Masters Swimming and Illegal Supplements

Originally posted by Swimmer Bill This question is more complicated for Masters swimmers than it is for USA swimmers. Why? Because Masters swimmers take a variety of medications for legitimate health reasons. Several medications may have performance enhancing qualities. Others may inhibit performance. I'm assuming this question is not directed toward those people, but unfortunately, drug testing in Masters swimming would include people who take medications for health reasons. Does USMS want to send a message to those swimmers that they cannot take the medications they need for their health? No. Again I would refer you to the list on the WADA website. In the first place, the majority of the drugs listed are clearly performance enhancing (anabolic steroids, growth hormone, etc.), and very few, if any, Masters swimmers are using these to treat a legitimate medical condition. Second, if an athlete requires, say, a diuretic for hypertension, it can be used with a Therapeutic Use Exemption. I'm not strongly advocating this be implemented in USMS, but this debate tends to stray from the facts.

Originally posted by Swimmer Bill This question is more complicated for Masters swimmers than it is for USA swimmers. Why? Because Masters swimmers take a variety of medications for legitimate health reasons. Several medications may have performance enhancing qualities. Others may inhibit performance. I'm assuming this question is not directed toward those people, but unfortunately, drug testing in Masters swimming would include people who take medications for health reasons. Does USMS want to send a message to those swimmers that they cannot take the medications they need for their health? No. Again I would refer you to the list on the WADA website. In the first place, the majority of the drugs listed are clearly performance enhancing (anabolic steroids, growth hormone, etc.), and very few, if any, Masters swimmers are using these to treat a legitimate medical condition. Second, if an athlete requires, say, a diuretic for hypertension, it can be used with a Therapeutic Use Exemption. I'm not strongly advocating this be implemented in USMS, but this debate tends to stray from the facts.