Athletes face tremendous pressure to succeed during an event. They are not only pressurized by their peers but from external groups like fans, family etc. At times this pressure becomes extremely difficult to tolerate and affects the performance of the athlete. The high expectations from them lead them to believe that nothing but the best must be achieved, while this helps to boost their morale, it also leads them to extremes i.e. embracing the use of drugs to increase their performance. An athlete has a rigorous training regime which includes physical as well as mental toughness. They even have to modify their dietary habits in order to keep themselves in the best shape. Despite this, the intake of performance enhancing drugs has been on rise.
[...] prevent dramatic reductions in blood cell concentration, removal of each unit of blood occurs over 3-8 weeks because it takes this long to re- establish normal red blood cell levels” D. Mcardle etl al , 2000). The red blood cells are then separated from the plasma (centrifuged) and the plasma components are immediately re-infused while the remaining red blood cells are placed in cold storage. The packed red blood cells that have been centrifuged can be stored in two different ways they can either be refrigerated at or frozen at - 8°C. [...]
[...] Unfortunately, the modern era has witnessed explosive growth in new and different ways to achieve false victory. Blood transfusions were the cheaters choice of the 70s and early 80s, and new advances in science and sports medicine have seen the introduction of EPO during the 90s and into the millennium. But what has not changed in blood doping over the years is the serious health risks associated with the process. From researching the subject it seems that many athletes seem to have the mentality that they must win at any cost and that the potential risks of blood doping are a small price to pay for success. [...]
[...] Also human heart was not designed to pump this thickened blood throughout the body and, therefore, could lead to a multitude of problems. Some of the problems that can arise from an autologous blood transfusion are phlebitis, septicaemia, hyperviscosity syndrome (including intravascular clotting, heart failure and potential death), bacterial infections, and air/clot embolisms. Even more frightening is the list of diseases that can be contracted through homologous transfusions. They include hepatitis, AIDS, malaria, CMV, and transfusion reactions (characterized by fever, urticaria, and possibly anaphylactic shock)” (D. [...]
[...] After the 1984 Olympic Games, International Olympic Committee decided to discourage blood doping and, along with the NCAA and American College of Sports Medicine, ruled that any blood doping procedure used in an attempt to improve athletic performance is unethical, unfair, and exposes the athlete to unwarranted and potentially serious health risks.” (D. Beckham, 2005). The first noted case of blood doping used was cited to have been 1947. Blood doping has become an integral part of sports and fair play. [...]
[...] Thus, over the past 10 15 years some athletes chose to cheat because, as long as they kept their hematocrit levels below there seemed little risk of getting caught. Fortunately, testing technology has now advanced and guarantees to cut down the tide of abuse. There is now an accurate urine test that can detect the differences between normal and synthetic EPO. This test is now the standard and was the sole means to detect for EPO use in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. [...]
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