Prohibited Methods in Sport (AQA GCSE Physical Education (PE))

Blood Doping

• Blood doping is used to increase the number of red blood cells in the body

  • This is also known as an individual's red blood cell count

• This increases cardiovascular fitness because an increase in red blood cells will result in more oxygen being delivered to cells for respiration

• Blood doping involves:

  • Removing blood from the participant a few weeks before an event and freezing it for storage

  • The participant's body then produces more red blood cells to replace the removed blood

  • Just before the event (1 -2 days) the removed blood is thawed and injected back into the participant to boost red blood cell count

• This technique could benefit endurance athletes who rely on aerobic capacity, e.g.

  • Long distance runners

  • Distance swimmers

  • Distance cyclists

  • Cross-country skiers

• There are many side effects of blood doping, including:

  • Blood viscosity (thickness) increases; this can lead to blocked blood vessels, known as an embolism

    • If this happens in the coronary arteries of the heart, a heart attack may occur

  • Risk of infection from contaminated equipment

Blood doping diagram

Blood doping involves the removal of an athlete's blood, storing it, and then re-injecting it before an event