Eight cross-country skiers, including two Americans, have been suspended for five days, pending new blood tests, after their initial blood tests revealed high hemoglobin levels. This is not considered a disciplinary suspension, but a health suspension. Initially, it looks like none of the skiers will miss their scheduled events.
Generally, this kind of problem is caused by acclimation to high altitudes or improper hydration. While there have been cases of athletes using illicit transfusions or other means to achieve high hemoglobin levels, this is unlikely to be the case here. It is much more likely that the athletes simply did not drink enough water in their recent travelling and settling in to the athlete’s village.
Hemoglobin is the part of a red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to all cells. Because it increases the oxygen in the muscles, it can be considered a performance enhancer.
UPDATE: Four more cross-country skiers received five-day suspensions Friday for testing positive for high levels of hemoglobin in their blood, bringing the total to 12 in two days.
