Middle-aged amateur cyclists are using EPO.

[Globalti]

This is worrying. It may explain some of the very fast Strava times, about which amateurs are fond of complaining. I must admit that I have often wondered how it would feel to use EPO but if I did, it would only be as an experiment in private or with my cycling buddy, who has also wondered. I would not do it in competition as that would be cheating, wouldn't it?

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/09/doping-cycling-uci-commission-epo-worldtour

 

[ufkacbln]

How far do you want to go?

At the most basic form there is a list of substances that an athlete cannot take (forgetting TUEs) that if you take you are cheating. EPOis one

Then there are the "grey areas" such as altitude tents which also increase the number of red blood cells, but is acceptable.

 

[MartinQ]

Hate to be a bore , but one of reported risks is blood clots and after been hit with these for the last couple of years, you simply don't want to go there. Enjoy your (cycling) life instead.

 

[Drago]

They're a bunch of chumps then.

 

[BigAl68]

If you ain't going fast enough then ride harder, drop some weight and ride harder. If you want to take any PEDs then your playing with fire. Black market suppliers with no knowledge of what you are actually taking. If that's your thing then knock yourself out. Personally who gives a flying about being top of a kom list...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The guy who has ridden harder, lost weight and ridden harder some more. He still comes a long way back in his A race sportive. He eyes the "winner" with suspicion and thinks "well, if you can't beat 'em, and I can't, you might as well join 'em."

PED's are ubiquitous in many amateur sports. I suspect the main thing that regulates their use is the lack of bunce to pay for 'em, hence use by middle-aged businessmen who can afford 'em.

 

[vickster]

Ongoing discussion here https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/even-middle-aged-businessmen-are-doing-it-now.176025/

 

[ColinJ]

Hate to be a bore , but one of reported risks is blood clots and after been hit with these for the last couple of years, you simply don't want to go there. Enjoy your (cycling) life instead.

Ha ha - you beat me to it, Martin.

When EPO first started being abused, lots of healthy young athletes suddenly started clotting to death in their sleep.

 

[PK99]

Ha ha - you beat me to it, Martin.

When EPO first started being abused, lots of healthy young athletes suddenly started clotting to death in their sleep.

Is Erythropoietin (EPO) Dangerous?
Yes, EPO has its dangers. EPO injections thicken the blood, which increases the strain on the heart. This is particularly dangerous when the heart rate slows down, such as during sleep. The increased thickness, or viscosity, of the blood increases the risk of blood clots ,heart attacks , and strokes. According to the book "The death of Marco Pantani" by Matt Rendell, some cyclists reportedly set an alarm each night to wake up and cycle on a trainer for ten minutes to jump-start their circulation and reduce the possible health risks of using EPO.

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/performanceenhancingdrugs/a/EPO.htm

 

[ColinJ]

And as I, Martin, and other clot survivors can tell you ... trying to get over clotting episodes really isn't a pleasant way of spending months of your life. Definitely something that I would NOT volunteer for just to feel like a cycling star for a while!

I imagine that once the cheats get a taste for being artificially superfit, they would not want to go back to being merely normal again.

 

[Arrowfoot]

When you have gym rats that have been using stuff that vets use for horses for years, amateur sports would not be far off.

I guess we need to ensure that education is core especially when kids are still in school. We should also as a culture move away from tribute euphoria when they keel over.