| Author | Message | ||
     Juerg Senior Member Username: Juerg Post Number: 1844 Registered: 04-2006 |
" After Bromont, Premont underwent a battery of medical tests to learn more. The result: she suffers from asthma during exercise. "A test revealed a reduction of my forced expiratory volume (FEV1) of 28%, which is considerable. In order to be recognized as exercise induced asthma and be granted the right to use a pump (bronchodilator), a volume reduction of 10% is necessary" explained the cyclist in an email, after she read the various test results. Critical question. Out of what ever reason ( genetics , environment or ?? ) this athlete has some "disadvantage." Now there will be an exemption if she likes it to overcome this "disadvantage " with drugs, to move her back up to an "even " playing field. Question : I have a problem to create a Hct and enough red blood cells ( genetically or nutritionally ??) to reach the allowable 50 %. Can I get an exemption so I can take EPO to bring myself up to an even playing field. And what with my friend , who is 1m 56 tall. He dreams to play in the NBA . He has a genetically ??? limitation . Could he get an exemption to "lengthen his arms or legs somehow so he is on the same level playing field as his other NBA players ?. And last but not least the girl at the IAAF 800 m run with a some what higher but in the normal range testosterone level. How about an exemption for the rest of the field to take some additional testosterone to get to the same playing field. Your thoughts ??? | ||
| Juerg Senior Member Username: Juerg Post Number: 1845 Registered: 04-2006 |
Now here the statement of teh athlete. " am a little disappointed to have asthma during exercise, but at the same time relieved to understand what happened at the Games and Bromont. That explains the breathing problems I have had for a while in competition. The upside is that it has been treated very well. I will use the ventolin just before the competition and I'll be protected for a period of four to six hours. I am really encouraged to arrive at the Worlds knowing that my breathing problems are behind me!" now here a faked statement from another athlete. " it is too bad, that my Hct and Hb is so low at the moment , but I am very pleased , that it can be treated easy and I just will take some Cera or EPO so I am confident I will have a good race at teh worlds, as my blood values will be up at teh upper range or even slightly above as I have an exemption for this Drug . " | ||
| Jsasseville Member Username: Jsasseville Post Number: 15 Registered: 11-2008 |
Juerg - I think that you are right except that I would not allow the use of EPO to get to the allowable limit but back to "normal". I believe that population normal is around 42%. This is what they are allowing Premont to do with the Ventolin. Not to get to the allowable limit but back to normal. 1 meter 75 or so is the normal for males for height. 2 .2 meters+ is not normal. | ||
| Juerg Senior Member Username: Juerg Post Number: 1867 Registered: 04-2006 |
Jack great point, and I would add, that the "normal " population will not be able to compete on a world class cross country ski race in the top but a few minutes to hours back. I think , that " un normal " is what makes the incredible results in sport , arts and science. If we would have all just normal "average " population we would have lot' less knowledge and in sport world records. A genius in math may have a chance to go up there, A 2.12 m tall person may have the advantage that he is not normal and therefor has a chance to be a good basket ball player if all is going better. It may be "selection " of nature, who has a big influence in top performances. If "selection " of nature does not help in any "abnormal " form , in fact it may unfortunately even be "below " normal , acquired or genetics, than we may unfortunately not be in that specific activity level we choose based on fun or other reasons at the top . Ventolin or any other respiratory enhancers are on the Drug list not just due to performance enhancing but as well because of some health side effect if taken. This side effects are whether you are normal or "abnormal" A person with exercise induced asthma is doing perfectly fine during an "in normal " life , even if very active, but something is going wrong under " abnormal " incredible intense exercises. So is the basket ball player, He can play perfectly great anywhere even when he is only 1.50 tall, built under the "abnormal " situation of a NBA game and standard he may have to accept the fact , that he may just be only normal. The exception rules in high performance sport are a very heavily discussed point as you know. When ever we have exceptions we have as well "loop holes". But I agree with you on the EPO and Hct point . Again the problem there is or reality , that there are "natural " situation and athletes like Jose A. Hermidas with regular ( natural ) close and above 50 . Another many time in the literature discussed guy is GBr. Wegelius to name just two of the very famous one with banned situations and than again allowed situations. A tricky discussion with lot's of personal opinion but very difficult to find a common ground. That what makes all so interesting . Last but not least , there is as we speak a study started , where they actually like to see, whether the respiratory enhancer like Ventolin / Salbutamol and so on ,really only bring the athelet up to "normal" or whether in fact they will even have the advantage to go above normal. The study is looking for the moment for Volunteers at will be done at UBC in Canada. Should the study conclude, that it actually moves the "abnormal " person not just to normal but to a higher level than"normal " than we will be up for a very big discussion and a very hard decision in who ever has to make this decisions. Juerg | ||
| Jsasseville Intermediate Member Username: Jsasseville Post Number: 16 Registered: 11-2008 |
This is an interesting discussion. On a personal note I have asthma and have had to use Ventolin to race at altitude. I do not think that I could race at altitude without it. I know that for me there was a performance enhancement, but I don't think that it even got me back up to normal, certainly not above normal. Certainly EPO as a drug that is taken by an athlete is easy to deem as doping. But what about blood doping with your own blood? There is nothing artificial in the sense that you are taking back in your own blood. Of course, some will point to the health risks of blood doping. But the health risks are everywhere in sport and if you are under a doctors supervision then the risks are small. Caffeine is another drug that is banned but only in very large quantities. Almost everyone I know uses caffeine in some way for life and training as a pick me up and life "performance enhancer". Sport drinks are also performance enhancing. I remember the first time we used malto-dextrin in our drinks with the national team. What a difference in performance in long training sessions. There will never be full agreement on where the line should be on performance enhancing substances. As well, there will always be the enterprising athletes, coaches and doctors who look for the next performance enhancing substance that cannot be tested. The new area is in genetic manipulation. Now that man has decoded the human genome there are people right now working on creating substances that will enhance the genetics of humans to save lives, stop disease and to create "super-humans". Some of these super-humans will be athletes. | ||
| Juerg Senior Member Username: Juerg Post Number: 1871 Registered: 04-2006 |
Here an interesting "Drug " heavily used in altitude races but little discussed in the world of Drugs. Here the connection. For us the study was more interesting to see the performance of the Physio Flow in use and as discussed a future tool in performance sport in the field on assessing real changes in physiological reactions and performance http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/fu ll/100/6/2031 | ||
| Juerg Senior Member Username: Juerg Post Number: 1934 Registered: 04-2006 |
WADA info and you can see, we are not the only place with discussions and questions. But this step has already led to some controversy within anti-doping institutions. According to Michel Rieu, scientist at the French Anti-Doping Agency, salbutamol should remain banned in any concentration. Rieu said to L'Equipe that in order to reach the 1000 ng/ml threshold, "you really have to mess things up and not follow classic doping protocol. Those who cheat use salbutamol as a cure, out of competition, and are careful not to reach these kind of concentrations during competition." The use of salbutamol in cycling is wide-spread and many pro cyclists justify their intake of the substance by citing breathing problems due to asthma. Alessandro Petacchi, for example, tested positive for the drug in 2007. The Italian's urine values exceeded the 1000 ng/ml threshold, and the athlete was forced to prove that this high finding was a consequence of his therapeutic use of the asthma medication. |