- Mar 13, 2009
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I saw this on TV this morning while having breakfast and thought it sounded interesting. It is an extract from the TV show "Télématin" on France 2. Here is the link, but I am not sure if it is geo-restricted, and it is in French:
http://telematin.france2.fr/?page=chronique&id_article=36505
I will try to transcribe most of it.
What do a professional athlete accused of EPO usage and a haemocromatosis patient in common? The answer: elevated iron levels in their blood. This researcher has proven that certain athletes wrongly accused of doping have in reality a rare genetic mutation that gives them superior physical capacity.
Pr. Gerard DINE: "We have discovered that these athletes, unjustly accused of doping, had a rare genetic mutation that impacts the metabolizing of iron. By doing sports they elevate their red blood cells, when they go to high altitudes they respond fantastically to those conditions and therefore find themselves with highly suspicious blood values, indicating EPO usage. Except they didn't take it because they didn't need it. Among the European population there are around 5% - 10% of people with this mutation, among professional athletes the percentage is three times higher. This has an important biological signification.
Among the athletes, this can give them an advantage. But among patients, some of these mutations can lead to an iron overload, causing a disease called heretic haemochromatosis. There is a fine balance between having enough iron, and being at an advantage, and having too much, and being at a disadvantage."
In order to avoid these false accusations, the Institute of Sports Medicine of Troyes has developed a sports passport, adopted today by many federations. However, sometimes Pr. DINE has had to testify in favour of athletes like runner Bob Tahri or cross-country skier Jean-Marc Gaillard.
"During the winter games of 2006, we succeeded in getting a suspended cross-country skier back into the games. He had been suspended unjustly by the IOC at the beginning of the games, because they had not studied his file."
Have you discovered superman?
"No. You cannot discover superman. (...) There is no champion-gene, that would be too simple and this is too complex".
Today Pr. Dine and his team are doing research on the Maori. These populations are particularly sensitive to diabetis, but they are also over-represented in international rugby. It seems this weakness and this strength could have the same cause; maybe a genetic mutation.
Is this something new? I don't follow doping news as closely. The video states it is a new discovery, but at the same time they say they already used this to defend athletes back in 2006.
Does it have any effect to cycling? In the beginning they speak of Contador but he wasn't suspended for EPO. Has the UCI adopted this passport?
http://telematin.france2.fr/?page=chronique&id_article=36505
I will try to transcribe most of it.
What do a professional athlete accused of EPO usage and a haemocromatosis patient in common? The answer: elevated iron levels in their blood. This researcher has proven that certain athletes wrongly accused of doping have in reality a rare genetic mutation that gives them superior physical capacity.
Pr. Gerard DINE: "We have discovered that these athletes, unjustly accused of doping, had a rare genetic mutation that impacts the metabolizing of iron. By doing sports they elevate their red blood cells, when they go to high altitudes they respond fantastically to those conditions and therefore find themselves with highly suspicious blood values, indicating EPO usage. Except they didn't take it because they didn't need it. Among the European population there are around 5% - 10% of people with this mutation, among professional athletes the percentage is three times higher. This has an important biological signification.
Among the athletes, this can give them an advantage. But among patients, some of these mutations can lead to an iron overload, causing a disease called heretic haemochromatosis. There is a fine balance between having enough iron, and being at an advantage, and having too much, and being at a disadvantage."
In order to avoid these false accusations, the Institute of Sports Medicine of Troyes has developed a sports passport, adopted today by many federations. However, sometimes Pr. DINE has had to testify in favour of athletes like runner Bob Tahri or cross-country skier Jean-Marc Gaillard.
"During the winter games of 2006, we succeeded in getting a suspended cross-country skier back into the games. He had been suspended unjustly by the IOC at the beginning of the games, because they had not studied his file."
Have you discovered superman?
"No. You cannot discover superman. (...) There is no champion-gene, that would be too simple and this is too complex".
Today Pr. Dine and his team are doing research on the Maori. These populations are particularly sensitive to diabetis, but they are also over-represented in international rugby. It seems this weakness and this strength could have the same cause; maybe a genetic mutation.
Is this something new? I don't follow doping news as closely. The video states it is a new discovery, but at the same time they say they already used this to defend athletes back in 2006.
Does it have any effect to cycling? In the beginning they speak of Contador but he wasn't suspended for EPO. Has the UCI adopted this passport?
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