I find it interesting that everyone is sticking to the long-term damage and avoiding the ethical questions this poses...
In 1993, the Chicago Marathon was sponsored by Nuprin...I assumed it was for AFTER the race.
A few years back, an out of contention (and very popular) Pro took a beer at IMH. He was subsequently disqualified and not invited back. Why? The rules are clear about outside assistance and illegal substances. While I'm sure many will turn this into a "grey area," I simply don't agree. Taking medication during the race shouldn't occur.
1. It defeats the spirit of sport (it artificially improves performance)
2. It prevents athletes from actually experiencing the pain (decreases the mental toughness required to compete AND could lead them to underestimate injuries)
3. Has risks in itself (as mentioned in other posts)
I guess it's a personal choice, but where do you draw the line? Steroids/EPO could be therefore viewed as a personal choice...
I know a few will jump on the "well then we shouldn't take Cytomax..." I don't know what to say...The line needs to be drawn somewhere...
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