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.
Former Member
The whole reason I just signed on as a USMS Discussion Forum user was to add my 2 cents on this issue...
The usage of performance enhancing drugs (both illegal and legal) in swimming has been, is currently, and will always be an unfortunate issue with which to contend. It is sad that people who are unsatisfied with their performances will resort to such measures to improve and win.
Personally, I feel that the usage of any chemical supplements should be banned, barring a medical necessity. Even our own world-class swimmers in this country use concoctions of OTC supplements, workout/recovery-enhancers, and the like. We know for a fact that countries such as East Germany (70s/80s)and China (90s/currently?) have had mass doping problems. Thankfully they continue to be caught and revealed.
I think the most dangerous "drug" out there is HgH. This may perhaps change the fundamental nature of the sport if its use cannot be detected easily. We could eventually see women breaking the current men's records, and the men- who knows how fast they can become. It's out there though, and it is in use today, especially at the higher levels. When the Chinese breaststroker Yuan Yuan was caught with 13 vials of HgH at Australian customs prior to the WC in Perth, I think it put each and every swimmer at that level under a cloud of suspicion. Who knows who has it? Who's using it? Everyone should be under suspicion. Chinese, Americans, Australians, Dutch, etc. She didn't just have it for kicks, and she was just the unfortunate on that was caught.
Now directing my reply to people of our ability levels, consider the following... Are the uncertainties surrounding chemical performance enhancers worth the minimal improvement (if any) that you would see? At our level of swimming, dropping two seconds means you get to swim in heat 6 instead of heat 5 - and the top 4 heats are still going to crush you! Swim for the benefits of drug-free swimming. Enjoy competing and strive to improve and win through natural measures. If you don't make a goal time, never beat that guy from team X, or never get one more PB, you can still know that you put everything into trying without resorting to this other garbage.
At the top level, there is so much more to gain by improving 2 seconds. National/World championship titles, sponsors, press recognition, fame, money... Let them have it. Enjoy our level of swimming and keep it clean. Their level is dirty, money-driven, under suspicion, political... that's not (at least I hope) what we are involved in swimming for.
Respectfully,
Rain Man
Ion:
I am glad to read you are going to keep off the junk...You are much more a winner by doing that...then your times can ever reflect.
I believe Rain Man is a zillion % on target!
Ion,
Have fun training this summer and remember to take plenty rest days! One last bit of advise, try to swim in as many "local" meets as you can, there's nothing like preparing for a race except racing!
Good Luck!
Thank you for the attention and input Matt.
Thank you Rain Man, Jim, and beireland for encouraging perspectives from different angles.
What I do now is live again at the fullest.
I am back to the 'drawing board' preparing for this August's LongCourseNationals in Cleveland, and whatever the nature will give me at that time, I will take it as a bonus.
Ion,
I just happened to be up in the stands by the diving pool when you swam your 200 free. As I recall, you were in lane 1 so I had a good view of your swim. I would like to agree with the other comments on your stroke technique. I noticed that you breathed "right, left" without any indication of a "cycle" throughout the whole race. If you have asthma, the rhythm of your breathing is more important than the frequency in my opinion. For any distance 100 or longer I recommend you breathe as often as you need but NOT more often than once/cycle. As noted by others, your body was twisting all over the place - very inefficient and directly related to breathing back and forth from side to side. As head coach of an age group team for 20 years I had many swimmers who were asthmatics. Maintaining a good breathing rhythm while training and competing allowed all of them to be successful in the sport.
I also noticed the lack of streamlining on your turns. You hands are not together and you pull quickly with one hand, surfacing far too quickly and grabbing a breath. As you've been advised by others, it's best not to breathe going in and out of your turn but I know that can be quite difficult for some people. I suggest you allow yourself the breath into the wall but work on making it quick - don't allow the tempo of the turn to slow down because of it. But don't ever breathe on your first stroke after the turn!
Most people breathe to one side (usually the same side each time) when they come out of a turn. For the purpose of my following suggestion, let's hypothetically say it's to the left for you. Therefore, when you streamline, you should always put your left hand on top of your right hand so that after your streamline (new and improved!) the first pull you make will be with your right arm (the hand on the bottom). Your next pull with your left arm will allow you a breath and you will have succeded in "not breathing off the wall". It's really a simple thing to learn - practice makes perfect!
Finally, you've often noted how many yards you train. In my opinon, it doesn't matter how many yards you do in the pool - if you are practicing poor technique you are defeating your purpose. Garbage yardage is a waste of your time. I suggest you seek out a technique coach and improve your form.
Sally,
thank you for noticing me.
My despair is not really technique, my despair is that with the same technique I swam 2:13.66 in May 2002, and 2:09.54 in May 1994.
This reflects to me a worrisome physical decline.
(By the way, April 1995 I competed in a meet in Whidbey Island, Washington, run in a 25 meter pool, in 50 free, 100 free, 200 free; it was in a quick succession of minutes, not much rest in between events, with times I couldn't reproduce today).
After this despair, can an improvement in technique from now on, compensate for the noted physical decline?
I already contacted a coach here about technique improvement in one-on-one lessons, with no reply to my e-mail yet in spite of a verbal promise.
It tells me how indifferent coaches, the middle-of-the-road big program I am in, has.
Because I am reading that you have age-group swimming coaching in your background, I would like to have lessons with you, if you were nearby.
This not being so, I am studying your analysis and keep looking for a good, passionate individual coach.
Originally posted by Sally Dillon
...
Therefore, when you streamline, you should always put your left hand on top of your right hand so that after your streamline (new and improved!) the first pull you make will be with your right arm (the hand on the bottom). Your next pull with your left arm will allow you a breath and you will have succeded in "not breathing off the wall".
...
Indeed.
(I am discovering this tip).
