endurance athletes blood doping using tranfusions...

[circusgirl]

There was an item on the news here today about how lots of the winter olympics endurance athletes were apparently revising the old "blood doping via transfusion" strategy - but this time, instead of using their own blood, they bring "fans" or "teammates" of the same blood group with them and transfuse the day before or whatever.

I think that's kinda gross - I mean, there have been all these new dieases in the last few years that we now know are blood borne (hiv, hepC) - who's to asy there aren't lots more blood-cooties where those came from? Like prion diseases etc? I can understand the need for a transfusion in case of impending death but....

...anyone think these guys are going a bit far in terms of person danger there?

 

[WODIN]

Damn...doping your own blood is one thing. This is mental ward lock up stupid.

 

[Baoh]

Prions are not transmitted that way. They are proteins that aggregate in certain tissues (most notably neural tissue), and then induce the folding of corresponding proteins into the prion form, which is shaped in such a way that they are incredibly resistant to degradation. They are gotten via consumption, and there is evidence that there has to be a certain critical number of them accumulated over time or at once in order to get the illness to manifest.

Prions are neat stuff. Not something I'd be worried by when dealing with blood, though.

I imagine they highly trust their personal donors, and may also get them tested for safety's sake.

It allows them to remain competitive at what they love most. I wouldn't do it, but I can understand why they do it.

I don't consider it too risky, assuming precautions are taken.