What's your experience with drugs?

[StreetCowboy]

I mentioned this on another thread - I am currently taking corticosteroids for a neck injury, and setting new personal best times for Strava segments left, right, and centre, despite not training particularly hard nor putting in Herculean efforts.

 

It might be that the improved performance is down to improved fitness since my recent hip replacement.  Or it might be due to the drugs.

 

If it's due to the drugs, then it has really changed my opinion on doping regulations.  I used to believe that the rules were sufficient to limit drug use to ineffective levels, and all the fuss about TUEs etc was unnecessary and spiteful sniping.  But if my improvements (a second a minute, perhaps) are due to fairly limited and readily prescribed medicines, then I can't see any excuse for allowing such drug usage.  If you can't cycle 'clean' without drugs, then you can't cycle.  If that means that asthmatics can't keep up with the peleton in the Tour de France, then too bad - nor can paraplegics, or geriatrics, or spastics or millions of other people.  Competitive sport is elitist; asthmatics (and people with neck injuries and so forth) should stick to the inclusive social rides.

 

We'll see how the performance holds up once I'm finished the course of drugs in a couple of weeks, and how that affects my opinion.

 

SC

[Chomper Higgot]

I was recently prescribed Prednisolone as part of my preparation for surgery. I made three training rides during the period I was prescribed this drug, my performance was improved by around 5% over known routes and against known times.

 

So yes drugs have a marked impact on performance.

 

I raced extensively in the UK and Europe when I was young and learned first hand how systematic the use of drugs was on the professional circuit. 

 

What surprised me when I returned to cycling these past few years is how prevalent drug use is now in amateur cycling in the UK and Europe. 

 

I've ridden a few events here in Thailand and regularly train with Thai amateur cyclists, all the signs are there that performance drug use is prevalent in Thai cycling, even openly discussed amongst groups of riders and around 'cycling cafes'.

 

 

[ttakata]

No experience with them myself but unless you are competing for income money that keeps a roof over one's head it seems silly. Most drugs have some sort of bad side to them that long term might lead to other health problems.  Seems silly to take up a healthy activity that has people doping.  Watch Tour de Pharmacy, it's a hilarious comedy on cycling doping. Sure if I could be as successful as Lance Armstrong maybe I would have doped, but I am way too slow to have gone down that road. I don't even use paracetamol; my sore body tells me I am getting in shape.

[StreetCowboy]

4 hours ago, ttakata said:

No experience with them myself but unless you are competing for income money that keeps a roof over one's head it seems silly. Most drugs have some sort of bad side to them that long term might lead to other health problems.  Seems silly to take up a healthy activity that has people doping.  Watch Tour de Pharmacy, it's a hilarious comedy on cycling doping. Sure if I could be as successful as Lance Armstrong maybe I would have doped, but I am way too slow to have gone down that road. I don't even use paracetamol; my sore body tells me I am getting in shape.

I agree; the prednisolone I am taking was prescribed by the doctor for a neck injury for a couple of weeks.  It's a very cheap drug.  We'll see if I can keep up the performance after I stop taking the medicine at the end of next week.

 

I was out on a particularly hilly ride on Sunday and was the slowest of the three of us, with only one personal best on one of the more gentle sections; I think it might have been unusually hot and humid on Sunday, though.

[Langsuan Man]

11 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

We'll see if I can keep up the performance after I stop taking the medicine at the end of next week.

For gods sake, dose yourself off of the prednisolone over a period of several days, stopping that drug "cold turkey" can have major health consequences 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, Langsuan Man said:

For gods sake, dose yourself off of the prednisolone over a period of several days, stopping that drug "cold turkey" can have major health consequences 

Taking prednisolone for a couple of weeks will not create the systematic dependancy that would lead to withdrawal toms when stopped, but you are correct, stopping use of this medicine needs to be under medical supervision, it can lead to severe withdrawal reactions. 

[Chomper Higgot]

12 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

I agree; the prednisolone I am taking was prescribed by the doctor for a neck injury for a couple of weeks.  It's a very cheap drug.  We'll see if I can keep up the performance after I stop taking the medicine at the end of next week.

 

I was out on a particularly hilly ride on Sunday and was the slowest of the three of us, with only one personal best on one of the more gentle sections; I think it might have been unusually hot and humid on Sunday, though.

Last Sunday was humid, and hot. 

 

I struggled around a regular circuit I use, at 80% of my usual speed but with an increase in my calculated 'training load'.

 

After such an extended cool season it was a bit of a wakeup call that the hot weather and the risks of hot weather are back with us.

[StreetCowboy]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Taking prednisolone for a couple of weeks will not create the systematic dependancy that would lead to withdrawal toms when stopped, but you are correct, stopping use of this medicine needs to be under medical supervision, it can lead to severe withdrawal reactions. 

The doctor proscribed 6 tablets per day for five days, then 4 tablets / day then 2 tablets per day, five days each.  I'm in the middle week just now.

[Puwa]

I never hear of doping in competitive mountain biking. I wonder if it isn't talked about, or just isn't as prevalent. 

[bobfish]

1 hour ago, Puwa said:

I never hear of doping in competitive mountain biking. I wonder if it isn't talked about, or just isn't as prevalent. 

It happens. Organisers of the Cape epic have handed out lifetime bans, and the UCI have sanctioned many.

Closer to home, former French MTB champion Peter Pouly [who runs successful training camps out of Chiang Rai] served a 12 month ban from the FFC in 2002 for Celestene: Apparently injected by paramedics for a bug-in-eye injury during the closing stages of a race. It appears drug use was more prevalent back then, so even innocent athletes have to live under the shadow of suspicion. 

[robblok]

There is no level playing field some people have more testosterone then others, the genetic freaks will always win. We are not all build the same.

 

Anyway loads of older people or people with low testosterone take HRT to get their levels of test up (not high like bodybuilders) do but higher as what they would be as testosterone drops as we age. I can tell you it helps with recovery. There are also medicine that help you get more  air so your cardio gets better.

 

I feels its up to people to use what they want as long as they don't compete. Cafeine is a stimulant it will help you bike faster... shall we ban it too ?. How about beta aniline (helps you to with energy too keeps speeds up longer). Now you got creatine that helps you hold more ATP in the body giving you extra power during a workout making you push out a few more reps. 

 

There are so many performance enhancing drugs its hard to combat them all, the tests can be fooled how do you think Lance Armstrong got away with it. Sports is full of drugs and there is not much we can do about it.

[StreetCowboy]

Apparently alcohol is also not allowed, though we use it as an incentive rather than a stimulant.  I don’t know how athletes can produce their post-race urine sample before they’ve had three pints of cider

[Lacessit]

On 4/19/2018 at 11:15 AM, StreetCowboy said:

The doctor proscribed 6 tablets per day for five days, then 4 tablets / day then 2 tablets per day, five days each.  I'm in the middle week just now.

Prednisolone is an extremely dangerous drug. Causes confusion and short-term memory loss. Personal experience.

[StreetCowboy]

2 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

Apparently alcohol is also not allowed, though we use it as an incentive rather than a stimulant.  I don’t know how athletes can produce their post-race urine sample before they’ve had three pints of cider

We managed to complete 100 km in less than 5h30 elapsed; skipping lunch helped.  Some navigational 2nd-best choices did not. 

 

I was starving by the end of it, but couldn't eat anything until after the third pint.  I would have been really flagging if I'd not had another bottle of 100plus at about 85 km.  Total fluids intake en route must've been about 1.5 l of 100plus, 2.3 l of water, and still managed 3 pints of cider before going to the toilet.

 

SC

[robblok]

2 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

Apparently alcohol is also not allowed, though we use it as an incentive rather than a stimulant.  I don’t know how athletes can produce their post-race urine sample before they’ve had three pints of cider

Rumors on athletes having urine in balloons and asking for privacy and then using that to fill the cup are floating around. I doubt doping tests will ever be full proof.

 

If you take caffeine you will go faster too (or at least my workouts go harder when I use it).

 

Are you competing ? I mean or is it just friendly racing without prices ?

[StreetCowboy]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Rumors on athletes having urine in balloons and asking for privacy and then using that to fill the cup are floating around. I doubt doping tests will ever be full proof.

 

If you take caffeine you will go faster too (or at least my workouts go harder when I use it).

 

Are you competing ? I mean or is it just friendly racing without prices ?

Not competitive.  Social riding only.

 

I originally bought the first bike because I didn't want to spend the whole of the five-day Hari Raya weekend in the pub, but I've found that cycling doesn't interfere with my drinking as much as drinking interferes with my cycling.

[StreetCowboy]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Rumors on athletes having urine in balloons and asking for privacy and then using that to fill the cup are floating around. I doubt doping tests will ever be full proof.

 

If you take caffeine you will go faster too (or at least my workouts go harder when I use it).

 

Are you competing ? I mean or is it just friendly racing without prices ?

My mate derides people with fancy bikes who have two water bottles - why spend all that money on a fancy bike and then carry 600 g extra water?  It's easy enough to stop at a petrol station every 40 km or so to refill bottles.

 

But now it becomes clear - that's their in-competition sample in the second bottle, if required.

You'd not want to get them mixed up.

[Ks45672]

Depending on your age, your testosterone levels are likely sub optimal 

Go to an endocrinologist or pharmacy and get a trt prescription (easy in Thailand) 

 

If you want to see the difference, I'd say after a couple of weeks you will be breaking the records of the previous month by at least 20%

 

You will be able to train longer and harder before muscle fatigue and body fat goes downwards and lean body mass will increase 

 

You will probably feel decades younger too if you take closer to the top of the normal range

 

Asthma drugs also help, but to a lesser degree I think, the old decongestant medicines like pseudo ephedrine are not banned from the Olympics for no reason ?

[StreetCowboy]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/46768802

 

I'm hoping I get that far before I'm rumbled...