Doping in Sports. It is a never ending subject for discussion and it will remain so as long as we have armies of people involved in the anti-doping industry. I was interested to read recently that a number of retired bike riders were suggesting that Lance Armstrong should be reinstated as a seven times winner of the Tour de France, in spite of his shock/horror drug use. I must admit that I take the same view. He won those races and everyone knows that to complete just one day of the Tour is hard enough, let alone go further and ride 2,300 miles in three weeks on flat roads, on cobble stones and up and down the mountains and be first back into Paris. I doubt if Lance Armstrong did anything that was not being done by half the peloton — at least. I know that, he knows that and I should think everyone involved in cycling knows that. Some of the ex-racers who suggested his reinstatement probably themselves dabbled with illegal substances as well. However, no matter how much we admire Lance Armstrong's abilities as a racer, I doubt if the powers that be will allow him back into the fold. He is after all, now the arch-fiend.
However, again, my primary reason for bursting into print today is the news from the world anti-doping authority that they have added the gases argon and xenon to the list of banned substances because, they tell us, these gases could have a performance enhancing effect similar to EPO. Breathing in these gases mixed with oxygen could encourage the body to produce more red blood cells and thus increase the blood's oxygen carrying capacity and boost athletic performance. There is evidence, they tell us that certain athletes have been doing this — particularly in Russia. Is this really true? Does it really improve performance?
The big problem for WADA is that they have no means of testing for these gases and, I suspect, it will be a long time before they do. In the atmosphere there are a number of inert gases — like argon and xenon — and they react chemically with almost nothing and it is this which will make devising a test very difficult. Added to which the gases are present in the atmosphere everywhere on Earth. One or two people have pointed out that putting athletes in chambers that mimic conditions at high altitude to do the same thing — increase res blood cells, is probably at least as effective and if you ban gases, you should ban the high altitude chambers. That is, of course, outside the remit of WADA. Perhaps if WADA did not exist these bits of international nonsense could be avoided.
How long before they ban krypton and its derivitive kryptonite? That will get them worrying!
#
No comments:
Post a Comment