EPO & Cycling

Drug allegations surfaced this week when two cyclists from Lance Armstrong’s US Postal Team admitted taking EPO in races during the Tour De France. Erythropoeitin (EPO) is a naturally occuring hormone that is produced by the body to stimulate red blood cell production. It is used in patients with chronic renal failure to lift haemoglobin levels and in athletes it’s use will deliver more oxygen to exercising muscle.

EPO will give an advantage to athletes who compete in endurance events such as cycling, marathon running and triathlons. The downside of this hormone is that it can potentially cause blood clots, strokes and heart attacks that are thought to be the cause of sudden death in a spqate of young cyclists in Europe.

Armstrong, 35 next week, has long been dogged by accusations that he doped before and after his remarkable recovery from cancer, a comeback that made him a transcendent cultural figure and a symbol to cancer patients and survivors worldwide. He has repeatedly denied using performance-enhancing drugs and has aggressively defended himself in interviews and through lawsuits.