Good biceps perhaps? I wish.
It's not just Mr. Universe/the Terminator/California governors that use steroids anymore.
Much to my dismay Floyd Landis' sample tested positive for high levels of testosterone. If his second sample does not exonerate him that he stands to be the first biker to be stripped of his Tour de France title. Of course, Landis claims that he has never taken performance enhancing drugs and that the raised levels of testosterone are due to a thyroid condition. I'm no medical expert so I couldn't even tell you if any of this is even feasible but it sounds kind of fishy. For his and mostly my sake, I hope he is right and this is just a fluke.
About a week after the news of Floyd's steroid scandal broke, Justin Gatlin, Olympic and world 100m champion tested positive for testosterone. Now Gatlin faces a lifetime suspension given this is his second infraction. During the 2000 Olympic Games I heard a lot of rumors in the village about the use of steroids throughout track and field events-I wouldn't be surprised if Gatlin is suspended. I wonder what is going to happen to all the world record times he set?
This news is nothing new. Athletes have been taking performance enhancing drugs for a long time now. The stakes are high. A high level Olympic athlete is surrounded by pressures that are often out of their control and more importantly, there is very little seperating the athlete from taking last or taking first. Considering all this, I can understand how some athletes take dangerous risks to win.
I did some thinking and some reading about the lengths athletes go to in order to be the best. I had a little incident of my own during the 2000 Olympic Games. I found out the woman I lost to in the individual event tested positive for the human growth hormone. It turns out when they tested her blood in Italy it was positive but because they only did urine samples at the Olympics she was clean according to the Olympic standards.
I came across two articles last week that dealt with the issue of performance enhancement methods. One of the articles iis from the NY Times and the other article is from the Wall Street Journal-both outlining methods used by athletes to enhance their performance outside the use of drugs.
The first article is from the New York Times about WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) trying to ban the use of altitude tents as a training method.
The picture is of an athlete training in a chamber that simulates high altitude by decreasing the amount of oxygen in the room. The tent is similar to this chamber but substitute the stairmaster and bike for a matress and pillows.
Sleeping at high altititudes can increase red blood cell counts which can significantly increase activity levels given that more oxygen can be carried to the muscles. Again, I am not a medical expert so you should read the article to make sure that all my "scientific facts" are accurate.
The fact that WADA wants to ban these tents is a little controversial. Some people already live and train at high altitudes-the United States Olympic Training Center is in Colorado Springs. So the question is-why can't someone else at sea level buy an expensive tent to simulate what other athletes have access to? Aren't we just trying to even the playing field? Should we ban working out in high altitudes altogether? Good luck with that.
Click here to read the NY Times article.
The second article from the Wall Street Journal this past weekend is about how athletes use neurofeedback games and tests to change their responses to stress. No, this scientific method isn't being banned. In fact this method was used most recently by the Italian World Cup soccer team.
I just thought it was interesting that you can actually change the way your brain works and responds with expensive technology. Staying in the zone is just as important if not more important than being physically capable.
In the end, I understand that Floyd Landis has done something incredible despite the steroids. Performance enhancing drugs can only take you so far but you still need to be an athlete with all the right components-spirit, drive, talent, mental and physical ability, a good team, etc. I hope that Landis' second sample exonorates him but we will have to wait and see. As for Schwarzenegger-steroids may not help him win the election but he will be back for his gubernatorial sequel.
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