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upplemental Reading
T
he International Olympics Committee has established special rules
banning drugs to enhance performance. However, some athletes are
experimenting with new drugs that are difficult to detect.
The IOC forbids athletes from using steroids as strength builders. The most
popular steroids are man-made forms of testosterone, a hormone already
present in the body.
Another popular performance-enhancer is EPO. EPO, or Erythropoientin,
regulates red blood-cell production. These cells deliver
oxygen throughout the body. The oxygen boost it provides
can improve an athlete’s performance in a 20-minute run by
thirty seconds. In a marathon, it could give an athlete a
4-minute advantage. EPO is dangerous because it can make
the blood too thick for the heart to pump.
Human growth hormone, a third commonly used
enhancer, is a naturally occurring amino acid which helps
control growth from birth to adulthood. Genetically
engineered HGH became available in 1985. Athletes use
HGH to develop bigger muscles and then take steroids to
strengthen the muscles. The drug is hard to detect because
it passes out of the body in less than 45 minutes.
The newest wave of performance enhancement is through a blood substitute
called Hemopure. The effect of using Hemopure is similar to the effect of EPO.
However, there is no current test that can detect Hemopure in the blood.
