Are you hooked on caffeine, chocolate and other stimulants? Are these improving your sporting performance or hindering it?
Showing posts with label stimulants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stimulants. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Are you hooked on caffeine, chocolate and other stimulants? (updated 30/09/14)
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Yet another young man dies from the lethal combination of steroids and stimulants
Air Force death highlights steroid danger - coroner
3:08 PM Thursday Dec 12, 2013
A coroner has recommended that authorities consider strengthening drug testing regimes after an Air Force member died during a training exercise after consuming steroids and dietary supplements.
The man, who can not be identified, died at an airbase in September 2009.
Coroner Carla na Nagara determined he died of cardiac arrhythmia as a result of a combination of anabolic steroid and dietary stimulant use.
The coroner was told the man was completing a 45-minute physical training session, which was described by his colleagues as being "fairly typical and not particularly strenuous or demanding".
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Gary:
This young man was using a dangerous combination of anabolic steroids and stimulants, presumably, to bulk up while stripping off fat. He was also taking a drug, Tamoxifen, that is usually given to women following breast cancer treatment. He would have been taking this to prevent the shrinking of his testicles and growth of breast - common side effects of anabolic steroid us. Other than the anabolic steroids and Tamoxifen, the stimulants, including caffeine, are all available in New Zealand over the counter, or via the internet. It is said he was taking caffeine pills, energy drinks and "Ripped Freak" and "Super Pump".
Various anabolic and stimulant formulations are presently being heavily advertised on Facebook and elsewhere, targeting young men interested in sport and fitness. The claims being made are outrageous but obviously irresistible to many.
Gary:
This young man was using a dangerous combination of anabolic steroids and stimulants, presumably, to bulk up while stripping off fat. He was also taking a drug, Tamoxifen, that is usually given to women following breast cancer treatment. He would have been taking this to prevent the shrinking of his testicles and growth of breast - common side effects of anabolic steroid us. Other than the anabolic steroids and Tamoxifen, the stimulants, including caffeine, are all available in New Zealand over the counter, or via the internet. It is said he was taking caffeine pills, energy drinks and "Ripped Freak" and "Super Pump".
Various anabolic and stimulant formulations are presently being heavily advertised on Facebook and elsewhere, targeting young men interested in sport and fitness. The claims being made are outrageous but obviously irresistible to many.
 |
| Ads like these are very "pharmaceutical" in nature |
Observations and Questions:
- How many young men have died from the combination of anabolic steroids and stimulants? I am aware of three in New Zealand over recent years - there must surely be more.
- The coroner identified cause of death; but how about drilling down to Root Causes: Where did he get the Tamoxifen and Steroids which are controlled substances? Were any doctors involved with supply? What about the way the athlete stimulant products are marketed to young men? When is "ethical" advertising no longer ethical?
- Are these over the counter athlete stimulants gateway drugs, directing the athlete down the dangerous path of illegal drugs such as steroids and EPO?
The people and companies who aggressively promote and sell these substances should be held to account for this young man's death: Be it a trainer in the gym, a pharmacy, a vet or doctor, a supplement store or website. Merely commenting on cause of death is not going far enough.
The best approach to enhancing athletic performance is to enhance health - there is no place for drugs - even ubiquitous caffeine
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Is this Body Building supplement safe?
I am an athlete who competes in bodybuilding I just purchased a preworkout creatine product called Nano vapor - muscletech, it has an ingredient called YOHIMBINE in it and it has been seized by the nz customs, received a letter from MEDSAFE saying it has to be prescribed to a user, so if i went to any doctor would he be able to prescribe that to me, it only contains 2mg of Yohimbine in it and the rest is creatine, EAA, BCAA,glutamine.
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Gary comments:
To learn more about anything in an article, just double-click on the word, such as this word: "yohimbine", and see what pops up.
The short answer to your question is: "probably not". If you look through the list of ingredients, you will see that there is literally everything including the kitchen sink in this body building concoction. You will note the official warnings that are due to the stimulants in the product. I doubt if any Dr will agree to prescribe this on health grounds because there is nothing healthy about this product and plenty about it that is unhealthy
In fact, there are other ingredients that, at first glance, appear to be powerful stimulants. I would take great care with these kinds of products.
After having spent some 20 years in the gym industry I can tell you that some of the most unhealthy people I have ever come across in the gym are the body builders. I once attended a sports medicine case workshop about the harm being done by anabolic steroids to the heart of a builder. We are talking about permanent, irreparable damage to the heart muscle. Further details were disclosed during the workshop about this man's breath-taking abuse of legal and illegal stimulants. Stimulants are included in body building preparations like Nano Vapor to give the user a buzz and the energy to push harder and longer despite the restrictive diet. The stimulants also assist the burning of unwanted fat. While a particular prodcut like Nana Vapor may not be excessive on its own and in the recommended doses, I have yet to meet a body builder who sticks to the recommendations on the bottle. Nor do they take just one product; but many and it is the total amount of the same or similar substances that does the harm. Addiction is almost inevitable. The body builder in this case study was too caught up in the lifestyle and the multiple chemical addictions to change. It was doubtful he would live to 50 years due to the damage to his heart. But change was unlikely. For some, living in the present or just hanging out for the next fix is about as far as they can see.
It is therefore hardly a surprise that body builders risk chemical addiction to both legal and illegal drugs. Some go on to achieve notoriety as convicted drugs-pushers, either as a deliberate career move or as a desperate means to fuel their frenzied habit. New Zealand reader may remember the case of a body-builder named "Moller" (No relation - phew!) who ended up spending time in prison for trafficking before being deported to Australia.
So, my advice with Nano Vapor is to take nano-more of it from now on. Tell Customs to trash the stuff. Be a body builder au naturale. Take no stimulants or products other than a daily protein shake or two. Sure, you may never win a competition; but you will be clean and healthy. You will save yourself heaps of money in the process.
Wishing you a long and healthy life.
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Gary comments:
To learn more about anything in an article, just double-click on the word, such as this word: "yohimbine", and see what pops up.The short answer to your question is: "probably not". If you look through the list of ingredients, you will see that there is literally everything including the kitchen sink in this body building concoction. You will note the official warnings that are due to the stimulants in the product. I doubt if any Dr will agree to prescribe this on health grounds because there is nothing healthy about this product and plenty about it that is unhealthy
In fact, there are other ingredients that, at first glance, appear to be powerful stimulants. I would take great care with these kinds of products.
After having spent some 20 years in the gym industry I can tell you that some of the most unhealthy people I have ever come across in the gym are the body builders. I once attended a sports medicine case workshop about the harm being done by anabolic steroids to the heart of a builder. We are talking about permanent, irreparable damage to the heart muscle. Further details were disclosed during the workshop about this man's breath-taking abuse of legal and illegal stimulants. Stimulants are included in body building preparations like Nano Vapor to give the user a buzz and the energy to push harder and longer despite the restrictive diet. The stimulants also assist the burning of unwanted fat. While a particular prodcut like Nana Vapor may not be excessive on its own and in the recommended doses, I have yet to meet a body builder who sticks to the recommendations on the bottle. Nor do they take just one product; but many and it is the total amount of the same or similar substances that does the harm. Addiction is almost inevitable. The body builder in this case study was too caught up in the lifestyle and the multiple chemical addictions to change. It was doubtful he would live to 50 years due to the damage to his heart. But change was unlikely. For some, living in the present or just hanging out for the next fix is about as far as they can see.
It is therefore hardly a surprise that body builders risk chemical addiction to both legal and illegal drugs. Some go on to achieve notoriety as convicted drugs-pushers, either as a deliberate career move or as a desperate means to fuel their frenzied habit. New Zealand reader may remember the case of a body-builder named "Moller" (No relation - phew!) who ended up spending time in prison for trafficking before being deported to Australia.
So, my advice with Nano Vapor is to take nano-more of it from now on. Tell Customs to trash the stuff. Be a body builder au naturale. Take no stimulants or products other than a daily protein shake or two. Sure, you may never win a competition; but you will be clean and healthy. You will save yourself heaps of money in the process.
Wishing you a long and healthy life.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Thermogenics - the latest fad leading athletes off track
"Put simply a thermogenic is any product that increases thermogenesis (heat production) in the human body. Heat is a by product of metabolism so when more heat is being produced this
means that more calories are being used. This is in isolation from activity. Obviously this has had big implications for the fitness industry because if you are using more calories for no greater input of activity the result should be greater fat loss. Added to this is the fact that most thermogenic compounds are very stimulatory giving greater energy and decreased rates of perceived exertion and also have nutrient partitioning effects (greater utilization of fat over other fuels). The impact thermos have had on the industry is profound at it’s easy to see why.
There has always been a running battle between the supplement formulators and regulatory bodies and it seems that there are always compounds being banned only for others to take their place."
(The author goes on to list and explain the various substances that are banned and those that are still legal and how they work - Gary)
"For performance benefits I would suggest sticking with caffeine as a stimulant but be careful to not exceed allowable levels if you are subject to drug testing. Neurotransmitter formulas may prove VERY effective and would provide focus and decreased RPE without a stimulatory action and I theorise that in conjunction with certain adaptogenic compounds and caffeine with tyrosine would kick ass (watch this space ;) ! )
If you are needing to lose bodyfat……sort your diet out! Once you have sorted that out with the help of a good consultant you could look at one of the synephrine and caffeine, green tea formulas to speed things up. Also drink tea frequently, I really can’t see a down side to drinking tea, it’s thermogenic, increases insulin sensitivity and is a potent antioxidant! Only use dedicated thermogenic formulas for a set defined goal, don’t just take them in the hope that without changing anything else you’ll develop a lean physique…it just ain’t gonna happen!"
For the full article by Cliff Harvey, go here.
____________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
Articles like these by supposed conditioning experts leave me with feelings of deep dismay for the future of sport - and weight loss!
Performance that is derived from a stimulatory substance - be it green tea extract or ephidrine, is a really dumb conditioning strategy. The same goes for using the same "thermogenic" substances for weight loss.
Encouraging the use of substances that artificially stimulate the senses and the metabolism to either increase physical performance or to burn fat go completely against the spirit of natural health and fair sport. Even if small amounts are considered safe to use, we all know that there are plenty of young and desperate people out there who will take many, many times more than that if they think it will give them an advantage. The abuse of "soft" drugs often leads on to harder substances. In sport, using stimulants may progress to the dangerous abuse of anabolic steriods. View my Power Point Presentation about Drug Cheats in Sport here.
Athletes who seek an artificial edge (cheating) by using chemicals might win spectacularly for a while; but they quickly disappear off the scenes. While clean athletes last longer career-wide they suffer financially and they miss out on their rightful share of the Gold medals and the Records.
I do not know of any chemical stimulants that do not quickly addict the user chemically and psychologically. When these substances are pumped into the body, the body responds by reducing its own production of the equivalent chemicals. This is the basis of addiction and once a person is in its grasp, wrestling free is much easier said than done. The downside of addiction to stimulants is inconsistent performances, poor decision-making, bad temper, bouts of fatigue and depression and the need to take more and more for the same effect. Oh - and I almost forgot: Weight gain! Please read my article about caffeine addiction here.
Conditioning experts who encourage such dubious practices do not impress me at all. They give my profession a bad name.
means that more calories are being used. This is in isolation from activity. Obviously this has had big implications for the fitness industry because if you are using more calories for no greater input of activity the result should be greater fat loss. Added to this is the fact that most thermogenic compounds are very stimulatory giving greater energy and decreased rates of perceived exertion and also have nutrient partitioning effects (greater utilization of fat over other fuels). The impact thermos have had on the industry is profound at it’s easy to see why.
Picture: Once on the slippery slope of substance abuse, where does it end?
There has always been a running battle between the supplement formulators and regulatory bodies and it seems that there are always compounds being banned only for others to take their place."
(The author goes on to list and explain the various substances that are banned and those that are still legal and how they work - Gary)
"For performance benefits I would suggest sticking with caffeine as a stimulant but be careful to not exceed allowable levels if you are subject to drug testing. Neurotransmitter formulas may prove VERY effective and would provide focus and decreased RPE without a stimulatory action and I theorise that in conjunction with certain adaptogenic compounds and caffeine with tyrosine would kick ass (watch this space ;) ! )
If you are needing to lose bodyfat……sort your diet out! Once you have sorted that out with the help of a good consultant you could look at one of the synephrine and caffeine, green tea formulas to speed things up. Also drink tea frequently, I really can’t see a down side to drinking tea, it’s thermogenic, increases insulin sensitivity and is a potent antioxidant! Only use dedicated thermogenic formulas for a set defined goal, don’t just take them in the hope that without changing anything else you’ll develop a lean physique…it just ain’t gonna happen!"
For the full article by Cliff Harvey, go here.
____________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
Articles like these by supposed conditioning experts leave me with feelings of deep dismay for the future of sport - and weight loss!
Performance that is derived from a stimulatory substance - be it green tea extract or ephidrine, is a really dumb conditioning strategy. The same goes for using the same "thermogenic" substances for weight loss.
Encouraging the use of substances that artificially stimulate the senses and the metabolism to either increase physical performance or to burn fat go completely against the spirit of natural health and fair sport. Even if small amounts are considered safe to use, we all know that there are plenty of young and desperate people out there who will take many, many times more than that if they think it will give them an advantage. The abuse of "soft" drugs often leads on to harder substances. In sport, using stimulants may progress to the dangerous abuse of anabolic steriods. View my Power Point Presentation about Drug Cheats in Sport here.
Athletes who seek an artificial edge (cheating) by using chemicals might win spectacularly for a while; but they quickly disappear off the scenes. While clean athletes last longer career-wide they suffer financially and they miss out on their rightful share of the Gold medals and the Records.
I do not know of any chemical stimulants that do not quickly addict the user chemically and psychologically. When these substances are pumped into the body, the body responds by reducing its own production of the equivalent chemicals. This is the basis of addiction and once a person is in its grasp, wrestling free is much easier said than done. The downside of addiction to stimulants is inconsistent performances, poor decision-making, bad temper, bouts of fatigue and depression and the need to take more and more for the same effect. Oh - and I almost forgot: Weight gain! Please read my article about caffeine addiction here.
Conditioning experts who encourage such dubious practices do not impress me at all. They give my profession a bad name.
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