PEDs

Well, of course there are USMS members using PEDs. It is called "getting older" meds like Testosterone for low T, statins for high cholesterol, beta blockers for heart issues, Pradaxa to prevent blood clots, etc. These are PEDs because, without them, there might be no performance to improve .... What was performance enhancing when we were younger is now called "keep us alive." :)

Well, of course there are USMS members using PEDs. It is called "getting older" meds like Testosterone for low T, statins for high cholesterol, beta blockers for heart issues, Pradaxa to prevent blood clots, etc. These are PEDs because, without them, there might be no performance to improve .... What was performance enhancing when we were younger is now called "keep us alive." :) Guilty as charge; however, it sure doesn't show up in my race times! :bouncing:

Well, of course there are USMS members using PEDs. It is called "getting older" meds like Testosterone for low T, statins for high cholesterol, beta blockers for heart issues, Pradaxa to prevent blood clots, etc. I wouldn't group "low T" in with the rest of these.

I am about to turn 61. I consider that I am improving if my times stay the same, as muscle mass drops off after 40 and preciptiously from 60-65. I take a bunch of meds for mild hypertension, type-II diabetes (although swimming has pretty much put my blood sugar numbers back in the high normal range...5.5-ish), and exercise-induced asthma. I seriously doubt any of these subtract seconds from my times...maybe hundredths, if I'm lucky. One thing I'd add is that there are now so many legal supplements that enhance performance...I'm thinking of NO boosters like carnitine, arginine, ornithine...even Viagra and Cialis! And caffeine is performance enhancing. Protein powders, of course. None of these can take the place of training, however. I think they all might give an edge to the person who is already working very hard, but they won't help pikers. Most importantly, I don't think ANY of these come close to having the same effect as HGH (for low-T or otherwise) or worse, anabolic steroids. Perhaps we should test for those just those things, but only at big meets and following record swims. Not sure what kind of penalties you'd dole out if someone failed. That could definitely be a "can of worms."

I wouldn't group "low T" in with the rest of these. Thank you. True hypogonadism is extremely rare and so if you are taking testosterone and competing, you are most likely, cheating.

Not sure why you would not include testosterone if you read about the benefits to energy levels and it used to be used by women and cyclists as a PED - before the current batch of designer PEDs. I had mine measured a few years back. It came back at around 500 (whatever the units were) and the normal range is 500-1500 for my age. So, if 500 is my "natural" level and the range is up to 1500, taking enough to increase my T might result in a substantial increase in performance without tripping the max level. Granted, not anything like HGH, but could be significant. And, another one I have personal experience with is taking Iron. I have been chronically anemic for the past 15 yrs (no medical reason has been found). if I don't take iron, my hemoglobin drops to about 80% of the accepted minimum and I can't swim hard (feels like having a heart attack after 75 yards or being at 12,000' elevation). if I take iron and my hemoglobin goes to the middle of the acceptable range, I am good to go like when I was younger. For me, taking iron is like a transfusion of high hemoglobin blood (which Lochte and others have been sanctioned for). So, these may seem like minor things, but they are very significant enhancements. It is a slippery slope as we get older. We probably can all agree that HGH (like used by Cenegenics) is an obvious PED. But, the rest - not so easy to see the black/white....

I absolutely agree that testosterone is a PED. What I don't agree with is that it should be lumped in with other drugs that are used to treat very common and health-threatening conditions like statins and beta blockers.

The term "Low T" was coined by Solvay Pharmaceuticals to market AndroGel, and it was a tremendous success. Like everything in the pharmaceutical industry: drugs created in search of a non-existent disease.

The term "Low T" was coined by Solvay Pharmaceuticals to market AndroGel, and it was a tremendous success. A few years ago I petitioned USMS leadership to issue a simple statement discouraging the use of performance enhancing drugs, knowing that a formal drug testing program would never be instituted due to a lack of support within the organization. I was rebuffed.

a cynical view of life that I don't subscribe to! Come work with me in the ER for a day (or 25 years like me)...then you'll start subscribing....:)