This essay will explain the hormone Erythropoietin, its effects and its role in the professional sporting industry. Explaining what Erythropoietin is, the process Erythropoiesis, its role in the body, its side effects vs. benefits and its role in modern sport will form the basis of this essay. By the conclusion of this essay my point of view will be that naturally occurring Erythropoietin is integral to homeostasis and synthetic Erythropoietin should only be used for specific medical conditions rather than as a performance enhancer in professional sport.
The naturally occurring hormone Erythropoietin is primarily found in the kidneys and liver and is used to regenerate red blood cells found in red bone marrow(Heuberger et al. 2013). As red blood cells have no nucleus or cellular components they only have a short lifespan of around 120 days before Erythropoietin is required to regenerate more using the process Erthropoiesis(Heuberger et al. 2013). Erythropoietin also has uses in protecting neural activity and the blood brain barrier(Noguchi et al. 2007) however these factors will not be discussed in this essay.
The process by which Erythropoietin regulates red blood cell production is called Erythropoiesis. When the kidneys and liver detects hypoxia in the blood Erythropoietin is released which stimulates red bone marrow to increase red blood cell production allowing for greater oxygen transport throughout the bloodstream(Martini, Ober & Nath 2014). The following diagram illustrates the cycle of Erythropoiesis when oxygen levels in the blood stream increase and decrease.
Figure 10.6 (Marieb & Hoehn 2010, p. 338).
To help people with chronic anemia a synthetic version of Erythropoietin was produced called r-HuEPO, while provin...
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...his has resulted in many cyclists being banned from the sport most notably Lance Armstrong in 2012.
Throughout this essay five points have been presented which highlighted what Erythropoietin is, how it works, what its benefits are compared to its potential side effects and its overall use in professional sport. Its function as a red blood cell producer and regulator are essential to ensure that our muscles, organs and brain have enough oxygen and nutrients flowing into it at all times. The invention of an artificial version of Erythropoietin has ensured a viable treatment for some conditions but has also opened up the possibly of unethical use in sports. The health risks incurred with use of r-HuEPO especially in the long term mean that its risks far outweigh any minor perceived benefit for athletes and as such should only be used for prescribed medical reasons.
The use of erythropoietin (EPO) by athletes in recent years has made the headlines of
Hematology is the study of structure, function and pathological disorders in the blood. Blood consists of 55% plasma and 45% blood cells. Plasma is a mixture of 7% protein, 91% water and 2% other solutes. The types of proteins present in blood are albumin, globulin, and fibrinogen. Other remaining solutes consist of ions, nutrients, gases and respiratory substances and waste products. On the other hand, 250 to 400 thousand pla...
When people are being made, they receive genes passed down from multiple generations. Many of these genes can benefit the child being born, or can kill it. Through Meiosis the offspring receive two sets of genes, one from each parent. In human embryos, the child receives 23 chromosomes from each parent, equaling the 46 chromosomes in a regular body cell of a human. Parents can pass down traits for blonde hair, orange hair, brown eyes, blue eyes, and even the height for the offspring. Generations before the offspring can have diseases passed down to the offspring that can harm it. Most of the time evolution chooses against a disease, washing it out of the chromosomes, but in some cases certain diseases are still carried. Hemochromatosis is one of those diseases.
Abstract: Since the beginning of sports competition, athletes have always looked for some kind of an edge over their competitors. They will do whatever it takes to be one of the elite and that includes injecting supplements into their bodies to make them bigger, stronger, and faster. Steroid use is probably one of the most common drug misuses in sports competition. Athletes found that with anabolic steroids one could become a better athlete twice as fast. Not until 1975 was the drug first banned from Olympic competition because of the health risks it produced. Shortly thereafter, the rest of the sports world did not allow anabolic steroids as well. With the use of steroids no longer permitted athletes began to look for other alternatives. On the rise is two substances called creatine and androstenedione, both of which are sold over the counter. These two performance enhancers have only had minimal testing done on them, excluding the long-term effects, simply because they haven't been around long enough. Creatine and androstenedione have been said to produce results like steroids without the side effects. The truth is they do produce side effects and irregular muscle growth. By banning the use of performance enhancing drugs, just like steroids, sports competition will have a much healthier and fairer environment to participate in.
Each red blood cell in the human body contains about 280 million hemoglobin molecules. Hemoglobin is the most important component of red blood cells. Red blood cells are composed of a protein (globulin) and a molecule (heme), which binds to iron. Normal hemoglobin causes regular oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. In the lungs, the heme, which binds to iron, component takes up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. The red blood cells carry the oxygen to the body's tissues, where ...
Wilson, Jacque. "Lance Armstrong's Doping Drugs." CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 July 2013.
Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body. This diseases causes anemia, which can lead to the destruction of red blood cells. Possible symptoms include fussiness, paleness, frequent infections, poor appetite, failure to grow well and jaundice or enlarged organs. The treatment depends on the type and severity of this disease. Treatment options include: bone marrow transplants, blood transfusions, medications and supplements and possible surgery to remove the spleen and/or gallbladder (Thalassemia, healthline,
As the use of PEDs is becoming more common, controversy over the legalization has emerged. Among the many different types of performance enhancing drugs out there, the common ones consist of: steroids, red blood cell doping, and human growth hormone. Lance Armstrong was convicted of red blood cell doping and has been stripped of his title and banned from professional cycling. With the numerous amount of athletes convicted of PED abuse, one can question if it is a problem with the athletes or if it is a problem with the state. In all professional sports in the United States, the use of PEDs is prohibited.
Diuretics are substances that increase the production of urine and excretion of sodium. As a result this alters both the volume and content of body fluids(Jackson, 2006). This highly desirable quality means that the use of diuretics are abused by athletes for the benefit of both rapid water loss (to meet weight categories) and in order to mask the presence of banned substances. The competitive nature of humans means that since sporting events and competitions began, the desire to gain a competitive advantage has always been a huge factor. Nowadays in this ’commercial’ sporting world, with massive lucrative lifestyles, and the related lust for sporting success, sports men and women have resulted in countless methods to achieve a competitive edge. With an ever-growing development in medicines and chemistry, such attempts include the use of performance-enhancing drugs. This is unfortunately has become the scourge of modern sport, and their use to gain advantages in competition is on the increase. (Barroso et al., 2008).
Polycythaemia is a blood disorder defined as an increase in blood erythrocyte concentration. Absolute polycythaemia is where this increase is caused by greater erythrocyte production, determined by measuring the haematocrit level, with one study showing that 83% of sufferers have a haematocrit level of >55%. This should not be confused with relative polycythaemia, caused by a decrease in blood plasma volume often secondary to hypertension. Interestingly, those affected tend to also have increased blood platelet and white cell concentrations, which correlates well with the notion that the disease is caused by a genetic defect in the haematopoietic stem cell population within the bone marrow. Studies have shown the median age of onset to be 60, although a Mayo Clinic study in Olmstead County, Minnesota showed it to be slightly higher, at between 70 and 79 years, with men affected more than women – though the reason behind the gender inequality is currently unknown. In addition, its prevalence within the US is thought to be in the region of 50/100,000. Furthermore, it has long been known that Finnish skier and seven time Olympic champion Eero Mantyranta suffered from the disease, and it is often stated that his success, at least in part, can be put down to his polycythaemia – indeed experiments have shown that it can increase the blood oxygen carrying capacity by up to 50%, an undeniable asset to any endurance athlete. However, the disease can also prove fatal in many cases because the thickened blood increases the probability of clot formation, giving deep vein thrombosis and potentially pulmonary embolus. It is this double edged nature of polycythaemia that first took ...
Doping is a practice that has been going on since the time of "ancient Greek athletes, who supposedly ate herbs, sesame seeds, dried figs, and mushrooms for this purpose" (Hoberman, 1992, 104). Likewise, athletes have readily consumed such drugs as caffeine and alcohol to improve performa...
Cycling is a bicycle racing sport held on paved roads. The aim of the sport is to race other athletes over a certain distance to finish first at a designated finish line. The purpose of this report is to trace the evolution of blood doping and assess the impact it has had on the performance of cycling athletes. In order to understand the impact of blood doping in cycling, I will first give and overview of cycling and the constraints with in. Secondly a look into the development of blood doping and the effect it has had on cycling. Next, the introduction of blood doping in cycling will be discussed, and to finish the impact of blood doping in cycling.
The endocrinological control of blood cells is mainly leaded by erythropoietin recent studies on international competences resulted in a particular use of for race athletes, which the manly use is to over stimulate the production of red blood cells to increase the capacity of oxygen in the muscles to avoid fatigue and increase the efficiency of the body during longer performances. Synthetic EPO as any other drug induce the body to secondary effects as the thickness of the blood that later increment the risk the heart attacks, blood clots or strokes when the body slow down the oxygen levels in the body.
In recent times there has been more exposure to the illegal drug culture in sport, such as the Essendon drug scandal . There is evidence of an increasing demand for use of peptides in modern day sport. ‘Peptides and hormones are considered a new generation of substances and most are prohibited in sport’ . Peptides occur naturally in the body but can be used as a drug. When used as a drug peptides take many forms. The long-term consequences of the use of peptides are blurred. This report explores the effects peptides have on an athlete and whether some peptides should remain illegal.
Doping rids the true athletes of what they truly deserve and is wrong; because why should those who put in a hundred per cent of their effort, be outshone by individuals who are choosing to use substances to enhance their physical and mental abilities? Doping damages the sports industry as a whole because it has a serious physical and mental effects on the athletes, as well as damaging the idea of sportsmanship and it also breaks the trust of the fans, as they realise their idols are hypocrites. Doping in sports dates back to the ancient Greek times (need ref here). There are anti-doping agencies worldwide in virtually every country. In Switzerland its anti-doping Switzerland, in Nigeria it’s the Nigerian national anti-doping committee and in the UK its UK anti-doping.