Recombinant Erythropoietin to Improve Athletic Performance

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Abstract
Since the beginning of competitive athletics, people have sought methods to enhance their performance. "Blood doping," the use of red-cell transfusions to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, has been used by some athletes to enhance performance in endurance events such as cycling and long-distance running. In 1985, Klein discussed the medical and ethical issues surrounding blood doping.1 He pointed out that while it is possible for athletes to donate blood for their own eventual use — or to have friends or relatives donate blood — it is not without danger. The processes of donation, storage, and reinfusion very likely would be carried out under suboptimal or even medically unacceptable conditions, and the use of homologous blood would expose the athlete to the risk of transfusion-transmitted disease.