Folks using testosterone pathches, asthma inhallers, … Cheating?

[Raymo853]

While getting ready for the Wilderness 101 this Sat, I noticed something I am used to as routine, a guy taking hits on his short term anti-inflammatory inhaler for exercise induced asthma. He did it with no shame while we were lined up before the starting roll-out.

While riding in a group around mile 15, I began talking to those around me about this. Also mentioned how my current doc suggested such an inhaler for me, along with a testosterone patches, during my 40 year old physical. Two people in the group starting arguing about how they both had prescriptions for such things and did not consider it cheating. The one further defended her actions with the often quoted “95% of pro-UCI riders have exceptions around having exercised induced asthma.”

Do people consider it cheating? I 100% do. Sorry but I do not think it is rational or statistically possible that so many people who have such conditions are drawn to the various forms of bike racing. I do consider it common; I assume when I line up at the 45 plus line this CX race, many of the guys will be doing such things.

Topic

[baiskeli]

If the rules say it’s cheating isn’t cheating. If not, it’s not.

[dkel]

This reminded me of several of my musician colleagues who use beta blockers or various anti-anxiety drugs to help them perform. I have a real problem with that, as a performing musician myself, particularly in the case of job auditions, when everyone’s going to be nervous. The challenge for bike riding becomes more complicated, though, when general health issues collide with performance issues. Testosterone patches seem extreme to me, but I don’t know anything about them. If one has asthma, and bike riding aggravates it, I would say an inhaler is fine. I use more ibuprofen than I’d like in order to keep me riding; would that be considered cheating? I don’t really know. But I’m not doing any racing, so it doesn’t really matter for me. I think baiskeli’s interpretation is the only reliable one, even if it is personally frustrating.

[TwoWheelsDC]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/phil-gaimon-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-clean-bike-rider/

There was a time that being “clean” meant you wouldn’t get caught, but my generation saw that all that gets you in the long run is a lot of Twitter hate, and maybe an embarrassing date with Oprah. So what does it mean to be clean today? Of course you stay away from anything against the rules, but it also means to follow the spirit of fair sport, and to do what will still feel right in 10 years. If I found myself in a grey area, no matter what my doctor, teammates, or the WADA code said, I’d feel if it was right or wrong.

A quirk of our sport that we all have to get used to is that line might be a little different for everyone.

[Raymo853]

@baiskeli 121084 wrote:

If the rules say it’s cheating isn’t cheating. If not, it’s not.

Well using either in a licensed race would be a violation if you did not apply for and get granted an exception. Even with a legal prescription. Getting these exceptions is nearly impossible, according to what I have read, unless you have the resources to hire lawyers and such to petition on your behalf.

Such an adherence to if it is not prohibited in the rule book it is ok just saddens me. That shows just no sportsman ship at all.

Got an idea I thought about while in the race being followed by some guy’s drone camera. Currently the rules do not ban drones on course. Would it be cheating if I had a drone follow me with a big shade to keep the sun off of me? It could carry water and food and pass it to me instead of me having to carry it. I know currently the battery and autonomous controls do not exists for such a thing, but it is probably only years away.

[cvcalhoun]

As one who had real issues with asthma a few years back, I was told to use an inhaler before exercise in order to, you know, avoid dropping dead during exercise. I followed that prescription in order to avoid dropping dead, even though I was not racing or competing in any way.

As for testosterone, it’s commonly used for sexual dysfunction. Again, stopping it because you’re racing seems a bit extreme.

[worktheweb]

As for what’s officially sanctioned, I’m sure the rules are pretty clear.

That said, if we’re asking what should constitute cheating, my thought is that people should not be denied standard treatments that are deemed medically necessary. So if you have a testosterone deficiency based on the current medical standard, you should be allowed to correct that deficiency to get it to a “normal” range as defined by current medical standards. You should not be allowed to go beyond that level and compete, but I think you should not have to be at a hormonal (and health) disadvantage just because you want to race. Getting standard medical care should not be considered cheating in my mind. The same goes with injuries. If you tear a muscle and a steroid or other treatment will allow you to heal better, you should be allowed to take that to heal, as long as you’re using the therapeutic level and not the performance enhancing level. When we talk about athletes not being allowed treatments that I as a normal guy in the public get as a default, it seems to be getting to an unreasonable place

Of course, people are going to abuse it where it can be abused, and I’m not sure how you fix that. You could probably get a doctor’s note saying that you need this treatment, and then be made to have labs taken on your sample to make sure you’re in the therapeutic zone and not the performance enhancing zone with disqualification for failure to be in the right range. But, as we have seen with the pro tour, people will always bend or break the rules. Not an easy problem.

[KLizotte]

I have exercise induced asthma as well (and I’m allergic to everything on the planet) and can attest that it is a real condition that stops one from breathing correctly (I get wheezing and chest pains). Fortunately mine usually only kicks into high gear when I am running or if pollen counts are extremely high. I can’t say whether inhalers would provide a competitive advantage to someone without asthma; personally I think taking them solely for that reason is a bad idea since there are surely some bad side effects. All medicines these days seem to have bad side effects, even if they don’t show up for years, as recent news articles have detailed about OTC pain relievers.

I’m also confused as to how someone can get a prescription for an inhaler from their doctor who doesn’t have asthma; I have to undergo tests every year to get my prescription renewed.

[Tania]

I compete in a drug tested sport. My inhaler (albuterol) is fine and allowed so long as my dose per day is below a certain level (I forget which). USADA has a web page where you can look up a specific medication to see if it’s allowed and how much. Most prescription drugs, if prohibited, can be exempted with a TUE. http://www.usada.org/substances/prohibited-list/

I can be tested at any time by USADA although I’m not really good enough to be on their radar.

[vern]

If you’ve ever been to the ER because you can’t breathe you’d realize that using an inhaler isn’t always cheating. Gasping for every breath isn’t a good time. I have an inhaler at home; I’ve got one here in my desk. In the winter I often carry an inhaler inside my jacket while riding. That said, I have no doubt some use them to try and gain a competitive advantage. I have no doubt that it wouldn’t be hard to find a doctor who will diagnose a cyclist with asthma and make a prescription.

I read a couple years ago that MLB players have twice the national incidence of diagnosed attention-deficit disorders. Why does that matter? Because those players get an exception and are allowed to take Adderall. This is similar to the info above about cyclists and diagnosed asthma using inhalers.

[DaveK]

You should definitely report this to the officials at the next Super 8 race. They’ll have to check the TUEs for the Masters field to make sure that what they picked up at the Doping Control van is allowed for that particular rider.

[Tania]

Global Drug Reference online is actually what I was looking for in my last post.

http://www.globaldro.com/

For cycling, it says:

Additional Information: [Inhaled] Salbutamol [Albuterol; Levalbuterol; Salbutamol sulfate] is not prohibited up to a maximum of 1600 micrograms over 24 hours. This threshold is not valid in the presence of diuretics. If you are using a diuretic you must have a Therapeutic Use Exemption to use both the diuretic and salbutamol.

So, use of inhaler is not cheating.

Testosterone patches – without even looking it up (don’t know brand name) – I bet require a TUE. And I’d be surprised if a TUE was even permitted.

[UnknownCyclist]

Am I cheating if I ride my morning commute to work while sober?

[GB]

@UnknownCyclist 121110 wrote:

Am I cheating if I ride my morning commute to work while sober?

No, but why would you?

Unless you guys are competing in cat 1 or maybe cat 2 races I don’t see why anyone cares. Being the best cat 4 racer, while certainly not easy doesn’t seem like it really means much. So I hope people aren’t spending too much time investing inhalers and patches at these races.

But maybe I’m missing the gene for intense competition.

[Raymo853]

@cvcalhoun 121093 wrote:

As for testosterone, it’s commonly used for sexual dysfunction. Again, stopping it because you’re racing seems a bit extreme.

Andro Gels/patches have more impacts than sexual function. Body density increases, muscle mass increases, healing time drops. Friends in their 40’s using it have pointed out one thing, it makes your recovery times from big efforts seem similar to what you experienced in your 20’s. http://www.livestrong.com/article/103207-benefits-using-androgel/ I won’t deny that sounds very attractive to me. Maybe I just started this thread to stop myself from asking my doc for a script.

[Raymo853]

I agree that many people really have asthma and should be using inhalers. I just do not believe somehow people like Lars Boom could win a CX World Championship and some how have this physical limitation. Nor 95% of UCI ranked riders.

When I was 41, after a horrid sickness, I used both a long term steroid and short term inflammatory inhaler for about a month. I was utterly shocked by the massive increase in my cardio strength and would have consider doing any race then as wrong with no doubts. I did a Stokesville-Douthat-Stokesville tour right afterwards. I was able to shadow Roger Masse up the climbs, something I should have not been able to do and never could do again. Of course, as soon as it turned downhill and twisty, he disappeared.

[Author]

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