Essay: Lance's Roll In Blood Doping

Lance’s Roll in Blood Doping
The controversy of Lance Armstrong doping has its analysts, supporters and critics. I agree that what he did was wrong and goes against the ethics of competition and degrades the integrity for those of us who hold the title of an athlete. This opinion coincides with the general thought of the public. But what I have found is that most people are ignorant and naive as to why the doping Lance did is degrading to cycle racing. The degrading of the sport and its proud and noble community that worships it.
The main argument people use to back the crucifixion of Lance is and his actions is pretty cut and dry. Doping is illegal and gives the racer speed, strength and endurance that he or she would otherwise not naturally have. While, yes this is true, others may use the argument that all the tier one competitors were doping so the playing field was fare. While this may sound true,
there has been much science and research done by scientist that can gives us an understanding on how doping effects the human body and its performance. “We have been in communication with Mr. Armstrong and his representatives, and we understand that he does want to be part of the solution and assist in the effort to clean up the sport of cycling,” Travis Tygart, chief executive of the agency, said in a statement.
Blood doping, or blood loading, was first used in the U.S.
Special Forces in 1993. There are many forms of loading blood, but the military used a technique were they would take two units of blood from a solider, and then concentrate the two units into one. What that would do is make that single unit twice as high in red blood cell count. Then when the time came, a few hours before a mission, they would swap that same solders blood with this new concentrate. Military scientists believe that the procedure increases the soldier’s endurance and alertness because of the increase in the blood's capability to carry oxygen. “All is fare in love and war. What we are trying to gain is an advantage over any potential adversary. What we will have is a head start” – U.S. Defense Scientist Forbes Ewan. Blood loading started in the 70’s. The first case in professional sports occurred in the 1980 Moscow Olympics when Kaarlo Maaninka was transfused with two pints of blood before his race and went on to win the 5 and 10 kilo races. But during that time, loading was not
illegal. Blood loading, regardless if everyone in your tier is doing it, is unfair and here’s why. Everyone has their own natural levels of hemoglobin which can very drastically. Hemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells. So its job is to transport oxygen from the respiratory system to the rest of your body. What blood loading does is increase the hemoglobin count in one’s blood by concentration. Scientists have come up with a number that they say is the highest possible level of hemoglobin a human can naturally have. So how officials test is by counting the levels in racers blood, and if it’s higher than that determined number, then the racer is brought under investigation. Now where this come into play on how it’s unfair even if your competitor is loading is, let’s say scientist have come up with that natural max level of hemoglobin, and this number is for example 50% of you blood. If one racer has a natural level of 42% and another 48%, the racer with 42% has 6% more room to concentrate then his competitor before they both cap out. This brings in the issue that the racer with naturally higher levels has only 2% to improve and there for the lesser racer can now evenly match him in hemoglobin. Now just because they both have the same levels doesn’t mean they’re even. The muscle and anaerobic system of the racer with lower levels is used to, and can perform, at that natural level. Now that he can increase it 8% more, his body is going to see a larger increase in performance which will allow him to surpass and exceed his competition. This is the science behind how blood loading isn’t fare even though everyone may be doing it. Furthermore, this is what many people don’t know about this issue flooding many fields of sports today.