A Kiwi cyclist has admitted to using pain pills to aid his performance

 

 

A Kiwi cyclist has admitted to using pain pills to aid his performance - and says he knows other riders who are doing the same.

Dunedin road rider and winner of this year's Tour de Lakes, Alex McGregor, told the Sunday Star-Times he has been influenced towards the practice by a sport scientist - who also works for national body Bike New Zealand.
Last night New Zealand sport's anti-doping boss, Graeme Steel, expressed concern, saying: "Athletes begin on the road to doping by doing things that are technically permitted, but really are on the verge of unethical behaviour."
McGregor, 23, confirmed that over the past two years he has taken over-the-counter painkillers before and during races to intentionally dull the effects of fatigue.
McGregor says he will continue to experiment with the practice despite suspecting it interferes with medication prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Full article here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/8801359/Top-cyclist-tells-how-painkillers-give-him-edge

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Gary:
Young, classy cyclists are a dime a dozen, you can feed them any kind of rubbish, be it caffeine, ibuprofen, carbo shots, or Gatorade and they will perform well.  But how many of these talented young men and women are still around competing at 30 years of age?  Very few indeed.  Who cares?  Nobody.  There's an endless supply to replace the ones who fall by the wayside.

Of course nobody cares because there is the "culture of youth".  The ailing 30 year old is quickly discarded and forgotten with all attention and resources redirected at the next up-and-coming 18-something champion-to-be.  So the repetitious cycle goes, if you'll excuse the pun.

I hope the Otago University Faculty of Physical Education is not forgetting the lofty ideals of its origins.  When I was a student there, under the tutelage of the founding father of the faculty, Professor Philip Smithells, what we studied was consistent with the ideals of the ancient Greek educators and philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, with regards to the well-rounded, educated, physically active citizen, "healthy mind - healthy body".  

 

Here we have a story involving an academic who may be one of the faculty staff, either directly or indirectly, encouraging the use of drugs by healthy young men and in a manner that comes very close to being unethical in sport.  Just a few weeks ago I was dismayed to learn that the faculty is advocating, in its lectures to students, the wonders of stomach reduction surgery for weight loss.  This just does not fit with what I understand physical education to be.  It also demonstrates an ignorance of the long term health consequences of stomach reduction surgery:  Short term gains - yes!  But serious health problems develop and overwhelm the person after the initial euphoria of the "honey-moon period".  Sure, this statement may not stack up with the research but that is because of the absurdity of early study cut-off dates, such as after only two or five years. In my experience the situation generally changes for the worst as the years pass because the underlying causes of the obesity have not been fully addressed.  

 

A grounded physical education programme addresses the underlying issues of ill health and inactivity and is not blinded by the cult of the "quick-fix".

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Omega 3 fatty acids can relieve back pain

"Omega 3 fatty acids can relieve back pain according to a new study released in the journal Surgical Neurology. Omega 3 fatty acids are so beneficial; this just adds another complement to them.
In the study 250 men and women with neck and back pain were required to take omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil or placebo. The dosage was 2.4 grams per day. They also were on NSAIDs (Tylenol, Aleve, Advil), which were gradually tapered off according to pain relief with oils.
At completion more than 60% of those in the fish oil group reported decreased general pain as well as 60% said they had less joint pain. More than 80% stated full satisfaction with the fish oil treatment and 88% would continue to follow protocol results were so great.
What may be even better to hear is that 59% of the participants in the fish oil group were able to completely quit using the NSAIDs. Chronic NSAID use can help treat chronic neck and back pain, but comes at a cost. NSAIDs increase the risk for stomach ulcers and liver problems. As well recent news reports of prescription NSAIDs (Vioxx, Celbrex) point to even riskier complications."
Source: Supplement News
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Gary Moller comments:
I broke my left arm in January of this year which I self-treated. Despite the damage, I was able to comfortably get through the worst week or two without even an aspirin, preferring, instead to use natural products like fish and flax oil and MSM. Healing was rapid and 100% and without any complications. I competed in an 80km mountain bike race just 8 weeks after the injury and survived.

With regards to joint and other pains, please take careful note of the amount of Omega oil consumed daily by the subjects in this trial: 2.4 grams per day. In my experience, most people who try these oils for conditions like cardiovascular disease and arthritis do not take anywhere enough omega3 oil each day, consistently enough and for long enough to have a noticeable benefit.

Such therapies often are best when combined with body tissue mineral therapy such as provided by the Active Elements service.

Talk to Gary Moller (First 5 minutes are free):