Other PED's
It doesn't matter if it is cortisone, EPO (Erythropoetin), blood transfusions, anabolic steroids, testosterone, or amphetamines, the public questions how athletes continually threaten their own bodies by taking banned substances.
What a joke of a question.
We live in a nation with extreme obesity, get prescribed medications from doctors that have no idea what they are prescribing, get radical and threatening surgeries just to improve our appearances, yet people have the audacity to question athletes how they put their health in jeopardy. It is one of the most hypocritical things I have ever heard. And I can understand that it is human nature to contradict ourselves but the thought process is absurd.
Let me see if you recognize any of the following numbers:
39,000
80,000
106,000
225,000
Google it, Look through Wikipedia, hell, call Jeeves and see if he knows.
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39,000 represents the number of deaths per year by unnecessary and errors in surgeries at hospitals
80,000 deaths per year by infections from hospitals
106,000 deaths of year from prescribed adverse drug reactions (this is not overdosing, the number represents deaths per year from taking medication prescribed by licensed doctors)
225,000 is the sum of deaths due to modern medicine (Source: foodmatters.tv)
I haven't even mentioned the number of deaths from heart disease (#1 Killer in America) which is a direct correlation from the "obesity epidemic".
After all that, can those same people question the risk of taking performance enhancing drugs after knowing those numbers.
Furthermore, here is another example. Here is a list of things that some of you may be able to recognize:
Struck by car x4
Shoulder Sprain x1
Cuts and Abrasions xToo much to count
Heat Exhaustion x2
Pulled Muscles x5
Near Death Experience x1
Close Calls x589349542394
These are injuries and experiences that I have gone through in my tenure with triathlons and running.
Why do I bring this up? Almost every sport professionals put their lives on the line to do what they have to do to win. They inherently chose a dangerous sport. If all of these athletes were concerned about their well being then they wouldn't sweat profusely day by day to get where they are. And sometimes, it's not enough.
I am just tired of hearing the health risk when it comes to PED use.
Yes, I know for a fact that many of people got, and still do get addicted to steroids and died because of it. In the 1990s, a plethora of cyclists died from excessive EPO use. These are harmful substances. I am not denying that. But in the grand scheme of things, it is very minor in comparison.
Plus, did you notice I said "addicted" and "excessive" when deaths occurred.
We Are All Cheaters
The general public casts every cheater caught as if they were stealing their first born child. Nobody can stand the idea of someone cheating or gaining an extra hand in their respective profession. Its pretty remarkable considering the same general public I am referring to act as if they haven't done anything to gain an advantage throughout their lives. And no, I am not talking about stealing $500 in monopoly money. The fact is that everyone has used performance enhancing drugs during their lifetime, they just don't realize it.
Exhibit A
According to opposingviews.com, 35% of non prescribed college students admitted using adderall to help them finish projects and cram for finals in 2012.
Adderall is a type of amphetamine that treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Narcolepsy.
Amphetamine was one of the first PED's used in cycling throughout the 1980s and 1990s
A drug known to increase attentiveness, concentration, focus, and overall performance in students studies is spreading fast. The usage from non prescribed users rose from 6.4% in 2007 to 35% in 2012. The drug is a stimulant and very powerful. Close to 90% of non prescribed users (according to SAMHSA.gov) eventually get addicted to the substance making it very difficult to perform any type of task that requires any sense of determination and focus without taking the drug.
Now, if you ask every student who used adderall if they think this is cheating or if they are using a performance enhancement drug, what do you think their response would be?
"Well, everyone is doing it!"
Sound familiar?
Exhibit B
This next PED may be conceived as a bit of a stretch. I am pretty sure many will roll their eyes when they first read the word. All I ask is hear me out because of all else, all of this information and opinion is to think more deeply about PED use. Not to change views and beliefs in the matter, but at least consider most are being extremely biased and hypocritical.
We used it everyday and it helps get through....well...every day.
I think you know what it is by know.
You are already rolling your eyes... I can feel it.
Caffeine
It can be found in coffee, chocolate, soda, energy gels and drinks. Pretty much, something almost every first world individual consumes on a daily basis. Caffeine picks you up in the morning. It carries you through the afternoon and in some cases, through late nights.
Caffeine is a drug that makes you more alert, firing signals throughout your brain, creating a better you. A substance known to pick up any user to a new level. How many times have you been tired to do a task that needed to be done, whether it be at work or at home, drink a cup of coffee and finish the job? Did you even bother counting? Why would you? Everyone uses it. We need caffeine. It helps keep our jobs that support our families. It keeps you going when you are exhausted. Caffeine helps raise your kids and enjoy yourself on an idle Friday night when your 36 years old but you haven't been out passed 11 since you were in college. The stimulant raises your energy level and keeps you going for hours so any user can be more productive and efficient.
One of the greatest advertisement slogans puts it perfectly, "America Runs on Dunkin."
Everyone would not think caffeine is a performance enhancing drug since it is so commonly used, but it is. There is nothing wrong with using caffeine; however, to not agree with it increasing one's ability is ignorant. That's exactly what the drug is made for! To bring you from point A and get you to point B better than you originally started. How is it any different from "other" performance enhancing drugs? Caffeine is safer than steroids, but it doesn't mean it's all that healthier either. For example, my mother gets migraines when she goes one day without coffee. She tried to do a cleanse but couldn't give up caffeine since her brain badly needed it to function. It's not life threatening, because this is very common, but it isn't very healthy either.
Exhibit C
If you think caffeine was a stretch, I suggest you stop reading now.
Music
When listening to music while performing an athletic task, preferably any long distance sport (running, cycling, swimming, kayaking, rowing etc.), it has the same effect as taking 6 pills of Advil (Source: Finding Ultra by Rich Roll...great book by the way). Therefore, you don't feel the same amount of pain as someone who isn't listening to music.
Music decreases your perception of effort by 10% and increases your maximum input by 25%.(Source: jsonline.com)
Ethiopian Runner Haile Gebrelassie broke the marathon world record by timing his steps to the beat of Scatman by Scatman John at one of the hardest marathon courses in the world: The Boston Marathon. Time-- 2:03:46 (1) (4:43 min/mile).
(1)I just want to note that my fastest mile time, now that's just running one mile as hard as you can, is 5:00. Gebrelassie ran a 26.2 mile race on one of the hardest marathon courses in the world at an average of a 4:43 minute per mile. I looked up his splits and his fastest mile was 4:31! That time would win you the state championship in High School!
Remember that song:
Music is also known to help people who suffer from depression and other anxiety ailments get back to a normal state of mind.
Exhibit D
Prescription Drugs
David is a landscape architect. His job consists of hand excavations, mowing the lawn, cutting down trees, and raking the leaves. He is 43 and suffering from severe arthritis. 2 hours into the day, he is suffering from extreme pain and affecting his ability to complete simple tasks. His boss notices and is considering firing him since he can no longer hold his own. Dave is at a crossroad. He has been doing this since the age of 22 and it's too late to find another job that can support his family but it's to early for him to retire while he has three kids that are planning to go to college. What does he do? He goes to the family doctor and gets prescribed pain medication (1) to combat the arthritis. After he takes the first two pills, he feels great again. He is able to perform work like he was 30 again. His boss notices the difference in productivity and is impressed enough to give him a raise for all of his hard work.
(1) There is an all natural alternative to getting rid of arthritis (that's completely legal in all facets of life) but it takes a strict diet to combat. I have already noted the tragedy of modern medicine in the first post; therefore, just wanted to continue that trend.
Now, what's wrong with this picture?
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Absolutely nothing
Dave did something everyone and their mother would have done in that situation and there is nothing wrong with that. So why do we go ballistic when someone uses HGH to recover from an injury in a sport where the average life expectancy is 3 years (football for all of you non sports nerds)? Or why everyone is disgusted when a cyclist uses EPO, testosterone, and blood transfusions to compete in a three week race that covers 2,500 miles?
I don't have answers to these questions but I hope someone does.
We all get older and no one can battle father time. Our bodies start to break down and it's make it very hard to do routine tasks we are accustomed to doing. In some cases, this affects our ability to perform jobs. What's the solution? We go to the local doctor's office, get prescribed allocated medication and go back to work.
When we consider all of the exhibits mentioned, we all use performance enhancement drugs and methods to get where we need to go. It helps us get through the day, makes working out more pleasurable, studying more effective, and gets us back to work. PED's are in everyday life, yet I am forced to leave you with this question:
What's the difference?
Stay tuned for the final installment of The PED Issue, which will be out next week. Enjoy the Labor Day Weekend!
If you missed part one, click here.
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