Uh huh...tell us more how you don’t intend to use this as a PED.....

I may have a very simplistic take on this situation but I think the following:

1) Even though they have been prescribed, you are taking a PED, therefore you shouldn't race.
2) If you can't get a TUE, then you need to accept that within the rules you would be doping
3) I don't know the glow time of the drug in your system, but asking that makes it sound like you are doping.
4) If your fellow competitors get a whiff of you taking a PED you will be identified as the doper (even without a drugs test) is that something you want, given that in the moment of competition feelings can run very high!

If I was prescribed this I would think it totally sucked (even if it made my day to day life much better), but a side affect of that benefit is that competition may not be acceptable!

Your call, but if I was racing against you, and I knew you were taking a PED I would call you out on it.

Sorry it probably isn't very helpful, but I am fairly binary when it comes to PEDs!

As fast as anyone wants to jump on the hater bandwagon, amphetamines and stimulants are banned in competition only. There is no out of competition ban.

Also, the half life of add drugs is typically extremely fast. When I was a kid, my hr would be different on days I took the drug vs didn't... Your can ask a doctor about how Adderall builds up, but I'm guessing if you take it Monday - Friday, skip Saturday, race Sunday, you are clean.

Finally, to anyone really upset about someone taking this "banned led" out of competition, then racing on it... I hope your never take pseudafed... It's banned in the same category.

Oh, re:withdrawal, try it... As a kid, I took my Ritalin Monday - Friday and never during a weekend or the summer.

I was always happier without it, but doctors /parents wanted me on it for school. I never had any withdrawal


My n=1

The link at the bottom of my message goes to the WADA requirements for a TUE etc.
From what I can gather reading this you can basically get a TUE for Adderall for ADHD.
Ethically and morally, you would then be racing within the rules set down by WADA. Haters are going to hate, but as a doctor myself I know how much patients need medications like this which may be on the banned list but able to be used with a TUE, in addition to medications that are banned and cannot have a TUE under any circumstances. Until others have travelled in your shoes they should be careful about how critical they are about choices you have to make. Taken further, what would you prefer, someone who does not involve themselves in the sport because of an issue like this and does further damage to their health by avoiding things that will improve their health and have better long term impact?
How far do you push things?? Without a TUE when you can take the steps to get one then there would be shades of grey in some peoples minds as to what racing you do and there will always be people at the extremes of the spectrum of support/non support.
Personally, I would far rather someone participates in this sport for the health benefits even if they are on a banned substance (but taking it for legitimate reasons) rather than give the sport away. However, others would take an alternative view and I can understand why. But if that person needs that medication for their own well being and are not taking it on the sly as a performance enhancer then so be it.
I would love to actually find out what the % of athletes at local races etc are actually taking, I am sure the results would be quite stunning and surprising.
Good luck with everything.


https://www.wada-ama.org/..._tpg_adhd_6.0_en.pdf

Well since it’s not classified as a PED except in competiton, Unless he’s using it in competiton, by definition of what is banned by WADA, he’s not taking a PED.

He doesn’t even need a TUE for this. You may not like the rule but just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean he’s breaking some imaginary yard stick you’ve made up for other people. It’s like saying I don’t like the current draft zone it still gives people advantage so I’m going to think you’re cheating because you should really use a 20m draft zone.

Now that said I have no idea why they removed it from out of competiton banning. I don’t know if they determined that although you get a performance boost during training due to a decrease in fatigue during training it causes longer recovering negating the benefit. Also from real life perspective, being on it during the week and then being off it during the weekend is really not a benefit for racing. You still have to pay up for that extra effort during the week which means you’re normally draining on the weekends.

Either way I know the OP is going to get lit up due to the holier than thou attitude on here with PEDs, so I hope he gets his flame suit ready.

As someone diagnosed with ADD and took the meds during school, I can only see that this would be a PED when taken during activity as a stimulant and focus improvement. In a real life situation, I'd hate to take the stuff while training. It would leave me with a heart rate that's all over the place, higher blood pressure than normal, and a significant lack of sleep. I could live with those things while just dealing with school work (especially when I could find time to nap in the middle of the afternoon). But honestly the real life grind of getting up at 5 a.m. and working full days made it hard to take and I got away from it. It severely affected my ability to get quality sleep. As someone who took it, I really don't think it's an issue. What the rules state might be different, but it's just an issue that I don't see as worth worrying about.

Apologies if you thought I was hating I really wasn't.

I don’t think you were hating. I get both sides of it, but WADA specifically says it’s only an in competiton ban so from their point of view although it is a performance enhancer it’s not at a level out of competition that matters. Similar to caffeine and music, both of those have proven performance enhancing effects but they’re not banned out of competiton. Even caffeine is only banned at a crazy high level in comp.

What I don’t get is how people can say they’re black and white rules people with PEDs but when the rule says otherwise and it’s not cheating, then people say it’s still cheating because they think it is.

WADA doesn’t get any benefit from removing it from the out of competition list so them doing so is a pretty good indication that they don’t see a big enough benefit out of comp to give it a PED status.

i took adderall for years, it is very addicting like if i was out of town and forgot to refill before i left it would ruin my vacation. I am off now for 6 years and i will never go back. i agree with the guy above about crazy heart rate no sleep, ect... i would hate to train with that stuff in me and i would worry about the effects it has on my heart. I am ADD and i will never take adderall again

Get a TUE!

From a therapeutic/performance benefit the peak effect will happen in about 3 hrs with immediate release formulation and 7-10 hrs with the extended release. So, as your potential competitor if you skipped a dose for the morning of the race I'm not worried about the potential doping benefit you would have over me. However, the half-life of the drug is roughly 10-13 hrs. If you get tested after skipping only one dose you still have ~25% of that dose in your system plus the residual doses from previous days. So, you will test positive and you will risk a ban. Is that worth it? If you don't want to risk a positive test and don't want to get a TUE you are going need to skip several days of doses likely 3-4 but everyone is a little different in metabolism. I'm not sure how much that would effect your work performance. That's up to you.

Honestly, I'm not even sure of the potential impact on endurance sports. The side effects might outweigh the performance benefit. I've never taken any amphetamines but am a pharmacist and understand the basic pharmacology. All I know is that WADA has banned it in competition and you don't want to test positive, no matter how unlikely it is to get tested.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/23685202

Don't take it morning of and you're good. Getting a TUE is easy, but for the sake a fairness, and since it's banned in-comp, if you don't use day of, you should feel okay racing.

As someone who struggles with focus and motivation (and been diagnosed with ADHD) I would say to be careful with the meds. I tend to selectively use them when I want to be hyper focused and on-task: job interviews, sales meetings and the like. If I can get away with being a bit absentminded, I'll stay off them since they are amphetamines and the side affects/risks are greater than the rewards. And training on them is "interesting;" I don't feel better or stronger, just different. Performance improvement is individual, but you can expect something in the 5% range for short durations if you're already at the head of the race.

Never taken adderall, I'm using Provigil (modafinil) as an off-label, but effective, treatment. It's pretty amazing the difference in mental acuity. If you need some help to keep or elevate your career, don't stress over taking it. Sport is recreation at our level. Just maybe don't accept the prize money if you're concerned about fairness. The meds will help you progress at work and earn you more money, anyway.

Just to be clear, you do not need to be elite to apply for a TUE. Everyone can, and if they need to use the drug in a way otherwise banned by WADA (e.g., in competition, out of competition, etc.) should, apply for a TUE. Even high school kids should be doing this.

This is for your life and your career.

I find it absurd that anyone would question you taking it for that in regards to going out for a weekend hobby event.

That's the problem with these sports today, especially triathlon and running, which are participation events for 98% of people.

Think anyone would give this even a second of thought if they played basketball or softball or something?

In your situation I'd take it and never give it a second thought for racing, personally.

Like others have said it is only banned in competition, so you don't need a PED if you're going to get off of it before a race. For the last 5 years or so I've been taking a low dose of 15mg XR Monday-Friday for work and take every weekend off and don't have any problems with withdrawals. Does your doctor really say you really have to take it every day? I know some people do, but have never heard of anyone requiring it. My doctor said it was actually good that I don't because of how addictive it is.

As for your questions:
1. The half life is about 10 hours for adults, so depending on how much you need to take on Friday morning you should be good for a Sunday race. If your race is on Saturday you'll have to try to get through work on Friday without it.

2. There is no way you will be granted a TUE for in competition use.

3. I have not done a hard workout on it in years, but yes, it's easier to push through hard efforts for longer and noticed that benefit until around 4-5 hours after taking it. Though I will say that even though it is legal, you should really avoid hard training sessions on it. Not only is it morally questionable to do so because it is giving you a training advantage, but it probably is not great for your heart. I take it after I get my morning workout in (~8am), lunch break sometimes I'll go for a super easy run and be fine, and by the end of the work day it has worn off enough so that I can go hard without feeling like my heart will explode.

4. Not much of a withdrawal for me, but I don't take much and don't use it on the weekends. If you are stopping only 3-4 times a year it might suck.

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Fourth year Elite.
- AP Racing Team
- Dimond Bikes
- Strava
- Insta

I went through this whole scenario for my daughter back in April as my daughter went to a swim meet with testing. She was on a generic and it was dexa******. I dont know the exact name. I was told the half life was very short 2-4 hours per the doctor he originally said 24 hours and it would be okay but then double checked with another doctor and came back said better stop 3 days ahead and she last took it monday am for thursday am competition. The reason we went the route of discontinuing use during competition is that the TUE required extensive documentation by USADA. Including detailed and extensive reporting by the doctor and by my daughters school and coach as well her own report and one by me and it seemed to be a big hassle to get it in order in a very short period of time.

Its difficult to say if stopping hurt her performance. Subsequently she did stop again for a week and she definitely handled it better that time. I would recommend stopping it for a couple days on a trial basis just so you know it will be okay. Our doctor said there would be no withdrawal effects and we didnt notice anything except my daughter was still nervous for a big competition. Next time I am going to get the TUE ahead of time.

Interested in what your thoughts are with this medication in and out of competition? How do you plan on using it during race season etc?
Asking for a "friend".

 I have AddHd and do not use the ritalin that I have. Riding my bike is better than any med. On the US doping site there is one Add med thats OK for competion. Cant remember which one.

Those of you telling this guy he can’t race amateur races because he’s taking adderall need to take a step back and get a grip.

ADD and ADHD are over-diagnosed and medications get over-prescriber and trafficked. Specifically adderall, you can stabilize issues mostly with exercise and diet.

If you need meds I'd see if you can get something lighter.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I’ll use it maybe twice per week, never on weekends, and haven’t raced in the past couple years. Don’t have anything on the schedule for this year, so I’m not concerned about it’s affects in competition.

Were I to race, I’d just not take it the day of and feel fine morally since it’s an in comp ban only and the perceived benefits only last a few hours after taking it. Get a TUE if you worry about that sort of thing. But as stated, we’re amateurs doing this as a hobby, so ultimately we need to chill out and let people participate.

Much like other drugs, it will affect your training. I feel super energized and can definitely push harder, but I also get hyper and impatient. Not a good feeling if you’re doing an Ironman. I like the mental stimulation, so selectively use it when I need to focus on very high level work, but skip it most days since that’s not really needed and I prefer not to take meds.

WADA says he can't race taking adderall without a TUE. If he wants to take it but still race legally he needs to stop at least 3 days before. That's all that I think people told him.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/23685202

It should be stated that "In-competition" is defined as the following:


From: https://www.usada.org/resources/faq/#ICvsOOC

Non elites can apply for a TUE so you don't have to stop taking your medicine. If you don't have a TUE, you will need to stop taking your medicine hours or days (you will have to figure this out) so when that 12 hour mark before the race hits, the medicine is completely out of your system.

I will also say that just because you don't think a local race will be doing testing (they probably won't), I personally wouldn't be surprised if you got a random visit from USADA themselves (assuming you are in the US) right before/after a race. More and more people have been using the USADA tip line and if someone reads your post and knows who you are personally, there's a chance someone would submit this thread to USADA.

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blog

I take Vyvanse, no TUE. but If they need one, I will get one. I take it everyday, and I am not about to stop taking my meds.. that being said, vyvanse doesn't make me faster, it doesn't improve my conditioning, I am a middle of the pack 29 year old male. a legit swimming coach, a power meter and a smart watch would be more performance enhancing for me, than my ADHD meds are.

Standing by for the "cheater' "you deserve a ban' " you're dirty" hate mail.