Illegal Performance Enhancing Substances/Steroids

Hello Hello to you all,

Maybe this topic has been covered before on the forum and if it has I am sorry for posting. I am also sorry if some of you feel this should not be posted in the Nutrition Forum. I am interested in hearing your opinions/experiences with regards to Illegal PED/Steroid usage amongst elite world class gymnasts. In doing my own research I have come to the opinion that the "elite of the elite", that is: the cosistent top or near top finishers in world class olympic sport competitions are all in some way shape or form using a PED/Steroid or a combo to assist them in reaching their competition goals. I am not condoning the use or trying to make a moral issue out of it... I feel that it is what it is and the fact remains that if you want to win a gold medal you had better be superman/woman or pharmacuetically (spelling) assisted with extreme genetically gifted talent. What do you guys/gals think about this in regards to elite world class gymnastics? Everyone hears the rumors but I can find very little research or fact based reporting on this interesting subject. Thank you for your time and have a safe 4th of July!

SC

I've never heard of any use in America. I wouldn't be surprised if the Eastern Europe Blok/Russians were using when they were known for using.

However, the national training camp for MAG in the US is in CO which is 6-7k feet high. Training in high altitude has a lot of neat effects especially when coming back down to sea level.

steviec.54 said:

Hello Hello to you all,

Maybe this topic has been covered before on the forum and if it has I am sorry for posting. I am also sorry if some of you feel this should not be posted in the Nutrition Forum. I am interested in hearing your opinions/experiences with regards to Illegal PED/Steroid usage amongst elite world class gymnasts. In doing my own research I have come to the opinion that the "elite of the elite", that is: the cosistent top or near top finishers in world class olympic sport competitions are all in some way shape or form using a PED/Steroid or a combo to assist them in reaching their competition goals. I am not condoning the use or trying to make a moral issue out of it... I feel that it is what it is and the fact remains that if you want to win a gold medal you had better be superman/woman or pharmacuetically (spelling) assisted with extreme genetically gifted talent. What do you guys/gals think about this in regards to elite world class gymnastics? Everyone hears the rumors but I can find very little research or fact based reporting on this interesting subject. Thank you for your time and have a safe 4th of July!

SC

My russian sprint coach friend told me that the Sov's only used in the offseason in small optimal doses. Near competition the water retention and mass could not be useful(in reference to gymnastics). And yes altitude training was very significant for the russians too.

Brandon Green

Blairbob said:

I've never heard of any use in America. I wouldn't be surprised if the Eastern Europe Blok/Russians were using when they were known for using.

However, the national training camp for MAG in the US is in CO which is 6-7k feet high. Training in high altitude has a lot of neat effects especially when coming back down to sea level.

*Sigh* they just closed the high altitude center in Flagstaff a handful of months ago. It has great benefit, though you don't notice it until you actually leave the altitude. I recall reading the Russians felt that doping their athletes hurt rather than helped the complex elements and precision needed for gymnastics. Of course I'm near clueless when it comes to "creative biochemistry" but that makes sense to me.

I recently read an interesting article about high altitude training (combined w/ biochemical assistance :shock: ) amongst MMA athletes. The benefits that these athletes were gaining in the altitude training was tremendous.... except that these athlete's were all training within 200 feet of sea level. They were offered three months free use of a room built into their training area that was like a hyperbaric chamber. It regulated something in the environment to simulate training at altitudes. The small number of companies now producing these training environments see completely out fitting whole 24 hr fitnesses in the future so that you go in and train at 8,000 ft... incredible yet very expensive at this time. An interesting documentary about doping is called Bigger,Faster,Stronger and it is on NetFlix. Very entertaining/interesting doc on PED's. Go easy.

Steve, there is a local gym, not a globo, that focuses on personal training and athletes. It's located in a very affluent part of town and they have one of those type of chambers.

http://www.ufunctionaltraining.com

I believe they prefer NASM cert PT's.

I personally do not believe that one may be on the top without the use of steroids these days which is rather sad, though I wouldn't mind being wrong on this subject.

What does irritate me is the fact that the vast majority of people tend to associate steroids with muscle mass, which is not the case, 'roids are used to augmnet all sorts of stuff, from mass to pure strenght (e.g.: winstrol, or vinstrol, ain't sure about the english spelling), and I think that winstrol (and stuff with simillar/better effects) is a friend of a great deal of people who earn their living through sport, and an endless legion of enthusiasts, however as I said, I'd really wish it wasn't so.

Cheers,

Chris

Chris said:

I personally do not believe that one may be on the top without the use of steroids these days which is rather sad, though I wouldn't mind being wrong on this subject.

What does irritate me is the fact that the vast majority of people tend to associate steroids with muscle mass, which is not the case, 'roids are used to augmnet all sorts of stuff, from mass to pure strenght (e.g.: winstrol, or vinstrol, ain't sure about the english spelling), and I think that winstrol (and stuff with simillar/better effects) is a friend of a great deal of people who earn their living through sport, and an endless legion of enthusiasts, however as I said, I'd really wish it wasn't so.

Cheers,

Chris

************* Actually extremely accurate. Steroids are used for work capacity,fat loss,aggression increase as well as increases in max strength(protien synthesis as well CNS improvements).

Brandon Green