EPO has had a long history of doping. It is widely believed that the first doping scandal occurred in the 70s. Over the past few decades almost every sport has had an athlete who has been caught doping with EPO. EPO doping has occurred in endurance sports, long distance running, cross country skinning and even billiards.
Since EPO can increase the hemoglobin and oxygen carrying capacity, it has been a favorite drug of abuse among individuals who participate in endurance events. The EPO is injected for a few weeks and the results are obvious in less than a month.
Most athletes inject the EPO a few months prior to a sporting event. The injections are then stopped at least a few weeks prior to the actual meeting to avoid detection. There have also been isolated cases of complications in athletes who have abused EPO for prolonged periods. The reason for the complication is use of excessively high doses of EPO. The EPO continues to stimulate the red blood cells which than clog up blood vessels in the brain and heart. This can lead to a stroke or a heart attack. Most of the EPO available today for illegal use is either stolen from pharmacies or obtained from Mexico or Europe. In some cases, it is illegally prescribed by physicians over the internet.
In the 1990s, EPO was finally banned by all sporting organizations. Newer and more sensitive tests have been developed to identify EPO in the urine and blood. In any sports, the urine is first checked for EPO. If there is a hint that EPO is present in the urine, the blood is tested for confirmation.
The tests for EPO today are extremely sensitive and widely accepted by the scientific community. There is absolutely no risk of getting a falsely positive test.
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