An overview on Erythropoietin use in Sport

In endurance domain sports disciplines the role the supply of oxygen to muscles plays a significant role. Indeed, muscle performance declines during prolonged and intense activity as a consequence of the shift from the aerobic to the anaerobic metabolism with an increase of lactate. To enhance the aerobic capacity two alternatives may be used: increasing either the transport or the delivery of oxygen. In this setting, erythropoietin use is the practice of illicitly using a drug to improve athletic performances. In the present overview, old and newer erythropoietic stimulating molecules are described with a special emphasis on their potential side effects. Direct and indirect detection methods are briefly described with the aim of mentioning their roles and limits with regard to anti-doping strategies. The purpose of this review is to consider EPO abuse in sport, health hazards and risks of use of EPO by athletes. Methods: Analytical methods were used for this paper by reviewing relevant publications, primarily based on the online sports medicine journals available on Internet, Wikipedia, Elsevier, PubMed and National Anti Doping Agency literature. Objective: This review provides an overview on use of EPO in sports and discusses their benefits and adverse effect on health.