So Lance Armstrong is a liar and a cheat

[Mich the Tester]

What is the difference between a supplement and a performance enhancing drug?

Legally speaking it all comes down to the WADA list of banned substances, which is now significantly longer than 15 years ago. I remember the attitude back then among serious rugby players and some other sportspeople being 'if it ain't on that list then I can use it'. These days it's changed because the list is a lot longer, and it also refers to substances similar to those on the list, e.g. not only is ephedrine banned, but also pseudo-ephedrine and 'ephedrine like compounds' or some such wording. Also, nowadays blood values are regularly AND randomly measured for the values of certain naturally occurring substances whose amounts can be manipulated with drugs, and changes deemed by WADA to be 'unusual' will trigger drug charges and investigation.

[Mich the Tester]

I just wish I knew where to get these performance enhancing drugs.

Though I face a blood test for a race next June so maybe best if I just say no.

For endurance athletes it's quite easy; spend a month in the Alps at about 2000 to 2500 metres altitude and tap off some blood at the end of your trip, then store it in the fridge and use it when you've got a race coming up. You might still get caught though; I'm not sure how they recognise blood doping but it seems to be possible, although that might be bluff; in the past the drugs agencies bluffed about what they could find, just to try and discourage people.

[doomage]

What is the difference between a supplement and a performance enhancing drug?

A good question.

I would say a supplement would be something that you might ordinarily get from 'normal' dietary intake (I know, I know, define normal - let's say raw vegetables and cooked meat) but in a more concentrated form.

And a performance enhancing drug (hormones / EPO etc) is something else. <shrug> You might get these from eating raw meat, cooking denatures proteins and suchlike.

[Robinho]

What about if you eat cow testicles?

Is that a performance enhancer?

[Mich the Tester]

A good question.

I would say a supplement would be something that you might ordinarily get from 'normal' dietary intake (I know, I know, define normal - let's say raw vegetables and cooked meat) but in a more concentrated form.

And a performance enhancing drug (hormones / EPO etc) is something else. <shrug> You might get these from eating raw meat, cooking denatures proteins and suchlike.

Umm, not really a satisfactory distinction. Creatine is a commonly used supplement for speed, strength and speed endurance athletes and you can get more of it from a spoonful of supplement than from 5kg of steak, and it's legal. However, many meats contain growth hormones due to farming practices; would you consider growth hormones as a valid supplement?

[darmstadt]

What is the difference between a supplement and a performance enhancing drug?

One wakes you up on a Sunday morning as it falls through your letter box and the other is a little blue pill

[Mich the Tester]

What about if you eat cow testicles?

Is that a performance enhancer?

Well, they'd have to be from a bull or a bullock, for a start. Maybe, I don't know; maybe if you eat a lot of bulls' balls you'll get some testosterone in your blood, but there's a barrier formed by your digestive system; I don't know how much of the hormone gets through to your blood. Injection may be a different matter.

[Robinho]

None does i believe, i was just being silly.

[Dallas]

Tyler Hamiltons book is a good read.

You can get stuff in swiss pharmacies. TdF was so boring this year, made the womens road racing exciting.

Get them all off their heads and let the race for themselves not teams.

[SpringboardUmbrellaUK]

Quite disappointing. He has a massive fan base worldwide and the fans will feel let down. He beat Cancer and props for that to him.