Iron Injecting: A problem among Japanese high school athletes
From the title you might be thinking, "how is that possible?!" But yes, the injection of iron among high school ekiden teams is becoming a problem. Organizers of the National High School Ekiden Championships announced that they would be testing the athletes for injections. According to The Japan Times, the drug is "currently allowed for medical reasons and there are no penalties for their use." The coaches are reportedly encouraging their athletes to use IV iron drips as a means for performance enhancement. Although the National High School Ekiden Championship is a huge event in Japan, this report took me by surprise. Coaches are injecting iron into bodies of athletes who haven't developed yet, and can greatly damage or harm them in the future. Iron injections can help to increase hemoglobin levels in the body, which can improve athletic performance. According to Brett Larner of Japan Running News, an official of the event commented, "Iron injections are suitable as a treatment for anaemia, but as a means of enhancing performance they are inappropriate. The injections can have side effects upon the body, so testing will be introduced to protect the athletes."
All athletes competing in the race will be tested for iron injections over a 5 day period from Dec.23-27.
Source: Mainichi.jp
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