Does anybody knows how can the average Joe/Jane (not the elite athlete) improve from taking EPO?
Say for example that I can run 6 minutes miles (No EPO) and that seems to be my genetic limit.
Then one day I decide to start using EPO… How much improvement should I see?
Great improvement…until the cancer sets in and then you die of a heart attack.
Back in the spring (I think) Outside magazine had an article wherein an average dude took a bunch of different PEDs, EPO among them. Bottom line…he was able to hammer on the bike day and day out with little to no recovery time necessary, if I remember correctly. Interesting read…
Spot
Just read this…A couple of years old, but required reading nonetheless. It describes, first-hand, the effect of all sorts of fun drugs on the recrational cyclist.
http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200311/200311_drug_test_1.html
Outside Magazine had an article about exactly this about 2 years ago - under an unnamed doctor’s care, the author of the article tried growth hormone, EPO, anabolic steroids, and I think testosterone might have been on the list as well. At the end, he said that he would never go near the steroids again under any but the most dire medical needs (if there are any), due to the side effects. One of the EPO-related risks I think was mentioned was that too much makes your blood too thick and you have a heart attack or a stroke.
Not sure if this is the same article or not, but similar premis http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200311/200311_drug_test_1.html
~Matt
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Where do you get EPO? Is it a prescription? Is it wrong for any athlete to take it or just the pros? There is a girl in my office that runs sub 40 min 10K’s. I’d take it if I could beat her, but I’m not looking to win anything.
This article explains statistically the improvements achieved since the introduction of EPO. It show before EPO and after EPO numbers.
It can help you with quick recovery and is very beneficial to endurance athletes. An average Joe would be able to train at much higher levels and increase performance quickly… Take a look at Nina Kraft’s showing at the last world championships that is what EPO can do to a highly trained athlete, all thing being equal Natasha would have blown her away-
That’s the article I was thinking of…man, I was waaaaay off on the date!
hmmmmmmm…o.k…so how great an improvement are we talkin’ here?
Does anybody knows how can the average Joe/Jane (not the elite athlete) improve from taking EPO?
Say for example that I can run 6 minutes miles (No EPO) and that seems to be my genetic limit.
Then one day I decide to start using EPO… How much improvement should I see?
The short answer is EPO would benefit a recreational athlete exactly the same as a professional athlete. It increases oxygen carrying capacity by a fixed amount. That will increase performance regardless of your fitness level.
The longer answer, in regards to how much it will increase your performance, is much more complicated. It depends on what your starting blood counts are, and how far you raise it by using EPO.
Scott Martin
I really didn’t need to read that…
I truly believe that Lance won the last 7 tours without EPO… But I also believe he was on EPO before the cancer. Maybe the EPO and/or other substances caused him the cancer…
Now the big thing is that probably he improved his overall phyical condition so much by using EPO prior to his tour victories that still after quiting he was already way too superior to the rest of the peloton.
Interesting read about EPO. In addition to EPO use, what about athletes using drugs for asthma? Since my son has viral induced ashtma, I know that it can be a serious problem if you actually have it. But, something like half the US swim team at the 1996 Olympics was diagnosed with asthma, which is far, far higher than the population as a whole. Anyone with asthma can (1) take steroids during training to “stablize” your lungs and (2) hit the albuterol (which is a really good stimulant that opens up your lungs) right before a big race. One of the guys in the office saw a study about the TDF where the racers diagnosed with asthma were using a lot more of their medicine during the really tough stages. What a coincidence!
I truly believe that Lance won the last 7 tours without EPO… But I also believe he was on EPO before the cancer. Maybe the EPO and/or other substances caused him the cancer…
Now the big thing is that probably he improved his overall phyical condition so much by using EPO prior to his tour victories that still after quiting he was already way too superior to the rest of the peloton.
EPO slightly (very slightly) raises the risk of hematopoetic (blood) cancers. It in no way raises the risk of testicular cancer. It also provides a transient benefit, at most 2 months or so (the life span of a red blood cell is about 3 months).
Scott
Steroids and growth hormones are used among other things to boost the size of livestock.
Taken from a previous article:
“A vet I know,” he answered casually. It took me a second to realize he meant veterinarian, not military veteran. “Vets and Mexican farmacias, that’s where you get the best stuff.” I looked at the label on the bottle—these were literally animal pills. They’re used to bulk up livestock, and they’re banned from greyhound racing, where they’re given to dogs to make them stronger."
Does this mean that we somehow get some steroids through the food chain? Even if it is only traces of it…
Good point.
Good point…
But if someone used EPO to build his/her core-base condition even after quiting and with a lot of dedication and discipline I guess a good athlete may stay at the top for a while.
Looking at the article on letsrun, I am overwhelmed by the statistical statement that correlation does not prove causality. Said another way, just because there is a simlilar trend or relationship between two events, does not imply that one was caused by the other. The most famous example there is a correlation between the conference that wins the Superbowl and the performance of the stock market.
However, when I pull my head out the sand, and look at the overwhelming evidence in all other sports, it is hard not to come to the same conclusion…