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.
Ion: Remember where this started--the best way to improve for any swimmer, and I think it is even more true for later beginners is to work on your technique. Second point--if you are getting frustrated with your lack of progress in one or two events, try something different. Do the La Jolla Rough Water, the Maui Channel Relay, a postal event, attend the LCM nationals instead of the SCY nationals, try the 200 back or the 1000 free at whatever meet you do attend. One of the great advantages of Masters swimming over age group is the variety of opportunities for competition.
I base the advice to try something different rather than obsessing over a single event or two on my own experience. I swam the flys in college, and then did not do them in a meet that mattered to me, for over 20 years. I've been swimming, but doing different events and different competitions. I enjoyed those and had a sense of accomplishment and improvement. I finally have enough distance between my old college self and my new less improved self that I am trying the fly events again and can be comfortable with not meeting my old goals. But trying to advance in the IMs or whatever you try will give you a chance to set goals, see improvement and enjoy competition. You may find that if you try other events and strokes that you will see improvement in your freestyle events also--many swimmers overspecialize and don't do other strokes enough. But most importantly, you may find that you cheat entropy, and remind yourself of your earlier days of significant improvements.
Ion: Remember where this started--the best way to improve for any swimmer, and I think it is even more true for later beginners is to work on your technique. Second point--if you are getting frustrated with your lack of progress in one or two events, try something different. Do the La Jolla Rough Water, the Maui Channel Relay, a postal event, attend the LCM nationals instead of the SCY nationals, try the 200 back or the 1000 free at whatever meet you do attend. One of the great advantages of Masters swimming over age group is the variety of opportunities for competition.
I base the advice to try something different rather than obsessing over a single event or two on my own experience. I swam the flys in college, and then did not do them in a meet that mattered to me, for over 20 years. I've been swimming, but doing different events and different competitions. I enjoyed those and had a sense of accomplishment and improvement. I finally have enough distance between my old college self and my new less improved self that I am trying the fly events again and can be comfortable with not meeting my old goals. But trying to advance in the IMs or whatever you try will give you a chance to set goals, see improvement and enjoy competition. You may find that if you try other events and strokes that you will see improvement in your freestyle events also--many swimmers overspecialize and don't do other strokes enough. But most importantly, you may find that you cheat entropy, and remind yourself of your earlier days of significant improvements.
