Have you ever taken PEDs?

takethehighroad

Now I'm not talking about during races or anything, but in his book French Revolutions, Tim Moore says that when he climbed Ventoux, he took Ephedrine to get him through it, and I wondered that if you were doing a big ride or what have you, would you ever take anything?

Kléber

I once poured several espressos into my water bottle. Never again.

disgruntledgoat

Kléber wrote:

I once poured several espressos into my water bottle. Never again.

Likewise, when I was racing in France, on my first morning the family I was staying with had all gone out ot work leaving my breakfast neatly laid out on the table... I had a massive mug of coffee and felt absolutely dreadful all day. I discovered when the same pot was re-served at dinner that I'd drunk about a pint of Espresso.

Just say no kids.

fungus_the_muffin_man

Taken from wiki

It is common for many athletes to use stimulants while exercising. Such use of ephedrine has been associated with stimulant dependence, as well as deaths from heatstroke in athletes and circulatory problems such as aortic aneurysm in weightlifters, though these side effects are rare.


Why would you even want to risk using a drug like ephdrine just for the sake of a few extra seconds? Some people are just bonkers.

DaveyL

I've taken ibuprofen with pseudo-ephedrine, one of these flu medications, when I was feeling under the weather before an event a couple of years ago.

It was legal then (from 2003 it was on the monitoring list but not banned) but pseudo-ephedrine is back on the banned list this year, anything over 150 microgrammes per mL in urine will get you busted. Better just stick to the ibuprofen-only stuff if it happens again! Not that you're likely to get tested in a club '10', but still.

guinea

I haven't and am unlikely to, at least on purpose. I can promise my times on the Richmond Park thread are PED free.

However, for people out of competition, I'm not really opinionated either way. It would seem a little sad to get juiced up to do a sportive, but hey whatever floats your boat.

My problem with PEDs is the arms race it creates as well as the long term health problems being forced onto athletes in order to compete.

fungus_the_muffin_man

DaveyL wrote:

I've taken ibuprofen with pseudo-ephedrine, one of these flu medications, when I was feeling under the weather before an event a couple of years ago.

It was legal then (from 2003 it was on the monitoring list but not banned) but pseudo-ephedrine is back on the banned list this year, anything over 150 microgrammes per mL in urine will get you busted. Better just stick to the ibuprofen-only stuff if it happens again! Not that you're likely to get tested in a club '10', but still.

CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT

SpaceJunk

I take a beta blocker for a heart condition. My max heart rate before I went on (6 years ago) it was approx 185 bpm.

Now, my max is just 140 bpm.

But I'm climbing as well as I ever had (granted I don't set the world on fire). My body has simply become more efficient at carrying oxygen in my blood., I guess.

Anyway - and I'm admitting an extremely foolish thing here - I did a cyclo-tour last year and I ran out of my beta-blocker three days before ride. (I was away from home and didn't have a script with me).

So I did the ride, and found that my heart beat was getting up to 170 + bpm on the climbs. But I was literally flying. I'm guessing my blood was carrying the same levels of oxygen as it would at 145 bpm, but now it was 30 bpm faster.

I wouldn't recommend what I did to anyone, I should have never done the ride, but gee I felt amazing.

BTW - I loved French Revolutions.

DaveyL

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

DaveyL wrote:

I've taken ibuprofen with pseudo-ephedrine, one of these flu medications, when I was feeling under the weather before an event a couple of years ago.

It was legal then (from 2003 it was on the monitoring list but not banned) but pseudo-ephedrine is back on the banned list this year, anything over 150 microgrammes per mL in urine will get you busted. Better just stick to the ibuprofen-only stuff if it happens again! Not that you're likely to get tested in a club '10', but still.

CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT

"I've never tested positive."

And I am tranquilo.

Homer J

If i knew something was safe i'd try it, other than that i stick to the coffee and a kit kat

DaveyL

By the way, ages ago I remember someone here linked to a thread on the cuttingedgemuscle forums, amateur riders doing epo and using centrifuges to measure their hematocrits etc. That was seriously, seriously scary.

Pokerface

Back in the days when you could buy ephedrine in any health food shop, I used to use a lot of it. But I wasn't cycling back then.


These days I use a cocktail of over-the-counter vitamins and stimulants that seem to help me perk up a bit. Was really cacking it last year when I got tested by the UCI after a National Championships race. Turns out - I passed and everything I take is fully legal!

SpaceJunk

DaveyL wrote:

By the way, ages ago I remember someone here linked to a thread on the cuttingedgemuscle forums, amateur riders doing epo and using centrifuges to measure their hematocrits etc. That was seriously, seriously scary.

I remember that. Extremely scary stuff. It's like they used Willy Voet's 'Breaking the Chain' as a text book.

rick_chasey

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

Taken from wiki



Why would you even want to risk using a drug like ephdrine just for the sake of a few extra seconds? Some people are just bonkers.

I got given ephidrine from the doctor to clear up my sinuses, since a cold had filled my ear up with liquid.

Took it just before I went out on my bike to clear my nose and sinuses so I could breath out of it, cutting through all the snot etc.

It was hardly a 'risk'....

DaveyL

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

Taken from wiki

It is common for many athletes to use stimulants while exercising. Such use of ephedrine has been associated with stimulant dependence, as well as deaths from heatstroke in athletes and circulatory problems such as aortic aneurysm in weightlifters, though these side effects are rare.


Why would you even want to risk using a drug like ephdrine just for the sake of a few extra seconds? Some people are just bonkers.

Surely a healthcare worker should be familiar with Paracelsus?

"All things are poison and nothing is without poison, only the dose permits something not to be poisonous."

fungus_the_muffin_man

DaveyL wrote:

By the way, ages ago I remember someone here linked to a thread on the cuttingedgemuscle forums, amateur riders doing epo and using centrifuges to measure their hematocrits etc. That was seriously, seriously scary.

i've not really ever bothered looking into epo properly. I suppose I should to see why it's so important.

on a side note. Every blood test I do at work gives me an hct level. And there are a number of factors which can affect it. I wonder if my patients are taking EPO

Rodrego Hernandez

Pseudoephedrine has just been banned again. Took it for a couple of races last year and felt an effect. Caffeine also OK but doesn't work so well in the heat.

Creatine plus other so-called performance enhancers but the most effective performance enhancer I have ever used is hard training. Easily obtained and if used correctly has a bigger effect than most things.

fungus_the_muffin_man

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

but the most effective performance enhancer I have ever used is hard training. Easily obtained and if used correctly has a bigger effect than most things.

AMEN to that brother 8)

FransJacques

Used to take pro plus when i was younger doing Surrey League races. Now at 38 i just get the jitters and my HR skyrockets. I also tried the extra strong sudafed with pseudo-ephedrine but didn't feel anything off of it. Not sure what I was looking for anyway...

I don't like things that make me jumpy or irritable - my job does that already :-( Instead of stimulants I'm doing vagal manoevres on myself as I ride.

Biggest revelation was protein powder and it's effect on recovery. As I eat very little meat since I'm a lazy chef I noticed a benefit in recovery and getting over the "sore muscle" feeling when getting a massage or beginning a ride during an intense month of training.

timoid.

DaveyL wrote:

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

Taken from wiki

It is common for many athletes to use stimulants while exercising. Such use of ephedrine has been associated with stimulant dependence, as well as deaths from heatstroke in athletes and circulatory problems such as aortic aneurysm in weightlifters, though these side effects are rare.


Why would you even want to risk using a drug like ephdrine just for the sake of a few extra seconds? Some people are just bonkers.

Surely a healthcare worker should be familiar with Paracelsus?

"All things are poison and nothing is without poison, only the dose permits something not to be poisonous."

Indeed. Orange juice for example.

DaveyL

Timoid. wrote:

DaveyL wrote:

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

Taken from wiki

It is common for many athletes to use stimulants while exercising. Such use of ephedrine has been associated with stimulant dependence, as well as deaths from heatstroke in athletes and circulatory problems such as aortic aneurysm in weightlifters, though these side effects are rare.


Why would you even want to risk using a drug like ephdrine just for the sake of a few extra seconds? Some people are just bonkers.

Surely a healthcare worker should be familiar with Paracelsus?

"All things are poison and nothing is without poison, only the dose permits something not to be poisonous."

Indeed. Orange juice for example.

Exactly.

shockedsoshocked

I can't afford to take any of the good ones

On a serious note, ephidrine, aspirin and caffiene. Weight drops off :twisted: (apparently)

Most of the lads in my team who raced on the continent are pretty candid about what they got up to. It seems to not become such a huge moral issue when your livelihood depends on getting results.

pedro118118

If your livelihood is based on your ability to achieve results (ie you're a professional), I can just about rationalise it. For all others, pretty sad really

paulcuthbert

I've never even taken a drag of a cigarette, let alone any sort of drugs!

I'm actually shocked that people would do it for a long climb or a sportive

disgruntledgoat

paulcuthbert wrote:

I've never even taken a drag of a cigarette, let alone any sort of drugs!

I'm actually shocked that people would do it for a long climb or a sportive

I'm not! I remember on my first stab at the Marmotte, going up the Galibier in 35 degree heat I suddenly had an epiphany... I would have taken literally anything at that point if somebody had told me it would make my life a little bit more pleasant. I wouldn't have even asked what it was.

Kléber

Nothing would make your life more pleasant. You could have Dr Ferrari and Dr Fuentes in a following car and you'd only go faster.

A few days acclimatising to the heat or riding warm-up events to get used to the distance would see you right.

pedro118118

disgruntledgoat wrote:

paulcuthbert wrote:

I've never even taken a drag of a cigarette, let alone any sort of drugs!

I'm actually shocked that people would do it for a long climb or a sportive

I'm not! I remember on my first stab at the Marmotte, going up the Galibier in 35 degree heat I suddenly had an epiphany... I would have taken literally anything at that point if somebody had told me it would make my life a little bit more pleasant. I wouldn't have even asked what it was.

Eh? It's very simple isn't it? If you're not physically capable, don't enter?!

paulcuthbert

disgruntledgoat wrote:

paulcuthbert wrote:

I've never even taken a drag of a cigarette, let alone any sort of drugs!

I'm actually shocked that people would do it for a long climb or a sportive

I'm not! I remember on my first stab at the Marmotte, going up the Galibier in 35 degree heat I suddenly had an epiphany... I would have taken literally anything at that point if somebody had told me it would make my life a little bit more pleasant. I wouldn't have even asked what it was.

Nah. Am I the only person who gets real satisfaction out of looking down at the world from the top of a really high climb, knowing in my head that I made it up there on nothing but my own terms? PED's would surely ruin the whole buzz you get from that.

Althouhg, while the views are stunning, the look of sheer disbelief on people's faces that "you cycled UP that thing!?" is sometimes almost more rewarding!

disgruntledgoat

I think you're missing the point Pedro. I actually rode the best time i've ever done in 5 attempts on that first go, I'd just never ridden a route that hard in that kind of heat, it was just a bit of an eye opener was all.

Anyway, this isn't about my (lack of) merit as a cyclist, the point I was making was that given that I would class myself as pretty fit, I can imagine why people would raid the over the counter section of a pharmacy for a cyclosportive.

bigmat

Salbutamol and insulin - I could get retrospective TUE's for both though!

flattythehurdler

disgruntledgoat wrote:

paulcuthbert wrote:

I've never even taken a drag of a cigarette, let alone any sort of drugs!

I'm actually shocked that people would do it for a long climb or a sportive

I'm not! I remember on my first stab at the Marmotte, going up the Galibier in 35 degree heat I suddenly had an epiphany... I would have taken literally anything at that point if somebody had told me it would make my life a little bit more pleasant. I wouldn't have even asked what it was.

How well do i know that feeling!