Sysmex Journal International
2005Vol.15 No.2
Scientific SeminarIan GILES*1 and Torsten REINECKE*2
*1 Sysmex America
*2 Sysmex Europe GmbH
Mundelein, Illinois, April 14, 2005 – In keeping with standards set forth by many international sports associations, the International Cycling Union ( UCI ) recently tested participants of the Union Cycliste Internationale Elite Track World Championships cycling event for blood doping and erythropoietin abuse– methods for artificially increasing red blood cell mass. The diagnostic instrument of choice for this testing was a Sysmex XE-2100 Automated Hematology Analyzer. Sysmex instruments were also used for testing athletes at the 2004 Tour de France ( XT-2000i ) and the 2004 Olympics in Athens ( XE-2100 ).
Many athletes turn to blood doping based on the assumption that an increased oxygen carrying capacity of the red blood cells leads to enhanced athletic performance – despite physiological evidence that oxygen is abundantly available at a mitochondrial level in skeletal muscle during endurance exercise.