Key result
Single-dose erythropoietin fails to improve peak workload or oxygen uptake vs. placebo in healthy subjects.
Why the study?
Preclinical studies suggested that a single high dose of erythropoietin may improve exercise capacity, but this effect in healthy humans was unclear.
Does a single 60,000 IU dose of erythropoietin improve short-term aerobic exercise performance in healthy subjects?
RCT (n=29)
Double-blind
Randomized crossover
No
Does a single 60,000 IU dose of erythropoietin improve short-term aerobic exercise performance in healthy subjects?
Absolute Event Rate: 3.5% vs 3.5%
p-value: p=0.892
A single high dose of erythropoietin does not improve short-term aerobic exercise performance or work capacity in healthy subjects.
Single high-dose EPO does not improve aerobic capacity in healthy adults; challenges preclinical hypotheses of acute ergogenic effects.
Erythropoietin (EPO) boosts exercise performance through increase in oxygen transport capacity following regular administration of EPO but preclinical study results suggest that single high dose of EPO also may improve exercise capacity. Twenty-nine healthy subjects (14 males/15 females; age: 25 ± 3 years) were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study to assess peak work load and cardiopulmonary variables during submaximal and maximal cycling tests following a single dose of 60.000 IU of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) or placebo (PLA). Submaximal exercise at 40%/ 60% of peak work load revealed no main effect of EPO on oxygen uptake (27.9 ± 8.7 ml min-1·kg-1/ 37.1 ± 13.2 ml min-1·kg-1) versus PLA (25.2 ± 3.7 ml min-1·kg-1/ 33.1 ± 5.3 ml min-1·kg-1) condition (p= 0.447/ p= 0.756). During maximal exercise peak work load (PLA: 3.5 ± 0.6 W·kg-1 vs. EPO: 3.5 ± 0.6 W kg-1, p= 0.892) and peak oxygen uptake (PLA: 45.1 ± 10.4 ml·min-1 kg-1 vs. EPO: 46.1 ± 14.2 ml·min-1 kg-1, p= 0.344) reached comparable values in the two treatment conditions. Other cardiopulmonary variables (ventilation, cardiac output, heart rate) also reached similar levels in the two treatment conditions. An interaction effect was found between treatment condition and sex resulting in higher peak oxygen consumption (p= 0.048) and ventilation (p= 0.044) in EPO-treated males. In conclusion, in a carefully conducted study using placebo-controlled design the present data failed to support the hypothesis that a single high dose of EPO has a measurable impact on work capacity in healthy subjects.
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Haider et al. (2020) conducted an RCT in Healthy subjects (n=29). Erythropoietin vs. Placebo was evaluated on Peak work load relative to body mass (W/kg) (p=0.892). A single 60,000 IU dose of erythropoietin did not significantly improve peak work load (3.5 vs 3.5 W/kg, p=0.892) or peak oxygen uptake compared to placebo in healthy subjects.
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