Drugs in Sport

[MisterTommyH]

Following on from the Lance Armstrong thread it's been suggested that LA was on a course of steroids when he stated competing (the steroids being the end of his treatment for cancer).

Is it acceptable that someone who is on a course of prescribed medication which could increase their performance is allowed to compete? Is there any way that the negative effects of the illness can be balanced against the positive effects of the drugs?

This brings me on to something that crossed my mind during the Paralympics. With some of the disabilities the athletes have I don't think it's inconceiveable that some of them are on medications which help with the conditions, but would be seen as 'doping' if found in a standard drugs test. Does anyone know if this is the case, and how this is allowed for mitigated to make the Paralympics fair?

The paralypics is a farce as far as competition goes anyway so I doubt it matters.

You've got people with one leg running against people with no legs and all sorts of other things.

[Fallout]

Agree with Spank. Paralypics is a fantastic event but despite all the rules on categories of disability and all that, it's never going to be completely fair. A few drugs probably isn't a big deal.

Anyway, the whole fairness debate regarding drugs is a bit silly to me. It's to do with role models, not fairness. We don't want our kids looking up to people who take drugs. In ancient Greece, it was standard fair! Mental attitude, DNA, sacrifice, available training facilities, financial backing, the trainer you're landed with, the country you're from, your parents etc. have just as much affect, but they're all acceptable discrepancies, but drugs aren't. It's as if people think they triple your ability without work.

I'm not condoning drugs btw. I just don't like the attitude that it's all a level playing field without drugs in the equation.

You also have the issue of deciding what a performance enhancing drug IS, I mean everything we consume/ingest can be performance enhancing (or detrimental)

[andrewsmith]

There is no drugs in sport! Only people Chuck Norris has breathed on

The drugs in sport will always happen and has probably happened for far longer than the testing labs have existed. It is the human temperament to find an advantage or cheat to beat everyone else

LA was accused of doping before the cancer treatments

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

There is no drugs in sport! Only people Chuck Norris has breathed on

The drugs in sport will always happen and has probably happened for far longer than the testing labs have existed. It is the human temperament to find an advantage or cheat to beat everyone else

True. It also only fairly recently that drugs have been considered cheating (45 years, certainly in cycling). in the early 1900s the drug of choice was a mix of alcohol, aphetamins or horse tranquilisers and Arsenic.

Do you have the name of that cocktail and which bars they serve it in?

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by Spank86

Do you have the name of that cocktail and which bars they serve it in?

Its a Micky Finn

[Messie]

Originally Posted by Spank86

The paralypics is a farce as far as competition goes anyway so I doubt it matters.

You've got people with one leg running against people with no legs and all sorts of other things.

Nice sentiment there