Was just surfing around and found some articles on Echinacea increasing epo levels. I did a quick ST search and didnt find any threads on the subject. The only study I could find had subjects taking 8000mg of Echinacea a day, but saw significant increases in blood levels. see below:
improved Running Economy and Maximal Oxygen Consumption
After 4-Weeks of Oral Echinacea Supplementation Malcolm T.
Whitehead1, Tyler D. Martin2, Michael J. Webster, FACSM2,
Michael J. Webster, FACSM2, Timothy P. Scheett3.
1Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Natchitoches, LA.
2The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS.
3College of Charleston, Charleston, SC.
Sponsor: Michael J. Webster, FACSM)
Echinacea is an herbal supplement primarily utilized as an
immunostimulant. Evidence from animal and cell culture models
indicate that Echinacea may increase oxygen transport capacity.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to determine
the effects of four weeks of oral Echinacea supplementation
on erythropoietin, red blood cell count, running economy,
and VO2 max.
METHODS: Twenty-four males (aged 24.9 ± 4.2 yr,
height 178.9 ± 7.9 cm, weight 87.9 ± 14.6 kg,
body fat 19.3 ± 6.5 %) were supplemented with either 8000
mg·d-1 Echinacea (ECH) (n=12) or a placebo (PLA) (n=12).
Blood samples were collected prior to and every 7-d during
supplementation and analyzed for erythropoietin and red
blood cells. Maximal graded exercise tests were administered
to measure VO2 max,running economy, and heart-rate responses.
Significant between groups differences were determined
from ANOVA with significance set at P . 0.05.
RESULTS: Erythropoietin increased significantly in ECH at
days 7 (15.75 ± 0.64 vs. 10.01 ± 0.73 mU·mL-1), 14 (18.88
± 0.71 vs. 11.02 ± 0.69 mU·mL-1), and 21 (16.06 ± 0.55 vs.
9.20 ± 0.55 mU·mL-1). VO2 max increased significantly in
ECH (1.47 ± 1.28 vs. -0.13 ± 0.52 %). Running economy
improved significantly in ECH as indicated by a decrease
in submaximal VO2 during the first 2 stages of the graded
exercise test (Stage 1: -1.50 ± 1.21 vs. 0.60 ± 1.95;
Stage 2: -1.67 ± 1.43 vs. 0.01 ± 1.03 %; ECH and PLA,
respectively).
CONCLUSION: These data suggest that Echinacea supplementation
results in significant increases in erythropoietin, VO2max,
and running economy.