rekrunner wrote:
OK, the practice is also widespread, because the belief is widespread.
I would agree that non-believers don't practice, unless they are forced to by another believer.
"Widespread" is a admittedly a rather vague term. I would say 5% doping is widespread.
If you want to show doping benefit, you need a different method than doping busts of fast runners.
C'mon rekrunner....don't act intellectually deprived; you're smarter than that.
How long has EPO been around? ? Maybe 3+ decades now? (There's evidence of use way back in 88 at Calgary & Seoul). Blood transfusions have been around a lot longer but involve less availability & practicality due to the money and resources needed. EPO is more cost effective and can be shipped practically anywhere all over the world to the athletes or coaches and administration can be started immediately without the long downtime of blood withdrawls as well as all the other hassles involving transfusions (e.g, storage, re-infusions, blood bags getting mixed up, etc.).
This is what made it so widespread across the globe - and some athletes could use it covertly without anyone even knowing including the athlete's family & coach. And since most African nations wouldn't have the money & resources needed for blood doping, EPO made the perfect endurance drug for those that desired to dope.
Therefore, if it didn't provide some level of performance enhancement benefits after 3 decades of widespread use, why would athletes and coaches continue to use it for so long? Athletes & coaches aren't stupid - they wouldn't waste their time & money on drug that is ineffective and solely based on "belief" (would you use a pharmaceutical or supplement that didn't seem to be providing any benefits?). And considering the huge number of EPO pops and ABP sanctions for hematological anomalies suspected with EPO use, athletes & coaches must still think the benefits far outweigh the risk of getting caught.
You act like EPO was just developed last year and athletes & coaches are in the experimental phase with it. This is an endurance drug that has 3+ decades of world wide use and despite much better testing and the ABP....continues to be abused.