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Re: Masters Doping, Episode 738 [spot] [ In reply to ]
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spot wrote:
Ralph20 wrote:
"many of which are shown to have major side effects". I'm not arguing your position, but this is the type of gross over generalization that seems to accompany any talk of medications on this forum. Some medications have varying side effects and some don't. We can certainly do better by speaking in more scientific terms than this. Especially when a great deal of science and research exists on these topics.


Reference your topic about taking medications to mitigate the effects of aging. Again, a perfectly reasonable statement. But what makes you think that we are aging normally? There is an abundance of research showing the impacts that environmental chemicals are having on our bodies. The chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, have metabolic impacts including low testosterone, obesity, and diabetes. The evidence is overwhelming that endocrine and metabolic disorders are increasing in prevalence. And not just by a little. I think the conversation around this is a little more nuanced than what some of the comments here would convey.


I think you are overstating the case of endocrine disruptors.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/...articles/PMC2078473/

"To date, conflicting results of epidemiological studies have failed to confirm the hypothesis that exposure to environmental chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties is associated with human reproductive health problems."

There are also other things that can affect sperm count, like being overweight or obese. And that has most definitely risen in the West, and can just as easily explain the decline in sperm counts as chemicals.

We can agree to disagree on the extent of the impact of environmental chemicals. Recent research has certainly been heading that way as a way to explain the increasing epidemic of endocrine issues. I think the larger point I was trying to make was that we are not talking about just "getting older" and decreasing T levels. This is a disease process that lowers T far below what is considered normal for a given age.
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Re: Masters Doping, Episode 738 [Ralph20] [ In reply to ]
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Ralph20 wrote:
spot wrote:
Ralph20 wrote:
"many of which are shown to have major side effects". I'm not arguing your position, but this is the type of gross over generalization that seems to accompany any talk of medications on this forum. Some medications have varying side effects and some don't. We can certainly do better by speaking in more scientific terms than this. Especially when a great deal of science and research exists on these topics.


Reference your topic about taking medications to mitigate the effects of aging. Again, a perfectly reasonable statement. But what makes you think that we are aging normally? There is an abundance of research showing the impacts that environmental chemicals are having on our bodies. The chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, have metabolic impacts including low testosterone, obesity, and diabetes. The evidence is overwhelming that endocrine and metabolic disorders are increasing in prevalence. And not just by a little. I think the conversation around this is a little more nuanced than what some of the comments here would convey.


I think you are overstating the case of endocrine disruptors.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/...articles/PMC2078473/

"To date, conflicting results of epidemiological studies have failed to confirm the hypothesis that exposure to environmental chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties is associated with human reproductive health problems."

There are also other things that can affect sperm count, like being overweight or obese. And that has most definitely risen in the West, and can just as easily explain the decline in sperm counts as chemicals.


We can agree to disagree on the extent of the impact of environmental chemicals. Recent research has certainly been heading that way as a way to explain the increasing epidemic of endocrine issues. I think the larger point I was trying to make was that we are not talking about just "getting older" and decreasing T levels. This is a disease process that lowers T far below what is considered normal for a given age.

You keep repeating the same thing over and over again, and yet I don't think you've offered a single reference to a journal article or anything else to support your position (my apologies in advance if you have and I just missed it). Every article I've found on the subject has not identified a single "disease process" that is causing lower T levels. And, across the population, it would appear that T levels are about 17% lower or so, not exactly what I would call "far below."

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Re: Masters Doping, Episode 738 [Ralph20] [ In reply to ]
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Ralph20 wrote:
OR...
There has been a documented decrease in sperm levels (over 50% in the last 30 years) and a documented decrease in testosterone levels in men over the last 20 years. So chemicals in our environment are interacting with our body in unknown ways. There is also ZERO proof that supplementing testosterone back to age appropriate levels leads to any increase in performance. So the evidence is entirely against your claim that "these guys are doping". In fact, they may be looking to lead a normal life prior to pollution/chemicals wrecking our endocrine system.

So the solution to chemicals (such as discarded pharmaceuticals) in our environment damaging our health is putting more chemicals into our body? Interesting, I hadn't considered that option. My approach is to try to avoid putting anything artificial into my body, drink organic milk, do not eat farmed fish, eat limited meat and poultry, only hormone and antibiotic free. The low sperm count seems like a bonus, at my age I don't want to accidentally have a kid.
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Re: Masters Doping, Episode 738 [spot] [ In reply to ]
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No peer reviewed paper will be found.

Unless you have primary hypogonadism you should not be taking testosterone supplementation over the longer term. In the setting of testosterone supplementation and sports competition it is banned and rightly regarded as cheating.

Just so that everyone is on the same page here is a link to a succinct summary.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/...-causes/syc-20354881

My point is that primary causes are infrequent. From what I've read on this thread people seem surprised that obesity and sleep apnoea (itself associated with obesity and alcohol) can cause low testosterone. They are listed as secondary causes, in other words reversible either by lifestyle changes or medication (pituitary/hypothalamus causes). Secondary causes should always be addressed before testosterone is prescribed. Unfortunately with pervasive quick fix medicine testosterone is often the first treatment offered to patients. That's not good medicine and there's no way around it you will be regarded as cheating in competition if caught.

For people genuinely in this position and taking testosterone is the only thing that gives them more energy to attempt to change their lifestyle then that's the best of a bad situation. I support that as a pragmatist but don't enter competitive races until your secondary cause has been addressed and you no longer need testosterone.

The rest is cheating. Full stop.
Last edited by: Mark57: Nov 13, 18 20:49
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Re: Masters Doping, Episode 762 [carlosflanders] [ In reply to ]
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carlosflanders wrote:
http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/masters-cyclist-doping-united-states/


Came up on my feed today. 3 riders caught in same race.

Ride in SoFL with fast riders and you'll quickly conclude that the whole field is juiced (or at least most of it).
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