Microdoses of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Enhance Time Trial Performance in Trained Males and Females.

Andreas Breenfeldt Andersen, Jonathan Graae, Jacob Bejder, Thomas C Bonne, Søren Seier, Maren Debertin, Kasper Eibye, Morten Hostrup, Nikolai B Nordsborg

Medicine and science in sports and exercise 2023 Feb 01

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We investigated the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) administration on exercise endurance, maximal aerobic performance, and total hemoglobin mass (tHb). We hypothesized that frequent, small intravenous injections of epoetin β would increase time trial performance, peak oxygen uptake (V̇O 2peak ), and tHb in both males and females. We included 48 healthy, recreational to trained males ( n = 24, mean ± SD V̇O 2peak = 55 ± 5 mL O 2 ·kg -1 ⋅min -1 ) and females ( n = 24; V̇O 2peak of 46 ± 4 mL O 2 ·kg -1 ⋅min -1 ) in a counterbalanced, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study design stratified by sex. Time trial performance, V̇O 2peak , and tHb were determined before and after intravenous injections of either rHuEPO (9 IU·kg bw -1 epoetin β) or saline (0.9% NaCl) three times weekly for 4 wk. A time-treatment effect ( P < 0.05) existed for time trial performance. Within the rHuEPO group, mean power output increased by 4.1% ± 4.2% ( P < 0.001). Likewise, a time-treatment effect ( P < 0.001) existed for V̇O 2peak , where the rHuEPO group improved V̇O 2peak and peak aerobic power by 4.2% ± 6.1% ( P < 0.001) and 2.9% ± 4.0% ( P < 0.01), respectively. A time-treatment effect ( P < 0.001) existed for tHb, where the rHuEPO group increased tHb by 6.7% ± 3.4% ( P < 0.001). A main effect of "sex" alone was also evident ( P < 0.001), but no sex-specific interactions were found. No changes were observed in the placebo group for mean power output, V̇O 2peak , peak aerobic power, or tHb. Microdoses with intravenous rHuEPO provide a sufficient erythropoietic stimuli to augment tHb and enhance aerobic-dominated performance in both trained males and females. Copyright © 2022 by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Citation

Andreas Breenfeldt Andersen, Jonathan Graae, Jacob Bejder, Thomas C Bonne, Søren Seier, Maren Debertin, Kasper Eibye, Morten Hostrup, Nikolai B Nordsborg. Microdoses of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Enhance Time Trial Performance in Trained Males and Females. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2023 Feb 01;55(2):311-321