Posted by My STEM project explores blood disorders and their treatments, with a focus on how these conditions affect the function of red blood cells. It also investigates the controversial practice of blood doping, enhancing athletic performance by increasing red blood cell count, and the use of erythropoietin (EPO) in this process. As a real-world example, the project highlights the case of professional cyclist Riccardo Riccò, who was caught using EPO during the 2008 Tour de France.
First off, I like the art that Isabelle drew for her STEAM project. Isabelle discusses how sports have exploited the world through blood doping and the practice of injecting my transfusion supplemental RBCs. Isabelle mentions how this practice is illegal and that it manipulates red blood cell levels to gain a competitive advantage. This is obviously not a moral or ethical thing to have in sports. I conducted a Google search of what blood doping was to help me understand, and learned that it is the practice of misusing techniques to increase the number of circulating red blood cells in the body. Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body.
Isabelle talks about sickle cell and anemia, which are things we learned during the last semester, if I am not mistaken. She also discusses what blood doping is and how it makes it illegal. She mentions that blood doping is often associated with improving illegal athletic endurance, which is something we have seen throughout the years with various sports and athletes. Isabelle says that the more erythrocytes one has, the more oxygen can be transported to the muscles, which makes it desirable for athletes because it delays fatigue and also boosts physical output. What athlete wouldn’t want this! She discusses the two methods of blood doping, which are having a blood transfusion and the use of EPO. EPO is a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates the production of RBCs. Although athletes believe this is beneficial, there could also be complications where the heart could have difficulty pumping blood, which risks blood clots, strokes, and heart failure.
I enjoyed reading the paragraph of Ricardo Ricco who was a cyclist. He was a successful cyclist until he tested positive for CERA, a form of EPO. His downfall led to other misfortunes in his life and at one point had to be hospitalized.