How does EPO work ?

[Catwhoorg]

http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/how-does-epo-work

The Sweat Science column is normally a good read, this one was fascinating.
4 groups, 2 train, 2 don't and 2 get EPO and 2 don't



So for anyone who says "Oh, EPO doesn't really do anything, you still have to do the training..." Well, it's true that you still have to train, but this graph makes it pretty clear that EPO has powerful effects on its own. Along those lines, VO2max jumped 27% in the training-EPO group, but it also jumped 15% in the sedentary-EPO group. Not too shabby.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Training 3 times a week.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Stupid study. Who is taking EPO and only training 3 x per week.

Mutter.

ETA: who do I see about getting unfettered access to studies?

 

[Catwhoorg]

You mean you don't have access to Experimental Physiology ?

(neither do I which I why I linked the column).



The 3 times/week training is due to the participants being untrained to start with. The main focus of the study is on angiogensis and muscle growth, the HCT effects are more of a sideline.

About an 8% boost in HCT maximizing after ~5 weeks. No idea on the dosage involved.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

You mean you don't have access to Experimental Physiology ?

(neither do I which I why I linked the column).



The 3 times/week training is due to the participants being untrained to start with. The main focus of the study is on angiogensis and muscle growth, the HCT effects are more of a sideline.

About an 8% boost in HCT maximizing after ~5 weeks. No idea on the dosage involved.

No dosage info, no training info, no participant bf%, yadda yadda.

Training 6 days / week with half the training of 3 days / week would nett better results (IME).

Angiogenesis is going to be (IMO) dependent on metabolic (?) and anaerobic strain - ie pushing your body to a limit to force an adaptation. Not something you can do from an untrained state.

The whole thing just looks mickey mouse to me.

And that 54% increase in time to exhaustion study - I need to go read that again.

 

[Catwhoorg]

The dosing/training info will be in the full paper undoubtedly.

Not really needed for a discussion meant for general consumption, which is where the RWOL article is targeted.

 

[SeriousSam]

Hmm...
36 young male healthy untrained subjects, randomly divided into
training, epo
no training, epo
training, placebo,
no training, placebo

EPO/placebo once a week, 10 weeks of training, 3 times a week, before and after measurements of various stuff including VO2max.

VO2max increased 27% for training, epo and 15% for no training epo

does anyone have full access? I'd like to know the percentages for the placebo groups and the within-group variation in VO2max change (if large, the results aren't very meaningful). Would also be interested in whether V02max gain with epo/training or just epo interacts with someone's natural hematocrit (people around here sometimes claim the gain in performance from epo is less if you already have high hematocrit).

But it's interesting that like steroids, epo gives a benefit without training, but given the small sample, the fact that they took untrained people and the fact that the training doesnt resemble what pros do makes it hard to estimate how much pros would benefit.

 

[jens_attacks]

But it's interesting that like steroids, epo gives a benefit without training, but given the small sample, the fact that they took untrained people and the fact that the training doesnt resemble what pros do makes it hard to estimate how much pros would benefit.

thomas dekker said 1-2% before coming back but i think he changed his mind now...