On Performance Enhancing Drugs.

[harlan]

Money. It's all about the money.

If one makes it legal, the drive 'to win' and the machine in place would require an inordinate amount of oversight to ensure that only the 'safe' levels of approved only substances were being used. Hand's off regulation isn't an option..as athletes would be dropping dead from abuse to gain 'the edge' and reward their backers.

 

[Makalakumu]

Money. It's all about the money.

If one makes it legal, the drive 'to win' and the machine in place would require an inordinate amount of oversight to ensure that only the 'safe' levels of approved only substances were being used. Hand's off regulation isn't an option..as athletes would be dropping dead from abuse to gain 'the edge' and reward their backers.

If an athlete dedicates himself on a path to winning that abuses his body, is it society's responsibility to save the athlete from himself?

 

[harlan]

Can't reply to that I'm afraid. But will suggest that in the litigious world we live in, it would complicate things.

 

[Makalakumu]

Can't reply to that I'm afraid. But will suggest that in the litigious world we live in, it would complicate things.

Probably, but then again, if one chooses to take the drugs, what difference is there between that and getting pounded on the head? Considering the negative effect of concussions, some drug use pales in comparison.

 

[punisher73]

If you get the chance, watch the documentary "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" (streaming on Netflix). They make the case that steroids are safe under a doctors care and have less side effects and dangers when used properly than things like asprin.

They also talk about the double standard that we have. We want our athletes to win at any cost, but don't let us catch you "cheating".

MMA has an interesting problem right now, because several high level athletes in the UFC are getting Testosterone Replacement Therapy under a doctors orders. The fighters using it claim that TRT is needed, but the naysayers argue that it is just a loophole to cheat and get away with it and that the reason for the low T levels in the first place is due to steroid abuse earlier in their careers.

Lance Armstrong has had rumors of his PED usage haunt him for much of his career during his dominance of the Tour de France. His teammate that won after him and then tested positive for banned substances also claimed that Armstrong was using PED's and just knew how to beat the tests better.

I would be interested in seeing an accurate and anonymous poll of pro athletes to see what the actual percentage is them that use a banned PED.

 

[elder999]

When he was competing on the Tour, Lance did little to really dispel those rumors, other than give urine and blood that tested negative. "I haven't taken any banned substances." Pretty sure Lance got himself some undetectable designer stuff.......who knows what his triathlon protocol will be like: he started his career as a triathlete, and really has the potential to be dominant, even at his age.

I wish him well.

And steroids are safe, depending upon how they're used, when used under a doctor's care. Most of the protocols for extreme muscular hypertrophy, ala Arnold Schwarzenegger, et. al., are somewhat riskier.

Since someone brought up eugenics, and it's covered by WADA, I thought we should also examine gene therapy.
Yes, WADA has already prohibited gene splicing, though I'm not sure they've developed a fool-proof method of detection, since I'm pretty sure it's already happening: splice in the fast-twitch genes of a rat, and some gorilla genes for good measure, and you get strength and explosiveness. Totally illegal, of course.

Now, I know a few world-class marathoners-have I mentioned that before? One is Doctor Erica Larson, with whom I worked at the Lab-nice gal; she's won the Pike's Peak marathon like 4 times in a row-at least five times, all told. I made a big mistake once, and went running with her for lunch. Talk about humiliation-chick about ran me into the ground....:lfao:

Her husband, Dr. Miles Baron, is also a world-class marathoner-and a really, really nice guy.

Boy, can their kids run. About what you'd expect, right?

Now, it's not unusual for athletes of a feather to flock together in this manner: witness the Barons, or even me and Rita-that's the wife. WHat happens when two athletes who've had gene-therapy get together and have offspring? I mean, their offspring would inherit the spliced genes-do we ban some kids from all future athletic competition because of what their parents did?

Better yet, do we euthanize all chimeric hybrid offspring?