Medical Question to a Doctor regarding Supplements.
Former Member
When competing last week in Hawaii, I read in the Honolulu Star Bulletin newspaper from Saturday May 18, in page A5, an advertisement promoting a product stimulating the release of the Human Growth Hormone by the body.
I read in it: "Practically EVERYONE over the age of 40 has a Growth Hormone deficiency.". I am age 43, and even though I trained more than ever for the past year, I swam slower in Hawaii in 100 free and 200 free than I did last year, which was slower than in 1998, which was slower than in 1996, which was slower than in 1994 when I peaked in yards competitions. Because of this, I kept reading:
by taking the product advertised in the newspaper "In the FIRST MONTH: You should expect: Improved stamina;...".
My question for a Medical Doctor familiar with competitions, regards one specific side effect of such a product, not approved by FDA. I remember reading in the Swimming World magazine in mid-90s, when Chinese Olympic swimmers were being caught on illegal products, that a possible side effect of Human Growth Hormone stimulants given to adults, was an increase of extremities like nose, hands, ears and forehead. A picture of the swimmer Massimiliano Rosolino (Ita.) who in the 2000SydneyOlympics won gold, silver and bronze medals, picture published in 2000 in www.nbcolympics.com, semmed to me to show the increase of the nose. www.nbcolympics.com didn't mean to imply anything like this, this is my interpretation of Rosolino's face. It is publicly documented now, that Rosolino took Human Growth Hormone stimulants before the Olympics.
My question is:
The product advertised in Honolulu Star Bulletin as being a Human Growth Hormone stimulant, does increase the nose?
If so, what safer supplements achieve "...improved stamina..."?
San Francisco Chronicle did mention once before the 2000Olympics, two Olympians who were achieving with legal supplements the outcome of illegal products.
Parents
Former Member
Phil posted:
Originally posted by Philip Arcuni
...
Maybe you are getting old, like the rest of us.
...
I say: maybe.
Phil also posted:
Originally posted by Philip Arcuni
...
Finally, the best swimmers that I observe recover into the water just in front of their head. You stretch your arms out and kind of lay them on the surface of the water. I think this wastes a significant part of your stroke, ...
...
I say: I don't picture this; part of it, is the terminology "...recover into the water just in front of their head."; in a freestyle arm motion, there are the phases of the arm entering the water, the arm pulling underwater, then the arm recovering for the next entrance in the water starting from the hip; "...recover into the water just in front of their head." implies that the arm after having entered the water in front of the head, recovers "...into the water just in front of their head." without pulling; another part of the statement that I don't picture, is "You stretch your arms out and kind of lay them on the surface of the water."; am I swimming catch-up drill style, with the front arm pausing while the other catches up, thus both arms laying, for a fraction of a second, in front?
Jim, I read your article for the magazine GQ, which seems like a thorough study of what supplements are on the legal but wild US market. Ironically, like in the second link you posted, I got the impression that time trials improvements described, the 100 meter freestyle after testosterone increase and the 1000 yards freestyle, suggest that something works. I know your best season is now, well outside of any studies, but something worked. "HgH tic tacs"?...
Phil posted:
Originally posted by Philip Arcuni
...
Maybe you are getting old, like the rest of us.
...
I say: maybe.
Phil also posted:
Originally posted by Philip Arcuni
...
Finally, the best swimmers that I observe recover into the water just in front of their head. You stretch your arms out and kind of lay them on the surface of the water. I think this wastes a significant part of your stroke, ...
...
I say: I don't picture this; part of it, is the terminology "...recover into the water just in front of their head."; in a freestyle arm motion, there are the phases of the arm entering the water, the arm pulling underwater, then the arm recovering for the next entrance in the water starting from the hip; "...recover into the water just in front of their head." implies that the arm after having entered the water in front of the head, recovers "...into the water just in front of their head." without pulling; another part of the statement that I don't picture, is "You stretch your arms out and kind of lay them on the surface of the water."; am I swimming catch-up drill style, with the front arm pausing while the other catches up, thus both arms laying, for a fraction of a second, in front?
Jim, I read your article for the magazine GQ, which seems like a thorough study of what supplements are on the legal but wild US market. Ironically, like in the second link you posted, I got the impression that time trials improvements described, the 100 meter freestyle after testosterone increase and the 1000 yards freestyle, suggest that something works. I know your best season is now, well outside of any studies, but something worked. "HgH tic tacs"?...
