I saw this silly article posted today that says that EPO has no positive effects on cyclists. Goes to show how screwed up studies can be. I’m not ever close to a scientist, but this study had to have been flawed on multiple levels.
Maybe the guys that did the experiment don’t understand the relationship between blood oxygen and performance? Or more likely, maybe the guys performing the experiment had the guys drink the EPO instead of injecting it. That might explain their results. If you can read Dutch, here is a link to the original study. Maybe you want an opposite view. This article says EPO can improve performance by 54%.
I’ve personally seen the effects of EPO on individual cyclists. And my observations are exactly the opposite of the first study above. Closer to mirroring the results of the second link.
Anyway, if you’re having a hard time justifying EPO, you could always just go to the grocery store and buy some baking soda. It is way cheaper. Here’s a link about the benefits of sodium bicarbonate in sports. Sounds like a recipe for an upset tummy to me. To each his own.
Mechanical doping is back in the news. Here is a link suggesting mechanical doping at the Giro. It suggests that LottoNL-Jumbo’s Primoz Roglic is a cheater-cheater pumpkin eater. Of course, LottoNL-Jumbo didn’t respond to questions concerning this. Anyway, this saga will continue for a while.(Guess the were testing bikes at the Northstar race in Stillwater on Sunday, even though the UCI says this method is unreliable.)
I’m still experimenting with pickle juice. It is supposed to be in triple digits most of this week in Kansas, so I’m sure I’ll get some opportunities to see if it helps with cramping.
Today is also International Day of Yoga, so namaste.
Tucker waiting patiently at a coffeeshop in Winona.
Or maybe the people doing the study were paid to say EPO doesn’t help. If they can somehow make EPO use as acceptable as say, Endurolytes, then they can make it legal to use in competition. I can see it now. Every team will have their own bloodmobile. LOL~!.
This old article is pretty interesting to read too.
http://www.outsideonline.com/1924306/drug-test?page=all
They screwed up the testing. They should have had the same cyclist complete the route with and without EPO. If the riders they gave EPO to were shit climbers, EPO wasn’t going to make that much of a difference.
54% ???
I was under the impression that it was closer to 5-10%…..maybe 15%
my ex-wife had failing kidneys at 25 years old and she took epo to raise her red blood cell count. without question, it raised her red blood cell count drastically. we kept vials of it in the fridge and she gave herself the shots on a regular basis. i guess i should have been a bike rider way back then.
Polish pickle soup recipe is made with pickle juice left over from the jar pickles – in Poland you have two types – pickles in Brine and regular pickles – I don’t believe any contain vinegar like the US recipe pickles – all natural – no additives. You can Google the recipe for Polish pickle soup which is delicious and very good for you – might be a better alternative then drinking the juice.
The test was performed by scientists from Leiden University, the oldest uni in the Netherlands and a very prestigious institute. I’m pretty sure they are well aware of how EPO works and is administered. I mean they’re Dutch. Everyone in the Netherlands is aware of this as it was young Dutch cyclists who were dying in their sleep from this mysterious EPO back in the early 80’s.
From the information provided, I’m pretty sure they didn’t screw up the testing. Were they to use the same subjects before and after EPO there would be more variances introduced. It doesn’t matter if they used poor climbers, the study was careful to select a cohort that was as initially as close to identical as could be found.
The study’s findings reported are only initial findings. They’ve not yet published their results in any scientific journals. The reference to the ‘original study’ is link not to the yet unwritten study. It simply leads to a news article. News articles aren’t science, but even the journalist pointed out the initial findings are ‘voorzichtige conclusie’, tentative findings.
According to the journalist, the researchers had ‘doubts’ of EPO efficacy based on there not being any scientific study. That’s what science is about, you don’t do experiments to prove you’re right; you do science to find out what’s right.
Have you tried “Hotshot”, yet, for cramps? This is from the “It’s The Nerve” website. My son tried it at a tennis tournament in 108 degree heat index during a 3.5 hour match and thought it helped him.
Rogilic was a ski jumper until age 21. In Tirreno Adriatico 10K TT in March, Cancellera beats him by 36 seconds. 2 months later he crushes Cancellera by 14 seconds in Giro Stage 1 10k TT and by 30 seconds in a 40K TT. Ski jumping is the base you are looking for.
Definitely want pickle juice with vinegar. You will also find mustard as a remedy for cramps and there’s usually mustard seed in pickle brine recipes. I’ve found that apple cider vinegar works by itself–cut it with water, it can make you gag full strength. Pickle brine/juice definitely tastes better, but it runs out faster than I use it.
Generally speaking this type of research, when legit, doesn’t publish “early results” like this. They wait until all the data is in, analyze it, then publish the report and conclusions if any) This throws a lot of shade on the researchers in my opinion.
Hey, in my first attempt I also rode up in an hour and 37 minutes last year (from Malaucène), I was not very fit and 50 yrs old*… (I used a 36 (oval) x 28 as my smallest gear) No EPO, but no placebo either, just camping out with my son and drinking beer. My cousin is a cook and rides to work every day, that’s his training, he’s never competed and it takes him about 1h40 as well, so well trained cyclists is an overstatement to say the least. They don’t look the part either ! Pro-cyclists who are not in contention for the win ride up it in about 1 hour 5 to 10 minutes. Three years ago Froome did it in 57 minutes and change.
I am Dutch and will try to find out more about this. It seems to me more likely to be the work of a group of students than that of serious scientists… Leiden is a top University though, I ride and drive by the main building regularly LOL My girlfriend works for a pharmaceutical company that is situated on campus so I asked her to tell me more about this institute (it is NOT the University of Leiden but a drug testing company that did the testing).
Will keep you updated 🙂
*I am an ex-pro but never rode up Ventoux in my prime, having dropped out of TDF the day prior to the Ventoux stage (won by Eros Poli) in 1994, in the heat of the EPO era (which is maybe why my career lasted only 2 years)
Interesting insight, Marco, that it’s done by a drugs company, not an university. Gives additional weight to George Mount’s insight.
Lance said it works.
He is the chemist, the rat on the wheel – and the ultimate authority on proven results of Edgar. On top of hgh, Testosterone and cortisone.
Just Ask Lance
Come on barb, have u been drinking again? . That sounds retarded.
Do you also beleive that a set of wheels that weighs 3 oz less than the next guys is a competitive advantage. You dingbats should read articals on a website called peak performance online and get real information.
Cheers!!!
http://shop.gordyspicklejar.com/products/fine-brine
Lance was on EPO when he lost Amstel Gold in 99 by an inch . There r so many variables in cycling. If all we tested was watts on a power meter or VO2 then you could see the advantage of doping. During lances reign, especially the first 5 wins, his incredible strong team was more of a factor than EPO. To many variables, to many factors. Just my opinion.
One could also say that EPO was largely responsible for Lance having such a strong team.(?)
$16 for four 12 oz. cans? One can buy a lot of pickles for $16.
So Dig That Tucker Pose
Cheers
Mark u r absolutely right. But to most of my post i have said that i believe most pros r doping. And when the favs get isolated all things r square. In many cases PED dont trump superior genetics. Take for instance Viagra. No one doughts the efficacy of the the drug. But i dont care how many blue pills u take you r not gonna beat Ron Jeremy in a f@!# match. His genetics r simply superior to most guys. Dont blame the PED’s
lol lol lol lol lol!
Usually when they conduct assessment test to measure how effective a drug, caffine, training regimen, ect. is. Researchers chose low to mid level athletes. This way it is far easier to gauge the gross effect. Rarely do they use world elite because they are already at the limits of their absolute physical potential. But here is an anology for you. We all understand the basic physical law of volume and displacement. Say you have a five gallon bucket filled with 4 gallons of water and a rubber duck on the surface. If you place a bowling ball in the bucket the rubber ducky will rise with the water. Now if you drop a penny in the bucket the same law applies, water is AFFECTED and displaced and the ducky rises. Even though it appears to have not. This law is beyond dispute. Only this time the EFFECT is not perceivable and is probably only measurable mathematically. My point is that what happens in research papers with sub par athletes is not always applicable in a real world experience. PED’s affect all athletes but doesn’t really determine the outcome of events. At least not o a level that is measurable.
Thats the facts as I sees’em. Case DISMIIIIIIIIIIISSED!
Time for a Nati-Lite
Sillypuddy OUT.
Don’t abuse baking soda. When dosed as directed it causes massive diarrhea and over time rebound hyper-acidosis, meaning you will be shitting blood soon. Additionally, it changes your hydration levels at the cellular level, which means all of the blood and cell chemistry you’ve trained under is now different and you will not race better. Baking soda BS has been around for decades. Practically every track racer has tried it at one time or another.