Doping products in supplements

[smilingcat]

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

[mimitabby]

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..

[Grog]

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

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.