Inserting drugs through tattoo needles increases the effect of drugs, meaning athletes can take smaller doses and "fly under the radar" in dope tests.
Research in Germany has shown that delivering DNA vaccines via tattoo was 16 times more effective than injecting through the muscles or veins as the vibrating tattoo needle prepares the body's immune system and increases the body's response to the drug.
Former Australian Institute of Sport researcher Robin Parisotto said a handful of athletes could use the technique in Beijing.
He said: "With some of these things the technology is so new, the concept so bizarre, that there would only be a handful of well tapped-in athletes using it - but they will be experimenting at the Beijing Olympics because it is the ultimate.
"The problem is that some of the drugs would now fly under the radar with the tattoo technique because athletes would be taking a much smaller dose."
The author of 'Blood Sports: The inside dope on drugs in sport' said cheating athletes are also combining the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra with doses of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas. Both drugs increase the flow of oxygen in the blood stream and therefore boost sporting performance.
Source: Olympic Cheats Use 'Drug Tattoos'
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Originally Posted by austinite
