Tainted Supplements

There is a news story everyone who races should read at http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2002/nov02/nov21news<br /><br /><br />

 

The whole drug testing business is really becoming a witch hunt. Even when the quantities of the substances found do not have any performance enhancing effect, the UCI (or the national federations - I dont know which one it is in this case) wants to nail the riders.<br />Even the pro riders are not very well organised against this kind of abuse and the UCI does nothing to protect the very ones that make cycling a great sport, probably because they assume that the public would applaud such a zero tolerance attitude... it's sickening.<br /><br />I'm not really all that familiar with direct action via the internet, but some sort of petition to the responsible federations would be very welcome. Does anyone have any suggestions?<br /><br />Niek

 

Possibly, more to the point, i can't think of any evidence to suggest that amino acid supplementation has any benefit. amino acids are the 'building blocks' of protein, and people in the western world already consume a surfeit of protein. <br /><br />protein requirements for intense endurance exercise, are ~ 1.2 - 1.8 g / kg body mass per day, which for a 70 kg rider would be 84 - 126 g of protein. this is easy to achieve and exceed, even for people who typically consume 'small' amounts of protein, e.g., vegetarians. <br /><br />Ric

 

In suport of Ric, any additional protein needs from exercise are usualy met by the increase in food intake as a result of increased energy expendature from exercise when a BALANCED DIET is maintained!

 

i'd actually like to go a bit further and state that in certain countries (USA, UK, and *possibly* Australia if memory serves me correctly -- i can't talk for other countries as i can't recall seeing data on it), that even without a balanced diet, and without an increase in energy expenditure, the general population consume a surfiet of protein, in excess of that required by athletes.<br /><br />In general i tend to see cyclists not consuming enough carbohydrates, which are far more important to support normal endurance training, and help in recovery.<br /><br />Ric<br /><br />

 

I agree Ric, but thats because the western diet tends to be unbalanced in the direction of fat and protein.<br /><br />I'm vegetarian, so my diet tends to be unblanced in the direction of carbohydrate! Lucky me!!!!! ;D

 

Surprising, i'm a veggie too ;D. i was also surprised at how much protein i consume as a veggie (5-day analysis) as it was *way* over the 1.8 g/kg upper end, even though the majority of my diet is CHO rich. which i suppose brings me back to my original thought of why does anyone need these supplements?<br /><br />Ric

 

[quote author=ricstern link=board=18;threadid=2678;start=0#23026 date=1038085594]<br />Surprising, i'm a veggie too ;D. i was also surprised at how much protein i consume as a veggie (5-day analysis) as it was *way* over the 1.8 g/kg upper end, even though the majority of my diet is CHO rich. which i suppose brings me back to my original thought of why does anyone need these supplements?<br /><br />Ric<br />[/quote]<br /><br />Probably nobody. But in the in the cycling world there are still a lot of riders that are very superstitious and they let themselves be guided by strict rituals and training/nutrition methods that are far from scientific (Nico Mattan is one rider that comes to mind)<br /><br />Anyway, my point was:<br />If somebody gets tested positively for:<br />* a quantity of the substance that does and cannot have any performance enhancing effects<br />* a substance for which he can prove that it comes from a source that does not indicate having the substance<br />* using a food supplement that deliberately witholds information about possible contamination, even when the likely target users are competitive sports people<br />Then that person does not deserver to be punished the way he is likely to be punished now.<br /><br />On top of that I would like to add that:<br />* there is probably no oher sport that does such extensive testing for doping as cycling (nowadays they even test very regularly in the youth categories in Belgium - 15/16 years - much more so than in professional soccer)<br />* the riders are hardly protected from anyone in the zero-tolerance approach, even if they can prove they did not have the intention to use these substances for performance enhanciement<br />* the riders cannot even undergo any efficient treatment when they are illl because a lot of drugs they would normally take are on the banned substances list<br /><br />And the treatment of the riders is getting worse and worse , when there is even the slightest possibility of drug abuse, the riders are given a treatment that even common criminals don't receive.<br /><br />The federations/justice system/governments continue this approach, possible because they think that this is exactly what the public opinion wants.<br /><br />My point was whether or not this is acceptable and if and/or what we can do about it<br /><br />Niek

 

Past season I went to look to a race for 14-17 years old youngsters. after the race there was a doping test. everybody tested negative but i think if someone would test possitive it would be the parrents who told him to use doping. I think that taking doping is fault but i can understand people who do it. not that i wuld ever do it but if you are in proffesional races where there is so much competition i think it's normal that some people who can't win a race natural take doping so they can win.

 

Ric, I'll have to find some time to do a full dietary analysis on myself. I'm curretly trying to cut down on cheese, why is it that all non veggies like feeding veggies cheese!!!

 

Or eggs! or get upset when you tell them you don't eat fish!<br /><br />If you gotta eat cheese (and i do), then switch to a lower fat variety -- Parmesan is good, lower in fat than e.g., cheddar, must tastier, it's also Italian so it fits in with my Campy equipment and love of espresso ;D<br /><br />Ric