The common sentiment on here is that a banned drug is a banned drug. And that if you plan on participating in this sport then you shouldn't be taking banned drugs. Also, once you take a banned drug you may experience gains that you normally wouldn't have had. So you should respectfully excuse yourself from ever competing in this sport again.

It's ridiculous, but that's the conventional wisdom on this forum.

I think this is a great "common sense" approach to the process.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

That is super interesting. This winter in totally unrelated circumstances, a friend of mine and I were both prescribed the same steroid for cold congestion. Both of us ran significantly faster during training runs while on the drugs. And, we both finished the drugs 7 & 10 days before a 10 mile race. We both ran significantly faster in that race.

This is a big can of worms.

you were prescribed a big can of worms? ;-)

smarter people than me please correct me if i'm wrong. but the steroid this gentleman and his friend would've been prescribed is a corticosteroid, yes? catabolic? you felt great. but, did you feel great because it was a *steroid*? or because the steroid did its job? and you could breathe much better? my sense is that if you stayed on that steroid, it would be hard for you to build or retain lean body mass.

now i'll shut up and get myself educated by folks who'll set me straight.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I believe you are are probably correct that they were prescribed corticosteroids, and I believe they are only banned in-competition. I have heard that cyclists and runners use them to cut weight without losing strength and fitness, and it kind of blows my mind that that is allowed. I do not know about them making you stronger or improving aerobic fitness, but I could be wrong.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

No, the common sentiment here is that people should follow the rules and not following the rules is cheating. Since this is part of the rules, I think you would find most people OK with it. Testosterone is not banned only in-competition, therefore this exception does not apply.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

It was Prednisone. I was not that sick, but I went to a doc-in-a-box and asked him to keep me as well as possible. He prescribed the Prednisone and an antibiotic. The weekend at the end of the prednisone prescription, I did a hard run and two very hard bike workouts that felt like nothing. Then, I did my fastest swim workout ever. After that, I looked it up and saw it was WADA-banned during competition. My quote to my friend was "The prednisone effect is very real."

And, I gained 2 lbs. over the weekend of all those workouts despite a pretty significant calorie deficit.

Long Term Side Effects of Prednisone Can Be Severe

Long-term use of prednisone may lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. It can cause changes in the distribution of body fat which together with fluid retention and weight gain may give your face a moon-like appearance.

Stretch marks, skin thinning, and excessive facial hair growth are also not uncommon. Women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should let their doctor know before they take prednisone. Prednisone is not recommended in women who are breastfeeding a baby.

Children are particularly susceptible to prednisone's side effects. Prednisone may suppress growth and development, an unfortunate effect that may be helped by alternate day treatment or growth hormone therapy. Prednisone may also cause sleeplessness and affect your moods. People with diabetes may find their blood glucose control is not as good as it usually is while they are taking prednisone.

It is a good idea to wear a medical alert tag or carry a Steroid Card if you need to take prednisone long-term.

Weight Gain is Common

Prednisone makes you hungry and weight gain is a common side effect. Fat deposits may occur around your abdomen, face or back of your neck. Fluid retention can also occur and may manifest as leg swelling and a sudden jump in your weight on the scales.

The higher the dose and the longer the treatment, the more likely you are to put on weight. You can control fluid retention by eating a diet low in sodium and eating more foods that contain potassium such as bananas, apricots, and dates. A diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates may make you feel fuller for longer, making you less likely to overeat.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Holy crap, that is horrifying. And I thought Prednisone was not even a serious drug.

Several years ago I was on a round of Levaquin for a bone infection. That stuff is like toxic waste and can cause a spontaneous rupture of your achilles tendon. I actually got a spontaneous severe sprained ankle while on it and had to cease all exercise for several weeks after the drug was done. I would not want to outlaw that drug, because it kills the unkillable. But, those things are pretty scary.

As a general life hack, I avoid all drugs as much as possible.

Actually... I take back my statement about corticosteroids not making you faster - I have heard people say pred makes them feel like "superman". But it sure sounds like it would be a pretty bad idea to be on it long enough to get real long-term training effects....

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

I looked back through my text exchange, and I actually said “I felt like Superman.” It probably did not have a material long-term effect, because my swimming pace regressed back to normal within a couple weeks. But while I was on it, I was definitely faster and recovered faster.

I think somebody's been slipping me prednisone. I have all the side effects.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I think somebody's been slipping me prednisone. I have all the side effects.


Not at that swim we did a couple days ago...

So take it like exxxviii did. Dose before a race... but long enough before so you won't get busted if you are tested *at* the race. It surely wouldn't be too hard to get a prescription.

Does anybody have a problem with this?

Besides me...

How long does it take to not test positive?

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Less than 24 hrs.

man , the 2 times I have been on prednisone I was barely able to workout.

Maybe I was too sick when I started it :) but I hate being on it

Wow, so every time we hear of an athlete being sick with a chest thing then coming out and smashing a race we know why, even if the testers don't. There is a particular ITU athlete who commentators, and he himself, state was sick before quite a few races, they are always his good ones. Oh yeah he allegedly did have a positive for this actual drug but it was let go.

There is a particular ITU athlete


Did you not read the very first sentence of the OP??

I agree that this is something that has been abused on an international level extensively. I also agree with you that that is not good. But I don’t have a problem with this rule/policy as it pertains to nonelite athletes as outlined by USADA above. I come to this conclusion for 2 main reasons. First, for nonelite athletes, I don’t think there is a high abuse potential of a retroactive TUE for this type of drug. Second the policy is intentionally vague on the definition of “in competition” and it reserves judgement on the statement of medically appropriateness. Parenthetically if someone has guidance from USADA or WADA on a more precise meaning of “in competition” I would love to hear it.

On the other hand, I see your point that in fact of practice, avoiding testing positive is quite easy. I also recognize that anti-doping organizations have historically been super lenient with granting TUE for this type of drug and I fundamentally have a problem with that!

And there is a law that's stops us from broadening conversations?
Anyway, I was actually referring to the 24 hrs to be clear in testing part of the statement I quoted, because benefits have been documented for much longer.

I think there's loads of abuse potential for any drug that actually works. The chance of a non elite athlete getting tested out of competition is pretty much zero.

I think "in competition" means you test positive at a race. Out of competition means they come to your door, and it could be any time. This particular steroid is out of your system in < 24 hrs. There are a lot of drugs that have positive performance effects long after you stop taking them. exxxviii got a prescription from a doc for a stuffy nose. That tells me it's easy to obtain legally.

Not sure I agree with that. There have been a good number of OOC positives in amateur cycling and triathlon. E.g. famously Moats. These are the result of tips rather than random visits, but OOC is OOC. The chances can be good if you don't run a tight ship in your doping.




Sort of - it's more time than place. The definition is that it's a time period that starts 12 hours before the start of an event and ends at the conclusion of competition. But there's no requirement that the testing take place physically at the event. They can come to your home or hotel the night before, etc.

The point of this thread seems to be that even if you are tested OOC, so long as you have a prescription you are good.