Check this doping related story out. Gives a pretty clear idea of where the future of doping is headed. Interesting and frightening in equal measures.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=1999051
Ken
I agree. Scarey stuff. But interesting.
Here’s a couple of quotes from one of the papers referenced in the story.
“We show that targeted expression of an activated form of PPARd produces profound and coordinated increases in oxidation enzymes, mitochondrial biogenesis, and production of specialized type I fiber contractile proteins…”
“…Accordingly, activation of muscle PPARd essentially recapitulates the effects of exercise training even in the absence of training itself.”
Imagine getting the muscular adaptation effects of a hard workout by popping a pill. Sort of redefines the “breakthrough” training effort.
Ken
Another large pharmaceutical manufacturer, Wyeth, is conducting clinical trials on a drug that would block the production of a hormone called myostatin, the absence of which allows Belgian Blue Cattle to grow huge muscles. These drugs could be available by the end of the decade, if they prove safe and effective.
That passage reminded me of the German “superbaby” who couldn’t produce myostatin.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2004/06/24/512617.html
"Not yet 5, he can hold seven-pound weights with arms extended, something many adults cannot do. He has muscles twice the size of other kids his age and half their body fat. "
Yeah, I remembered the superbaby story too. I didn’t know that drugs have reached the clinical trial stage- just about guarantees that Beijing will host the 2008 myostatin inhibtor games.
Ken
That kid’s going to die of a cardiomyopathy.
And PPARdelta agonists are going to be linked to several forms of cancer.
You heard it here first.
“PPARdelta agonists are going to be linked to several forms of cancer.”
That’s interesting. Is that a hunch, or a very well informed hunch?
Ken
It’s a slightly informed hunch. There’s already a few in vitro correlations.
I agree, I think all of the PPAR agonists a,b,g, and d will lose their luster in a few years. The receptors all exhibit powerful and profound effects when activated, but they need to be activated in context, and that context is pretty darn complicated. Targeted activation is just too problemmatic.
Thanks for that. Of course, growth hormone has been associated with some kinds of cancer as well, which has no doubt significantly curbed its use as doping product. Or perhaps not.
Ken