In clinical interviews with a small group of athletes, I received
some verydisturbing news about drug U#. One athlete, who demanded
anonymity, reported believing that "deak are cut all the time with
federations and national governing bodies. The big-gun athletes--the
world-record holders and the medalists--get passed over in the drug
testing, so that no scandak take place. That's why I was shocked when Ben
Johnson got caught. I thought, My God, they caught a world-record holder!
They caught the star of the Olympics! I couldn't believe he got caught. I
thought somebody should have gotten him off or something. He's the
biggest person in trackand.field history."
Many athletes were quite discouraged about the prolific use of
anabolic steroids, HGH (human growth hormone), blood doping, and other
performanceenhancement strategies. They recounted many horror stories
about athletes who had trained most of their adult life for the olympic
games, made the U S. team, and arrived on their competition day to find
that their colleagues were using banned substances and beating them. Some
athletes suggested that we hold two Olympics--one drug-induced and the
other for those who test completed clean.
The general feeling among elite athletes is that most Olympians
Both in the United States and abroad) are using performance-enhancement
drugs, and that only a few great athletes in the world are not using
them. Although the negative effects of steroid use are well known, the
consensus is that many will use them anyway to achieve their athletic
goals.
There is still much controversy surrounding illegal and unethical
drug activity. In fact, as this piece went to press, a prominent German
track and field athlete, Katrin Krabbe, was suspended for four years,
along with two other sprint champions and their coach. A 100- and
200-meter gold medalist at the world championships, Krabbe had been
manipulating drug testing procedures, the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) disclosed.
Although all three athletes were suspected of steroid use for
years, they were technically suspended only for manipulating the required
urine samples during [unreadable] random drug test. [unreadable] long
after, a noted German physician came forward and documented decades of
anabolic-steroid use among some of the most famous olympic
champions.
Yet steroids are only part of the picture when it comes to
medications banned by the 10C. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications can
also affect athletic preformance, and many of them, including analgesics,
antithistamines, and decongestants are on the IOC's list of banned
substance.
This summer, the biggest competitor some athletes will [unreadable]
id allergy to [unreadable] pollens. These are revalent in the United
States and will be abundant during the olympic games in Barcelona. The
European variety of nettle even stronger than the U.U. variety, and
[unreadable] therefore produce severe reactions. Three other weed at will
be predominant in Barcelona are gweed, goosefoot, [unreadable]
plantain.
Decongesttants that could releive the symptoms of such allergies
are banned by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) because they
stimulate and can enhance OTC antithistamines,performance. on the other
hand, which can "impair" performance, are not banned.
According to Wade Exum, M.D., director of drug control
administration for the USOC, elite athletes should take the cautious
approach to using OTC medications. Using them, he reports, "is a
double-edge sword, because the cost--to benefit ratio can easily tilt in
the wrong direction." The symptomatic relief that initially enhances
performance may be swiftly overshadowed by detrimental effects such as
nervoussness, impaired concentration, or even elevated blood pressure or
irrigular heartbeat.
Athletes preparing for the Olympics and considering the use of OTC
medications to self-treat minor ailments are urged to contact the USOC
Drug Education Program to obtain a guide to banned medications.
ILLUSTRATION
Tags:
adult life,
athlete,
athletic goals,
ben johnson,
big gun,
blood doping,
cheating,
clinical interviews,
deak,
effects of steroid use,
elite athletes,
field athlete,
field history,
gold medalist,
horror stories,
human growth hormone,
medication,
national governing bodies,
olympic games,
performance enhancement,
performance enhancing drugs,
steroid,
world record holder,
world record holders
