> 1) I think we all agree that a 10,000m heat, followed by 2 rest days, and
> the 10,000m final at the Olympic Games is stressful (i.e. you are
tired/sore
> after you complete it). Most of us would agree that running any all-out
> track 10k is hard on the body. Running two of them is even harder.
Agreed.
> The fatigue he experiences after a tough PR attempt in the 10k is from
lactate
> accumulation, and muskulo-skeletal destruction (in the feet, legs and
upper
> body). There may be some slight trauma to the lungs, heart muscle,
> mitochondria and vascular network, but I think it is much less of a factor
> than the destructive trauma to the muscles/tendons/joints.
I would tend to think the opposite. I think the real thing that makes
recovery difficult is the depletion of the cardiovascular/energy systems. A
peaking athlete can repair most of the muscle damage in 48 hours, but not if
the body is too busy recovering from pushing the energy system too hard.
> 3) Now, put 1982 Alberto on EPO ... and conservatively his times improve
to say 27:00-flat (1 second/400m). I think >that is fair, and based on
science, not speculation (improving an athletes hematocrit from 44% to 60%).
This kind of >hematocrit "boost" is documented in competition, and again,
not based on speculation.
Not meaning to impugn Alberto (one of my heroes in high school), but the
speculation in the previous statement is in the assumption that he did not
engage in any other performance-enhancing activity. I have no knowledge one
way or the other, but I would hesitate to make this kind of conclusion. I
also refuse to believe that individual reponse to EPO doesn't vary greatly
from individual to individual, just like every other drug known to man.
> 4) Now, with the help of higher O2-carrying capacity, he runs a 27:00-05
under the best of circumstances (25 second >improvement over real life). In
these efforts, he experiences no lesser or greater lactate accumulation
(than when running >clean 27:25's) due to the fact that his VO2max is
boosted from the dope.
I'll accept that, although I doubt it is really that simple. It wouldn't
surprise me if regular use of EPO resulted in a change in the amount of
lactate that someone can endure, both physically and mentally (due to a
change in perceived effort).
> Here is the rub: The EPO doesn't "boost" the body's muskulo-skeletal
strength. The 27:00 10k is inherently MORE >difficult for the body cope
with than the 27:25 10k, in a muskulo-skeletal sense, even with
"blood-boosting".
> There has been no corresponding increase in muscular strength or
resistance to damage, and no increase in tendon/joint > strength to counter
the instant boost in VO2max and Lactate Threshold you definitely get from
EPO use.
Sounds reasonable. My guess, however, would be that there are so many
variables in terms of length of use, dosages, etc that we couldn't make this
conclusion about an individual athlete.
>There is a strong correlation between the availability of EPO ('87?, 88?,
89?) and the complete disappearance of >SUCCESSFUL doubling at the major
Championships in the 5k/10k where heats are required. The attempts are much
>fewer, and the successes are nearly nonexistent. In '72, '76, and '80
there were three double golds, and several other >notable double medallists,
and high-placing doublers (Viren, Yifter, Puttemans, Shorter, kedir,
Maaninka, Foster). Add >the '83 WC and you have Werner Schildhauer (double
silver) in the 5k/10k.
It could be EPO. Or it could be that the numbers of Africans having
opportunities to compete mushroomed to the point where the races are a lot
more competitive. It might be tougher to get out of the heats, making it
more really hard efforts. Or it could be that winning one gold is worth
more than winning one gold but getting sixth in another race - this
reduction in the number of doubles also coincided with the advent of "above
the table" money. Or it could be that the African nations who now win most
of the gold medals don't come up through a club/high school program where
doubling is encouraged, so the best athletes today don't have experience.
Most likely it is a combination of all these factors.
- Ed Parrot
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
