what is epo drug in sport

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells in bone marrow and regulates the concentration of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood. In a clinical setting, EPO is primarily used for kidney failure, chemotherapy, and other medical conditions involving red blood cell loss and anemia. However, in sports, EPO is used as a type of blood doping to increase the number of red blood cells in the body, which increases the ability to deliver oxygen to tissues and enhances endurance. Blood doping involves using pharmaceuticals, such as EPO and other biosimilars, to stimulate the production of more red blood cells, or the infusion of additional red blood cell volume. The manipulation of blood and blood components to enhance performance is prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. EPO has a long history of abuse in endurance sports and has been shown to increase performance parameters such as maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and time to exhaustion. However, the use of EPO in sports has negative health effects, including an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots. An approved test for EPO was first introduced at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, which uses a combination of urine testing and blood testing to detect the presence of synthetic EPO.