Why do cyclists dope

Different from anabolic steroids, these aid the production of glucose, cause quicker release of fatty acids and reduce general inflammation, meaning they reduce injury and illness in training. BUT The list of side effects is long, but includes mental conditions such as anxiety and depression, as well as gastrointestinal illnesses like colitis.

The daddy of all stimulants, amphetamine supercharges the nervous system and increases stamina, alertness while reducing fatigue and pain. BUT The likely killer of British cycling legend Tom Simpson in , amphetamine can cause cardiac arrhythmia and heart attacks. An anabolic steroid — the muscle-growing, strength-increasing variety. Nandrolone can help you push your body harder while increasing the muscle growth that results from repairing fibres after training.

This article first appeared in August issue of Men's Fitness, and on coachmag. Sign up for our newsletter Newsletter. Secondary menu. Why are amateur cyclists taking performance-enhancing drugs? Peter Stuart 23 Jul See related. Motor doping is happening, and we've tested it.

We tried legal doping, and this is what happened. Salbutamol can be performance enhancing, says WADA. Tour de France Everything you need to know. Read more about: Cyclists. Drugs such as EPO erythropoietin , the red-blood-cell-stimulating hormone once favoured by Lance Armstrong , were the preserve of the pros. But, in the past few years, amateur racers chasing much smaller prizes have begun testing positive for a range of substances. Now, concealed motors are beginning to turn up in races, opening a second frontier in cheating.

In April, Belgian cyclo-cross racer Femke van den Driessche was banned for six years after one of the devices, which are legal outside of racing but offer any cyclist a decisive advantage, was discovered in her bike during a world championships event in January.

Away from the drugs and the battery acid, there is a third frontier, where everyday athletes find subtler ways to massage performance and results in the age where exercise has become yet another thing to share online. Hutchinson and others involved in sport at various levels describe how social media has combined with disposable incomes, vanity and the dirty example of the Armstrong era to create a new normal for many amateurs.

But what motivates the no-name cheats among us? And where should we draw the line when we chase not riches and hero status, but arbitrary goals and bragging rights?

But he accepts that the landscape has changed. Not only advice, but the drugs themselves. Reporter Mark Daly became a transformed athlete on the drug. In one of the most depressing known cases of amateur doping, talented junior national time trial champion Gabriel Evans was caught taking the endurance-boosting drug last December.

He said that the documentary had fuelled his curiosity. Weight loss, both through illicit methods and as a result of eating disorders, is a problem in the modern peloton. Corticosteroids are often used, under a TUE, to aid weight loss. A drop of 4kg 8. Several interviewees mentioned that AICAR [5-Aminoimidazolecarboxamide ribonucleotide], which supposedly has similar effects to EPO, has become popular in the peloton. The report does not provide any specific examples.

Chris Mertens is currently under investigation for the use of ozone therapy on a number of professional road and cyclocross riders. Riders take tranquilizers at night and anti-depressants in the morning, and one rider testified that he believed crashes in the peloton were due to these drugs. The report makes it clear that systematic, team-initiated doping programs are either gone completely or nearly so. Either way, it is likely that the advent of new technologies such as genetic engineering and new forms of mechanical doping will pose a new set of challenges, issues, and ethical questions for cycling and other sports.

He received his doctorate in sports management from the United States Sports Academy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. So you want to contribute to the Sport Digest? We welcome submissions from the public and alumni alike. Below are links to the information you need to know. Feel free to submit a request for any additional information you may need.

Saturday, November 13, Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Password recovery. The Sport Digest. Baseball Legend Dusty Baker. The Sweet Science. Sporting After Pickleball Sees Boost in U. The Rewards of Coaching. Today is National Coaches Day. Golf is the Perfect Sport for Breast Cancer and Exercise. October is Health Literacy Month. Hydration and Basketball.

Move to Manage your Stress. Topps Gets Sent Home. Bonnie Tiell. Sport for Development Begins with Relationships. The Struggles of Black Athletes. Home Recreation Cycling.