EAMON Sullivan breaks 50 LCM FREE WR again in 21.28

True, both anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (mediated by insulin-like growth factor) promote muscle growth. But the ability to train harder (and more often) may confer advantages beyond growing bigger muscles. When Popov's record isn't just broken but shattered, and the result is attributed to advances in technique and training, it is appropriate to be a bit skeptical. Unless, of course, you have just awakened from a coma and are unaware of the current epidemic of PED use among modern athletes. My point was that performance enhancing drugs aren't magic, they work by producing physiological changes that confer an advantage. Looking at Sullivan I see no evidence that he's made his gains by bulking up and getting stronger. Given the choice between "some unknown mysterious effect conferred by drugs" and "better technique possibly combined with better suit technology" I think the latter is more plausible. Perhaps they have found a gene doping method that converts muscles to fast twitch or something like that, if someone could point to something saying that is practical then that would give more credibility to the PED hypothesis. I wonder if it turns out that you can do gene doping with no adverse side effects whether it will be considered cheating or be acceptable.

True, both anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (mediated by insulin-like growth factor) promote muscle growth. But the ability to train harder (and more often) may confer advantages beyond growing bigger muscles. When Popov's record isn't just broken but shattered, and the result is attributed to advances in technique and training, it is appropriate to be a bit skeptical. Unless, of course, you have just awakened from a coma and are unaware of the current epidemic of PED use among modern athletes. My point was that performance enhancing drugs aren't magic, they work by producing physiological changes that confer an advantage. Looking at Sullivan I see no evidence that he's made his gains by bulking up and getting stronger. Given the choice between "some unknown mysterious effect conferred by drugs" and "better technique possibly combined with better suit technology" I think the latter is more plausible. Perhaps they have found a gene doping method that converts muscles to fast twitch or something like that, if someone could point to something saying that is practical then that would give more credibility to the PED hypothesis. I wonder if it turns out that you can do gene doping with no adverse side effects whether it will be considered cheating or be acceptable.