or from stored supplies of your own blood that have been frozen (autologous) and then intravenously injected back into your body. Its effects are similar to those of EPO, more red blood cells can carry more oxygen leading to an increase in stamina and performance. The autologous technique is difficult to detect, the transfused blood being identical to that already in the person’s body. Blood borne diseases are a particular risk with the homologous method.
Other performance enhancers exist, but there are no studies in which the long term effects are well researched, and all have their associated risks. More worrying than their use is the acceptability they seem to have gained in arenas like professional cycling. Seeing others cheating and making faster times in each event can lead competitors to feel that if they don’t begin a doping regime they are always going to be at the back of the pack. If a high profile athlete like Lance Armstrong can knowingly deceive so many for so long, then clearly the testing standards must be raised.
Dominic Reed