To cut a long story short, as my Dad would say before explaining every minute detail for hours, are there any natural alternatives to EPO? I’m not looking for performance enhancement but alternatively, does anyone take Iron tablets / supplements which have made a difference to every day energy levels?

Beetroot juice. Seriously. Get it from Holland and Barrett, it is the most incredible natural boost. A glass a day. Every person I know that I have recommended it to swears by it. And its high in iron. Look at the website for ‘Beet It’. Also… Cut refined sugar and alcohol from your diet for 2 weeks and see the difference. Athletes don’t avoid them for no reason…

acetyl-l-carnitine

FFS don’t take it in the afternoon, you’ll never sleep.

Altitude training. Your body will manufacture it for free.

Food.

Charlie

Jimmy – so why do you want some ‘EPO like substance’?

If your red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration, or haematocrit are lower than YOUR normal level then there are ways that you can sort that out – but, if you want to enhance these measures ABOVE your normal level than any effect will be both hard to achieve AND short-lived. Send me an email if you are the former.

Edit: I am an exercise physiologist by the way, and I have undertaken some research into blood chemistry and exercise tolerance

Never used it myself, or heard any feedback on it, but i’ve seen this stuff

http://www.zipvit.co.uk/cgi-bin/popupprod3a1.pl?prodcode=A388a&cartnumber=2605z&currency=Pounds Sterling&vouchercode=&category=u