Massive steroid conspiracy

So what did people think about the SwimInfo article on the reinstatement of Michael Picotte? Two points caught my eye: 1) Picotte said he plans to compete in Masters meets until he is eligible to swim in USA Swimming and international events. Hmm... every time I think I have a (remote) chance of getting a Top10 time, an Olympian in my age group decides to pop up. :p 2) A chastened Picotte told SwimInfo: "I was wrong in refusing the test two years ago and deserve the punishment I received. I believe rigorous drug-testing is essential if our sport is to remain clean." I was impressed by this. He gets banned despite not testing positive, but recognizes his mistake, and puts the good of the sport ahead of himself.

I have spent two days researching this topic in light of the recent events (boy, the internet makes things easier): first, I'll reiterate that I don't think that anyone is proposing testing masters swimmers, second, I think the actual percentage of masters swimmers using illegal drugs is miniscule- but that there are a fair number that I have met that rush to embrace any 'legal' performance-enhancing potion that claims results (and I'm not talking nutritive milkshakes)- so they should clearly understand that it is a stupid thing to do. What is more alarming, and I am speaking as a fan now, is that there is a great deal of evidence that in the big money sports which for some seems to include open international swimming, the cheats are going to stay two steps ahead of the testing & this is just using sophisticated masking agents. What happens when we start to have both genetic tinkering to enhance future performance (the East Germans would have used it in a flash) & tame-viral work on our own cellular structure to enhance function? Again, as a fan, it dulls my interest & is a damn shame. It seems that it will cost zillions for sports to try & keep up with this & probably futile. Any thoughts?

Originally posted by Peter Cruise I have spent two days researching this topic in light of the recent events (boy, the internet makes things easier): first, I'll reiterate that I don't think that anyone is proposing testing masters swimmers, second, I think the actual percentage of masters swimmers using illegal drugs is miniscule- but that there are a fair number that I have met that rush to embrace any 'legal' performance-enhancing potion that claims results (and I'm not talking nutritive milkshakes)- so they should clearly understand that it is a stupid thing to do. What is more alarming, and I am speaking as a fan now, is that there is a great deal of evidence that in the big money sports which for some seems to include open international swimming, the cheats are going to stay two steps ahead of the testing & this is just using sophisticated masking agents. What happens when we start to have both genetic tinkering to enhance future performance (the East Germans would have used it in a flash) & tame-viral work on our own cellular structure to enhance function? Again, as a fan, it dulls my interest & is a damn shame. It seems that it will cost zillions for sports to try & keep up with this & probably futile. Any thoughts? A couple of thoughts. What is stupid to you obviously isn't to many others. You're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine and for the life of me, I can't understand what's so bothersome about what 'legal' things people do. These grownup intelligent people have made their choices. In the end, it's you in the lane by yourself. What others have or haven't done isn't relevant. That's one of the things I find so great about the sport. I'm looking at this purely from a competitive point of view. If you are honestly worried about their health than that's admirable but you can't force people to make decisions the way you would. There's a part of me that really does hope a massive doping conspiracy is found. Maybe all the fans will wake up and realize that these people they've evalated to the highest levels aren't heros. I'm afraid it all has to hit rock bottom before any change can happen and maybe if half of our best runners and swimmers and ball players are found guilty of doping and are banned from their sports for life something will happen. I won't hold my breath. I lost my zeal for most big time sports a long time ago. I'd much rather watch, and swim with, Bill Specht, Clay Britt, Paul Smith, Phil Arcuni, Peter Cruise, and Ion Beza. I just realized these are all men. My apologies to the women. I was going to say I like to watch women too but that just sounds funny.

Originally posted by ATLPSU Fritz, Nobody thinks you're taking steroids, trust me ;) However; are a few too big to believe?......... I don't know. Maybe I'm just not paying enough attention. I've not seen anything at national meets that made me wonder about the source. Some people are just fast.

I do not know of any one in Masters that has or is taking any performance enhancing drugs. Except for lots of Advil . . . but isn't that a performance enhancing drug? Anyway, I can easily imagine that there are Masters swimmers out there that are taking steroids and other drugs. The motive is certainly there. Here are a few motives, many delusional, but often real in the athletes mind: A swimmer sees performance degrading with age, and doesn't like it. Despite working harder than everyone else, the times are just not good enough, and it is unfair that so-and-so is born taller, bigger, or with a better cardiovasucular system; so-and-so doesn't deserve it because so-and-so is lazier. Its not my fault I can't recover from my hard workouts quick enough - this stuff will help be feel better by tomorrow, and I can do it again. I prove my superiority by working harder than everyone else. Everyone else is doing it. Nobody really cares how anyone places in this hobby - there is no fame or money in it, so who gets really hurt? I already spend so much money going to meets, why waste my time if I don't do everything possible to make myself faster. Winning will help justify the trip to my spouse, and I need the meets to keep working out and staying healthy. I am already wrecking my shoulder by swimming, how can a few pills make things worse? These pills actually help my shoulder recover more quickly! It is not as if I will have any more children, anyway. My work, family, is such a dead end - swimming is the one thing that makes my life fun, so it is worth it. Obviously no one cares, because no one checks. With all of the doctors and incomes in Masters swimming, the means are certainly there.

Believe me the drugs alone will not do it. Even the East Germans and Chinese had to have world class ability before they took the drugs, they can't drop your time by 10 seconds in a 100 yard swim. They might help you drop 2 seconds if you are a woman and maybe a 1 second you are a guy. Its been demonstate that most steriods aid women in swimming more than men.

Wow, am I pleased to be on that list! Fritz, I hear you will get a chance to watch my sister this Saturday at a meet - go ahead, you can watch! (and say hello if you get a chance. She is a much better person than I am.) I am disillusioned and pessimistic about drugs in sports. One problem, while I know I would never do it, is that the arguments against performance enhancing drugs are pretty weak. The long term damage argument doesn't fly - just look at the long term damage athletes already accept (for example, boxing and brain damage, football and near 100% chance of career ending injury, gymnastics and long term diet problems, sumo wrestling and short life caused by diet, swimming and dry, flakey skin . . .) Similarly for drugs creating an 'unequal playing field.' Come on! the field is already unequal; some athletes have more ability than others. What is the line between iproved technology of training aids and improved technology of diet and improved technology of dietary supplements? Some day there will be two types of competitions - the 'natural' competition and the competition between the atheletes that are the best science can make them. I'll bet that the latter will be more popular.

You guys certainly have put a lot more thought into my thoughts than I thought was possible. No one has ever said that chronic abuse of steroids is acceptable, any more than downing a 12 pack every night is acceptable. Wait, alcohol and steroids are both legal, even if abused, so both might be acceptable. Forget that argument. I have yet to see a convincing argument in this forum on how this is impacting Masters Swimming. It's not in the least. I read over and over the slippery slope arguments how if we allow one to use steroids we will all become junked up uber swimmers and then society melts down. That might have been the argument for prohibition but we didn't all turn into drunks when it was repealed. Instead, we gradually became big fat lazy people who drink a lot. So, I'm still not sure of the fuss. If I want to take steroids, back off, I have good health insurance for when I grow fantastic man breasts and need them reduced. So, let's just move on. We aren't going to convince each other. When The Man shows up at my door for the urine test cause I finally swam halfway fast, I'll have you to thank I guess. In the meantime, I'm going to chew on a bag of pine bark cause I hear that helps you swim faster.

Originally posted by Phil Arcuni Wow, am I pleased to be on that list! Fritz, I hear you will get a chance to watch my sister this Saturday at a meet - go ahead, you can watch! (and say hello if you get a chance. She is a much better person than I am.) I am disillusioned and pessimistic about drugs in sports. One problem, while I know I would never do it, is that the arguments against performance enhancing drugs are pretty weak. The long term damage argument doesn't fly - just look at the long term damage athletes already accept (for example, boxing and brain damage, football and near 100% chance of career ending injury, gymnastics and long term diet problems, sumo wrestling and short life caused by diet, swimming and dry, flakey skin . . .) Similarly for drugs creating an 'unequal playing field.' Come on! the field is already unequal; some athletes have more ability than others. What is the line between iproved technology of training aids and improved technology of diet and improved technology of dietary supplements? Some day there will be two types of competitions - the 'natural' competition and the competition between the atheletes that are the best science can make them. I'll bet that the latter will be more popular. I've exchanged several emails with your sister. Sounds like this is her first meet so we'll take good care of her. Otherwise you might start going 25,000 per week, cut out the snacks, and double your advil intake just to get even with us.

Phil: Excellent post, well stated. I believe body buidling already has a "natural" comptetition division. (I guess that makes the other guys unnaturual or something). It's funny to see the natural guys next to the other ones. Looks like me next to them (well, not really, but you get the picture). You don't see the natural folks on the covers of magazines or on ESPN. So, you are correct in regards to bodybuilding in that the latter is definitely more popular. Also, while gross long term abuse of performance enhancing drugs has been shown to possibly cause long term term health consequences, I do not believe any case has ever been made for moderate short term use health consequences. Given that, I also agree with you that the arguments against are pretty weak. I think it really comes down to a morality play.