The Pros And Cons Of Blood Doping

Flying down the steep slopes somewhere in western Europe, hundreds of elite athletes barrel down the road at an incredible rate of speed. Jerseys representing several different countries mold together to form one big mass of sweat, heavy breathing, and spandex suits cutting through the air. How do they keep going? How do they have the endurance stand up off of their small seats and pedal hard up those big, steep and long hills that even cars struggle to climb? The secret is in the machine. No, I am not talking about the extremely technologically advanced bikes that they ride, nor the specially engineered gear that they wear to cut through the elements. I am talking about the machine that runs behinds closed doors, the Blood Centrifuge. In

Blood doping is very large in the sport of professional cycling. This is due to the extreme length and intensity of the races. Any advantages, artificial or natural, that the riders can get they will take. In fact, when it comes to the Tour de France, in order to find a rider that completed the race naturally without any performance enhancements you would have to search as far as 30th place. Nearly 80% of the Tour de France medalists from 1996 through 2010 have been tainted by blood doping. Lance Armstrong had fought quite the medical battle in the early stages of his career, battling several types of cancer all at once, the poisonous toxins being pumped into his body during chemotherapy, but most importantly; he was battling the odds. Being told he would never race again Lance was determined to prove the spectators wrong and get back on his bike. Armstrong regained all of the muscle that he lost in his chemotherapy treatment and more, returning to the tour scene stronger and in better shape than he had ever been in his