Doping products in supplements

An excellent French CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) team has again unveiled interesting information about doping. They are the same journalists who brought Geneviève Jeanson, former cycling star, to admit she's been on EPO for most of her career (despite never failing a doping test) and tell the details of her very sad story.

With the use of a "mole" (a male culturist) and hidden cameras, plus Christiane Ayotte's lab (the WADA accredited lab specializing in doping products), they have brought to light that stores that sell "supplements" openly provide bodybuilders (and anyone who asks) with illegal products that contain steroids, testosterone, and explosive combinations of ephedrine + caffeine. The products are labeled with "creative" scientific names (that all end in "-ol" or "-ine") but obviously the people who sell them (and many people who buy them) know what they are and also know that they are illegal doping products. (More information, if you understand French, can be seen here: http://www.radio-canada.ca/actualite/v2/enquete/# in two segments.)

There's a former co-worker of mine (female) who has recently turned into a bodyfitness competitor. Bodyfitness is like a "softer" version of bodybuilding. It's so great to see her athletic side blooming, how she marveled at her changing body, becoming stronger, etc. I've never been a great fan of bodybuilding for the sake of bodybuilding, but reading her blog it gave me joy: her self-discoveries impressed me just as much as first marathons and stories of conquering a century on the bike. Such genuine joy, such sense of self-fulfillment and purpose.

At the same time, as I read her mentions of her special diet, of the supplements she was taking, and of the "hormonal corrections" suggested by her coach's new method of measuring body fat ("too much estrogen"), my happiness was a bit clouded by what I suspected...

When she watched the documentary, she realized that the stuff her coach has been telling her to take is actually a mix of illegal doping products, including some pretty unsafe stuff, and that obviously the coach knew what she was doing. She's so mad. She fired the coach.

I am not really surprised by what's happening, but I'm really sad about it. I don't know what to think of the coach-athlete relationship that leads to such situations, but I fear that it's somewhat common.

I'm too much of a cynic to have anything comforting to tell my friend, but I feel so sad and even more cynical, I had to share this story. Maybe it will spark some some insight?

Thanks for letting me vent....

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Originally Posted by Grog

I'm too much of a cynic to have anything comforting to tell my friend, but I feel so sad and even more cynical, I had to share this story. Maybe it will spark some some insight?

Thanks for letting me vent....

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How does your friend plan to deal with her fitness in future? What 'purpose' does she see now? She fell on the sword..may be best to go for a run together while she adjusts to the next phase, hopefully a healthier phase.

As for doping in sports...always safer in short-term and long-term to be clean. And I wish some coaches would just quit it..and tell any athlete to buzz off if asked to collude.

Grog, I'm sorry to hear of your friends plight. Remind her that not every coach is like that. I do not like coaches who tell you to take supplements. Best to have a good clean and balanced diet. Sometimes, iron, calcium and vitamine supplements are needed but if your have a good diet, you probably can do without.

I also wonder about some of the new sport drinks. i.e. Accelerade and others. I don't understand what it says... :( And I don't think FDA or even USDA regulates what goes in those things. :( I'll stick to natural/organic stuff like Luna bars, fig newton, banana, OJ, granola bars.

My body has been fine tuned over millions of years (of evolution), it doesn't know what to do with all that synthetic stuff we consume.

smilingcat

I found that good old hard work / lifting weights & bicycling has changed my body tremendously; and i am a 56 year old menopausal woman. If I can do it, anyone can WITHOUT the hormones. But then again, I don't want to look like the governator. I hope your friend is not too disappointed and continues on with her program. It may be that you cannot really compete in these things with the moderate body changes that one can do without drugs..

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

It may be that you cannot really compete in these things with the moderate body changes that one can do without drugs..

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I think you're hitting the nail right on the head Mimi.

Just like I get more motivated to run because of upcoming races (even if I don't plan to win!!), I think she was getting motivated to train because of upcoming competitions. And my understanding of the judges' criteria, based on a few articles I've read to try to understand her sport, is that a woman's body cannot really be a woman's body there: wide shoulders and narrow hips, for example, are valued. I don't think the degree of muscularity (is that even a word??) that is required can be attained by only lifting weights and eating a lot of lean chicken. That's what makes me really mad.

I am quite sure she's going to keep competing, and I'm curious to see how she'll react to her body's changes (or lack thereof) on a different "diet"...

ETA: By the way there is NO DOUBT that she WORKS HARD, supplements or not. She spends hours at the gym lifting and doing cardio.