RACE DAY BOOST

In the words of Hunter S. Thompson: "I do not advocate the use of dangerous drugs, wild amounts of alcohol and violence and weirdness -- but they've always worked for me." Having put in that disclaimer, let me also put in the disclaimer that I have always had an obsession with experimentation (even on myself, per the below) to learn things, not to "cheat." I am also not a doctor, a medical professional, nor do I play one on TV, so this is NOT medical advice - just me being.... me. However, that said, here are two "legal" things and two "illegal" things that REALLY, REALLY WORK and blow caffeine out of the water for me, at least in self-administered tests during training: 1) Panax Ginseng (legal) (). 600 mg taken about 60 - 90 minutes before exercise produces a noticeable and pronounced change in endurance. Other forms of ginseng do seem to work, but not as well as this type. 2) Rhodeola Rosea (legal) () 200-300 mg taken about 75-90 minutes before exercise. A bit more subtle than ginseng, but actually a stronger final effect. This stuff is amazing and a lot more expensive (5x's) than ginseng. It can also cause an upset stomach the first few times you take it. 3) Pseudophedrine (illegal) () Works well, especially for improving breathing. Really bad if you have an enlarged prostate or blood pressure issues among other things. 4) Adderall (prescription drug/ illegal) () Although normally used for ADHD (I'm not ADHD), several months ago I was put on a LOW dose of this as part of treatment for depression. (And no, I haven't killed anyone yet, D2...) It's a mixture of amphetamines. I REALLY, REALLY HATE this crap, even though it works for depression issues, because the side effects - extra energy, need less sleep, increased libido, jittery at times - are rough. I already had (too much) energy, needed little sleep, don't like being jittery and we'll leave the libido issue uncommented upon. However, it does work well for training. In truth, I think the two legal supplements work better, at least for me. I must confess that I am having a moral dilemma with taking Adderall, in terms of possible races this next summer, since it is a banned substance for performance reasons. I hope to get off it before then and not have this issue, but if not, I may just race and then disqualify myself after. BTW, you can find accessible info about all of the above in wikipedia. "It's still not weird enough for me." -LBJ

In the words of Hunter S. Thompson: "I do not advocate the use of dangerous drugs, wild amounts of alcohol and violence and weirdness -- but they've always worked for me." Having put in that disclaimer, let me also put in the disclaimer that I have always had an obsession with experimentation (even on myself, per the below) to learn things, not to "cheat." I am also not a doctor, a medical professional, nor do I play one on TV, so this is NOT medical advice - just me being.... me. However, that said, here are two "legal" things and two "illegal" things that REALLY, REALLY WORK and blow caffeine out of the water for me, at least in self-administered tests during training: 1) Panax Ginseng (legal) (). 600 mg taken about 60 - 90 minutes before exercise produces a noticeable and pronounced change in endurance. Other forms of ginseng do seem to work, but not as well as this type. 2) Rhodeola Rosea (legal) () 200-300 mg taken about 75-90 minutes before exercise. A bit more subtle than ginseng, but actually a stronger final effect. This stuff is amazing and a lot more expensive (5x's) than ginseng. It can also cause an upset stomach the first few times you take it. 3) Pseudophedrine (illegal) () Works well, especially for improving breathing. Really bad if you have an enlarged prostate or blood pressure issues among other things. 4) Adderall (prescription drug/ illegal) () Although normally used for ADHD (I'm not ADHD), several months ago I was put on a LOW dose of this as part of treatment for depression. (And no, I haven't killed anyone yet, D2...) It's a mixture of amphetamines. I REALLY, REALLY HATE this crap, even though it works for depression issues, because the side effects - extra energy, need less sleep, increased libido, jittery at times - are rough. I already had (too much) energy, needed little sleep, don't like being jittery and we'll leave the libido issue uncommented upon. However, it does work well for training. In truth, I think the two legal supplements work better, at least for me. I must confess that I am having a moral dilemma with taking Adderall, in terms of possible races this next summer, since it is a banned substance for performance reasons. I hope to get off it before then and not have this issue, but if not, I may just race and then disqualify myself after. BTW, you can find accessible info about all of the above in wikipedia. "It's still not weird enough for me." -LBJ