Let’s say i’m a big shot pro, with deep pockets. I have the ability to re-infuse my own blood periodically. Does state of the art testing in cycling detect this or not? Is this where the UCI bio-passport comes in?
Ummm…Are you at all aware of what went down at the '07 Tour? I’m guessing not. Apparently doping controls use a test that can tell how old your red blood cells are. So even if all the blood in your system is your own, if you have too many ‘old’ red blood cells that can be detetected and give a positiive test.
Not a single doping test at the 07 tour used this method. Vino was caught with blood from a ‘compatible donor’ (wikipedia, so question it if you will.
2007 Tour = Tour of blood doping regardless of donor. Try and wrap your head around the second part of my response if you can. Then get back to me.
To answer your questions–no, and hopefully ;^)
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First of all, you do not need deep pockets to use your own blood, in fact probably the cheapest way to blood boost. WHat you do need, is a discrete doctor, but if you really have deep pockets, then the odds of someone turning you in go way up…Most the people that have got caught doing this, are from a blood mix up, or bags of blood found in the hands of those doctors…
Yeah, thanks so very much, I understood what you said, but pointing to the 2007 tour repeatedly does nothing to prove it. How about I just take the answer as yes (despite others disagreeing with you) and leave it there before you get even more fired up?
Let’s say i’m a big shot pro, with deep pockets. I have the ability to re-infuse my own blood periodically. Does state of the art testing in cycling detect this or not? Is this where the UCI bio-passport comes in?
From Wikipedia:
“At present there is no accepted method for detecting autologous transfusions (that is, using the athlete’s own RBCs), but research is in progress and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has promised that a test will eventually be introduced. The test method and its introduction date are to be kept secret in order to avoid tipping off doping athletes. The assay under development may be a measure of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG) levels in an athlete’s red blood cells. Because 2,3-BPG is degraded over time, the stored blood used in autologous transfusions will have less 2,3-BPG than fresh blood. A 2,3-BPG concentration lower than normal may therefore be an indication of autologous transfusion.”
A simple CBC will show altered values.
This is the whole point behind the Biological Passport. It’s pretty simple. Our bodies produce new red blood cell at fairly constant rate. If you dump in another population of cells the distribution of size and age changes. Immature vs.mature red blood cells should be within certain parameters.
Years ago there was no test for EPO, but do a CBC (complete blood count) and anyone using EPO would have an altered report.
This is real simple stuff medically speaking.