Blood doping is the practice of boosting the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream in order to enhance athletic performance. Because such blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles, a higher concentration in the blood can improve an athlete's aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and endurance.
Why is blood doping a thing?
Blood doping is an illicit method of improving athletic performance by artificially boosting the blood's ability to bring more oxygen to muscles. In many cases, blood doping increases the amount of hemoglobin in the bloodstream. Hemoglobin is an oxygen-carrying protein in the blood.
Why do athletes choose to do blood doping?
Blood moves oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. Since oxygen doesn't dissolve readily in blood, it is carried by a protein called hemoglobin inside red blood cells. The purpose of blood doping is to increase the quantity of hemoglobin, which carries the energy-fueling oxygen, into the athlete's bloodstream.
