Pharmaceutical Name: EPO Erythropoietin

Description: This drug is being used by some athletes. EPO has recently been synthetically engineered through recombinant DNA techniques; the same techniques used to produce the popular synthetic forms of growth hormone. EPO is a protein hormone secreted by cells in the kidney in response to lowered oxygen content in the blood. It acts on bone marrow, stimulating erythropoiesis which is the production of red blood cells. Clinically, it is used on patients suffering anemia due to disease; in some cases it is a replacement for blood transfusions. Athletes use EPO to dramatically increase red blood cells, the oxygen carrying components of blood. Increase the oxygen-storing ability of blood can increase performance. Blood doping has the same effect as EPO; however, as EPO just requires a number of injections blood doping requires drawing out a liter of blood, freezing it, then thawing it and reinfusing it several weeks later.

Side Effects: EPO has some serious side effects. EPO increases hematocrit -- the percentage of red blood cells in blood. A normal hematocrit of 40 equals a 40% red blood cells volume. Athletes often have a higher-than-average hematocrit. Injecting EPO, can raise hematocrit up to 40%. When hematocrit levels gets too high blood can clog an artery leading to vascular complications such as heart attack, stroke, cardiac failure, or pulmonary edema -- this is a form of water logging of the lungs because of left ventricular failure.

Dehydration can raise the concentration of hematocrit even more, increasing the risk of a fatality. EPO is mostly used by endurance athletes yet weightlifters do experiment with it. EPO's risks outweigh its benefits as an ergogenic aid.

Effectiveness Rating: 3