Here we go again... another scandal on TDF

[SadieKate]

My first reaction to this article was that the network was overreacting but media dollars is what drives professional sports. Maybe that's what it takes. I'm pondering.

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/10593.0.html

[Running Mommy]

Go figure??!!!
MAN, that would STINK if he lost his title all because of his beverage choice! DANG!!!

[tomgrrrl]

Here's some more information:

Testosterone Effects Not Immediate

At one point in the three-week race, it seemed as though Landis was petering out. But "an injection of testosterone is not some sort of miracle, immediate boost like an amphetamine or stimulant," Collins says. "Athletes who use testosterone use it over a fairly long course and the benefit accumulates over a period of time."

Testosterone would not account for his comeback, Collins stresses.

"A single shot of testosterone would provide little or no benefit."

John Eliot, PhD, a professor of human performance at Rice University in Houston, and the author of "Overachievement," agrees with Collins.

"The likelihood [that he used illegal substances] seems small to me," he tells WebMD. "Landis is a pretty straightforward guy and personality-wise he does not want to take the easy route," he says.

Could Hip Condition Be a Factor?

Landis is known to have a degenerative, painful hip condition.

"His body, in an attempt to recover, will naturally release more testosterone as part of the recovery process," Eliot says. Also "who knows what he is taking for the pain and this too could interfere with the testing results."

On the other hand, "if his hip was really falling apart, maybe the only way to finish the race was to take testosterone to block the pain," he suggests.

Exactly when he tested positive is also somewhat suspicious, says Eliot. The test was done at stage 17, which coincides with one of the most intense parts of the race.

"The more heavily we exert ourselves, the more naturally our body releases testosterone," he says.

"Fans assume guilt until innocence is proven, but there are a lot of reasons to believe he could be innocent," he says.

Carlos R. Hamilton Jr., MD, professor of medicine and an endocrinologist at University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, and a member of the health, medical, and research committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency, is also reserving his judgment.

"The fact that it is strictly a testosterone level does not mean it came from outside of the body, it could have been produced internally," he says. "It's a perfectly normal occurring hormone."

He says that there is a large variation in what they consider normal on this test and no one knows exactly how Landis scored. "Were his results within normal limits or just out of sight?" he asks.

The bottom line is that the information was released too prematurely, he says. "Wait until we get the final answers. If he cheated, it will be recognized; if he did not, this does him a great disservice."


By Denise Mann, reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

[pooks]

Thanks. I'm feeling very hopeful.

[aka_kim]

The press conference with Floyd at VeloNews is really interesting.

[maillotpois]

Great press conference! (Wow, he has the same thyroid disease I have! I can assure you his thyroid meds are not performance enhancing... )

[snapdragen]

I can assure you his thyroid meds are not performance enhancing... )

If only.......

snap "Levothyroxine" dragen

[velogirl]

(Wow, he has the same thyroid disease I have! I can assure you his thyroid meds are not performance enhancing... )

Not entirely true. Cytomel (T3) is a very popular drug among body builders and other athletes who need a super-low body fat percentage to perform at the top of their game (hmmmm.....sound like cyclists?). You can buy it on the web (along with other anabolic steroids) and there are hundreds of articles out there that explain dosing and phasing for weight loss. Down-side is that excess T3 can damage your heart and you can also lose muscle mass.

Levoxyl/Synthroid/et al (T4) is not popular because it takes a long time to dose into your system and the nuances of proper dosing are so tricky.

BTW, after spending years in hypo hell, I definitely think thyroid meds are performance enhancing (in a different sense). When I was super-hypo, I didn't recover, suffered severe muscle and joint pain, had a compromised immune system, the list goes on and on. All of these symptoms affected my ability to race my bike. By correcting this, my personal performance was definitely enhanced.

[SadieKate]

The press conference with Floyd at VeloNews is really interesting.

I haven't heard Floyd speak much but he sounded exhausted and distraught or is this his normal speech pattern?

I wanted to club a few of the reporters. "Would you lie to your mom?" "What will you do if you loose the TdF title?" Fer pete's sake, the guy is trying to figure out how to prove his innocence in a test that is by WADA standards inconsistent and is one that no one even tracks for baseline.

Thanks for the link, Kim.

[tomgrrrl]

Restrec, I beg to differ, but he hasn't been "fired" from Phonak, his team. Cycling has the most stringent rules in the sports world and it is STANDARD that athletes under investigation are "suspended" until the situation is resolved. It's how all the teams are required to operate....also, I don't think the situation is as black and white as you seem to...but, this being a free world, you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

Somehow this whole thing resembles a certain event back in Salem hundreds of years ago.....