Blood doping

This page shows anti-doping rule violation data we have registered for Blood doping.

Number of cases in Blood doping Last 10 Years

Blood doping

Blood doping ranks # globally among prohibited substances, with 33 registered cases (0.2% of all violations) among all sports tracked by the Anti-Doping Database, which contains 14,670 verified cases. Austria leads with 7 cases, while Cycling is the most affected sport (13 cases).

Cases of Blood doping by Sport
Cycling
13
Cross-country skiing
10
Track and field
3
Weightlifting
2
Rowing
1
Top Sport: Cycling

13

Cycling cases

0%

Of all violations

33

Total Blood doping cases
Cycling's share of Blood doping violations 0%
13 of 33

Cycling has the most recorded cases of Blood doping violations globally, with 13 registered cases — 0% of all 33 verified cases.

Cases of Blood doping by Country
Austria
7
USA
6
Estonia
4
Kazakhstan
3
Italy
3
Top Country: Austria

7

Austria cases

21.2%

Of all violations

33

Total Blood doping cases
Austria's share of Blood doping violations 21.2%
7 of 33

Austria leads significantly in Blood doping violations globally, with 7 registered cases — 21.2% of all 33 verified cases.

Global Substance Ranking

Blood doping ranks # of 358 prohibited substances in the Anti-Doping Database.

#1 Stanozolol
1,359
#2 Methandienone
833
#3 Norandrosterone
778
#4 Testosterone
758
About This Ranking

This ranking covers only prohibited substances with verified case records in the Anti-Doping Database. Procedural violations (whereabouts failures, refusals to test, etc.) are excluded.

Active Sanctions — Expiry Year
Gender Distribution
Male 90.9%
30 cases
Female 9.1%
3 cases
Analysis: has a notably higher proportion of male cases (90.9%) compared to the global average (80.2%), a difference of 10.7 percentage points. Global average: 80.2% male, 19.8% female
Average Suspension Length
43.5
months
Blood doping
30.1
months
Global average

The average suspension for Blood doping violations is 43.5 months, longer than the global average of 30.1 months.

Blood doping is the administration of autologous, homologous or heterologous blood or red blood cell products of any origin, other than legitimate treatment. Blood doping can occur when an athlete introduces additional blood to their natural blood volume or when other synthetic related blood products are used to increase red blood cell mass. An increased red blood cell mass improves that amount of oxygen the blood can carry to the body's muscles - therefore improving endurance performance. Side effects Any practice that involves adding blood to the body or taking blood out can pose a serious health risk. An athlete using their own blood may be at risk of bacterial infections and fatal reactions due to blood mislabelling. Other complications may include blood clots, stroke, congestive heart failure, hypertension, and shock. An athlete who uses another person's blood also risks immune problems, fever and viral infections. The sharing of needles or blood can also lead to diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Elevating blood volume above natural levels is a dangerous practice as the blood becomes viscous and this causes the heart to work harder to pump the blood. Viscous blood is more prone to clotting. Unnaturally high red blood cell levels also increase the risk of heart attack, strokes and pulmonary embolism (lung clot). The risk is exacerbated by dehydration, which often occurs during endurance exercise. Status in Sport Blood doping is prohibited as a method for enhancing oxygen transfer under the World Anti-Doping Code 2006 Prohibited List (effective from 01/01/06). This method was banned ahead of the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.

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