A large problem in sports today is the use of ergogenic aids. An ergogenic aid is any substance or device that increases or enhances energy use, production, or recovery giving the athlete an advantage in competition. Not all ergogenic aids are illegal; many such as dietary supplements, vitamin supplements, or protein supplements are widely used and accepted, however, many are illegal and are banned by many athletic committees(Ahrendt,1). I will be discussing these illegal aids and the affect they have on the athlete and the athletic community. Some of the more commonly used illegal aids include blood doping, caffeine, corticosteroids, diuretics, and human growth hormones (HGH). Blood doping is taking blood out of oneself or from someone else and injecting it back into the blood stream (blood,1). This is done by taking out the blood and freezing it for 5-6 weeks (this is so the body can rebuild its supply of RBC (red blood cells) and hemoglobin). Then one to seven days before the event injecting it back in to the body (Goldman,47). This theoretically increases the VO2 max by in the amount of RBC and hemoglobin in the blood. The VO2 is the maximum amount of oxygen the blood can hold (blood,2). Athletes that use blood doping include long-distance runners, cyclist, and any other athletes needing long endurance. The increase in VO 2 max seems to be the only advantage of blood doping. This gives the athlete an unfair advantage by allowing them to have an increased endurance (Shipe,76). There are no real medical uses for blood doping, but it can be considered a form of blood transfusion in which case it has a medical use. Transfusions are used to help people who have anemia, defect in blood cells. Anemia comes in many forms including sickle cell or hypo ferric (low iron). This is done by taking donor blood and injecting it into the body of the patient, giving the person enough normal blood to live longer then they would with out it (Fe...
