Veloclinic 0

Explained: blood dope simulator + blood dope physiology

By veloclinic · On March 2, 2013

thissus the biggun

the video explainer:

Veloclinic Blood Dope Simulator v3.1

(link for v 3.1 of the blood dope simulator where the blood equation was updated)

the basic premise of the blood dope simulator

is that:

GT performance is determined by how many watts

can be generated by the aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates

the limiting factor to metabolising carbohydrates

being

the availability of

Oxygen (O2)

more oxygen

more carbohydrate metabolized aerobically

more watts

each L of oxygen used per min

generates 5.05 kcal per min of energy

since 1 watt = 0.01433 kcal/min

each VO2 L/min = watts x 0.01433 (kcal/min)/ 5.05 kcal/L

from the total

watts @ VO2 max

given that threshold is between 82-90%

and

elite riders are 21-24% efficient

then

VO2 L/min = watts x 0.01433 (kcal/min)/ 5.05 kcal/L / {.21 to .24} (efficiency) / {.82 to .90} (percent @ threshold)

(big thanks to @scienceofsport on this equation)

EPO and blood doping work by

increasing VO2max by increasing Hgb mass:

this figure was generated by pulling data from studies that looked at

change in VO2 max

change in Hgb mass (converted to gm/kg)

following EPO or blood transfusions

aside from one outlier

the results had remarkably similar slopes

of around 0.29

meaning

(Doped) VO2 L/min = (clean) VO2 L/min +(0.29 L/min/gm/kg x (Hgb doped gm/rider mass kg – Hgb baseline gm/rider mass kg)

or visually, example output from the simulator:

n since from above

VO2 L/min = watts x 0.01433 (kcal/min)/ 5.05 kcal/L / {.21 to .24} (efficiency) / {.82 to .90} (percent @ threshold)

when going from VO2 to watts:

the whole curve will be shifted up for:

higher efficiency riders

riders capable of riding at a greater percent uv VO2 max

at threshold

or down for:

lower efficiency riders

riders not capable of riding at a high perecent uv VO2 max

at threshold

now it’d be nice if all doping were created equal

but

it weren’t

stead:

for a given increase in Hgb mass

old school EPO will increase Hgb concentration

faster than Blood transfusion

(note the Blood slope was updated to 0.59 based on the Morkeberg 2008 study)

which will raise it faster than EPO micro dosing

because:

Old-school Standard (high dose) EPO

appears to have a diuretic effect

causing blood volume to decrease

whereas

EPO Micro dose

Blood transfusion

cause blood volume to expand

(interestingly the PRO simulation which is a best fit line from a real world former PRO whose regimen used fairly standard loading doses followed by lower maintenance doses appears to cause some diuretic effect but slightly less than the standard dosing)

which means:

in terms of biopassport risk

for a given increase in Hgb concentration

Micro dosing and Blood doping

will produce a larger increase in Hgb mass

than the Standard or PRO regimens

(with the caveat that

to get a Hgb mass increase greater than 10%

the doses aren’t going to be so Micro any more

or to get an increase of 10% quickly

Micro doses aren’t going to cut it

in contrast

continuing higher doses for extended periods

will lead to less diuretic effect

as the increase Hgb mass increases to a level were it

triggers an opposing volume expansion)

therefore:

in terms of biopassport risk

for a given increase in Hgb concentration

Micro dosing and Blood doping

will produce a larger increase in VO2 max

than the Standard or PRO regimens

and thereforefore:

in terms of biopassport risk

for a given increase in Hgb concentration

Micro dosing and Blood doping

will produce a larger increase in Watts/kg

than the Standard or PRO regimens

so in summary

from

a baseline

VO2 max

baseline

Hgb mass is calculated

which when given a baseline

Hgb concentration

baseline

blood volume is calcuated

similarly

given a baseline efficiency and and percent VO2max

at threshold

baseline

watts/kg at threshold is calculated

to simulate the effect of doping

a doped

Hgb concentraion is entered

the difference between the baseline and doped

Hgb concentration allows the calculation of

a doped Hgb mass

using the equation for each doping method

from the doped Hgb mass

the doped VO2max and ultimately

doped watts/kg is then calculated

for the citations n the like

http://veloclinic.tumblr.com/post/40824936108/phisiology-of-blood-doping

salvaged off the cache after cap’s exit

veloclinic

veloclinic is the reincarnation of one of our favorite Twitter friends, @captaintbag1, whose tumblr blog posts were a kind of blank verse, Tecate-soaked haiku of truthiness that cut through the slick bullshit and to the very core of what is gloriously fucked up about the sport of cycling. Although the Cap may be gone (sort of), his Doctor tbag/Captain Hyde alter ego lives on, and we’re glad to share his pithy analysis here. Lest you think these are the idiot ramblings of a madman, we’d like you to know that the doc is a legitimate professional in the science of sports medicine, and a savant when it comes to doping analysis. You have been warned. Nowadays Doc is much in demand as a legitimate authority-type commentator on the science of cycling performances, and his work has been featured in VeloNews, Outside online, and prominent sports medicine publications and symposia. His tumblr, in its current incarnation, may not be safe for cycling fans. Follow @veloclinic on Twitter