Athletes who break toes to perform better

22 August 2012 Last updated at 19:37 ET


By Matt McGrath Science reporter, BBC World Service


Would you break your own toe to win a Paralympic medal? Would you sit on a sharp object or strangulate your testicles? It's cheating, but a scientist who will be monitoring athletes at the Paralympic Games says a third of competitors with spinal injuries may be harming themselves to boost their performance.
The practice, called "boosting", is designed to increase blood pressure and enhance performance.
It's banned by the International Paralympics Committee (IPC), but some researchers say these are the desperate acts of athletes trying to compete on

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