Tag: British Paralympians
Claim of ‘blood boosting’ at Paralympic Games
BBC World Service documentary suggests practice of artificially boosting blood pressure remains widespread
There is no evidence British Paralympians are involved in the banned practice of artificially “boosting” blood pressure to improve performance, officials said following claims that up to 30% of those athletes with spinal damage may be doing it.
A BBC World Service documentary, Cheating at the Paralympics, that aired on Thursday night, suggested the practice – banned by the International Paralympic Committee since 1994 – remains widespread.
So-called “boosting” involves the deliberate induction of a dangerous condition common to quadriplegics called autonomic dysreflexia, which boosts blood pressure and the heart rate.