Lance armstrong doping what kind of drugs

More Videos Lance Armstrong admits doping McKinnon: Armstrong doping 'devastating' Armstrong could face more legal trouble Lance Armstrong plays Oprah card EPO, or erythropoietin, is a hormone naturally produced by human kidneys to stimulate red blood cell production, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Cyclists and other athletes use EPO to raise their red blood cell counts, which increases the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to muscles, improving recovery and endurance. Blood transfusions have a similar effect on the body's red blood cell count. Usually an athlete will store some of his blood when his hemoglobin levels are high, then reinfuse it right before an event.

Both methods can have dangerous side effects. Increased levels of hemoglobin, which literally thickens the blood, can lead to complications with circulation, putting athletes at risk for cardiovascular problems. Corticosteroids are man-made drugs that resemble the natural hormone cortisol, according to the Cleveland Clinic. These are different from anabolic steroids, which athletes take to increase strength.

The most common types are cortisone, prednisone and methylprednisolone. Cortisol is most commonly known as a stress hormone. Corticosteroids work to decrease inflammation that can cause swelling and pain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. They can be administered locally -- to the specific area that hurts -- or systemically through a pill or intravenously.

The list of possible side effects for corticosteroids is long, including weight gain, sudden mood swings, blurred vision, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength, red blood cell production and sex drive, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is found in both men and women; in men, it also helps to regulate sperm production. The side effects are similar to both blood doping and anabolic steroid use.

Testosterone increases the body's red blood cell count, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease. Mood swings, muscle weakness and liver dysfunction are also common for both sexes with overuse.

Using testosterone also shuts down the body's natural production of the hormone. This can cause the testicles to shrink in men, reducing sperm production.

Cyclists say Armstrong's confession and calls to clean up the sport may lead to a new era. We have heard from many athletes who have faced an unfair dilemma -- dope, or don't compete at the highest levels of the sport.

Many of them abandoned their dreams and left sport because they refused to endanger their health and participate in doping. Even though it was once one of the drugs of choice of athletes prepared to cheat and risk blood clots, strokes and other potentially fatal health problems, little scientific testing has been done to support the claims made about it.

The new study sought to do just that with two groups of amateur cyclists given the hormone or a placebo over an eight-week period and then asked to cycle km before a race up the towering Mount Ventoux, one of the toughest challenges in the sport which regularly features in the Tour. Most of the cyclists themselves did not seem to notice any boost to their training. Nine out of 23 in the EPO group thought they had been given the drug, compared to six out of the 24 in the placebo group.

The Usada report claims Armstrong and his team-mates received Cortisone injections or took it in pill form. During the Tour, Armstrong tested positive for Cortisone but had no medical exemption — so the team provide a backdated prescription for Cortisone cream for saddle soreness.

There was no satisfactory test for HGH between and and Wada is only now close to having one. During the Tour, a discarded box of the anti-diabetes drug Actovegin was found in a skip. US Postal said at the time that it was used to treat road rash and Armstrong claimed never to have heard of it.

But his team-mates claim it was administered the night before a race to "improve oxygen delivery to the muscles". It is not currently banned but Usada said that the evasion of Armstrong and the team during an official French law enforcement investigation showed their willingness to lie.

Lance Armstrong case: The different drugs taken and how they were used.