Topic: News: Dwain Chambers reveals full extent of drug testing's failures

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Link

Dwain Chambers reveals full extent of drug testing's failures
By Mike Collet, editing by Justin Palmert

LONDON (Reuters) - Sprinter Dwain Chambers said he took a cocktail of more than 300 drugs in one year during which time he passed 10 doping tests.

Chambers was the first high-profile victim of the BALCO scandal when he tested positive in 2003 for the previously undetectable steroid THG manufactured and distributed by Victor Conte, the founder of the California laboratory.

The former European champion, 30, has since returned to competition after completing a two-year ban in 2006.

In his autobiography "Race Against Me" to be published next week, Chambers says: "Barely four months into my "programme" to become the fastest man in the world and I was on drugs nearly every day. At this point I was practically a walking junkie. I was on the lot and the sophisticated modern-day tests detected nothing.

"I was routinely tested for performance-enhancing drugs by an independent tester. Not once did I test positive. By the time I had passed 10 tests, I had won a European gold but my times were hardly improving," Chambers says in the book which is being serialised in the Daily Mail newspaper this week.

"I realised I wasn't looking after myself. My body was rejecting it but still I continued to take (it) right up to when I was caught. How crazy was that?

"In October I administered substances 21 times. I wasn't just on THG, EPO and HGH, but testosterone to help with sleep and reduce cholesterol. I was also injecting insulin, three units into the lower part of my stomach after a heavy weightlifting session.

"On Christmas Day, as I sat in the bathroom with "The Clear" (THG), I realised I had been taking drugs - more than 300 different concoctions - for 12 months. A year on the programme cost $30,000 (21,388 pounds).

"When I was clean, my personal best was 9.97 seconds. A year on, after the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the pain of the cramps, the blood draws to make sure I wouldn't suffer a stroke or worse, the inconsistent races and the disappointment of missing events, my personal best was 9.87 seconds. I wondered what the hell I had been doing to myself."

He said he was motivated by the fear of losing his lucrative track shoe contract.

"My motivation was the fear of what might happen. I had a 200,000 pounds contract with Adidas that had a clause in it which reduced my salary by half if I was no longer in the top three (rankings), so I convinced myself the drugs were working."

He also said drug-induced cramps forced him to pull up in the Commonwealth Games 100 metres in Manchester in 2002.

"By the time I walked back to the dressing room, the cramps had almost gone," he said. "Physically, I was fine; mentally I was in turmoil. I watched the replays on TV later and wondered for the first time what sort of damage I was doing to myself."

[Paul LaDuke]

Chris and others,

This article illustrates my reasoning for NOT pushing supplement use and taking a stand against supplement use among the athletes at the hs where I work. 

"I realised I wasn't looking after myself. My body was rejecting it but still I continued to take (it) right up to when I was caught. How crazy was that?"

This statement clearly indicates the psychological issues surrounding any type of performance enhancing drug and I would lump in supplements!  Too many athletes today think that all they need to do is take the right supplement and they will be a better athlete.  This statement is not my opinion, it is the reality of the athletes I deal with on a regular basis.  This industry is becoming a sickness among our young kids.  Strength coaches and coaches need to continue to preach hard work, EAT RIGHT, sleep right is what you need.  Today's athletes only hear "this supplement added x to my bench, or squat or vertical jump, ad nauseum" and there is nothing to combat the lies and distortions.  This mentality is shortening our lifespan!

[Eamonn Flanagan]

Too many athletes today think that all they need to do is take the right supplement and they will be a better athlete. 

I agree with this statement but I disagree with the cause of this statement. To you, the cause seems to be supplements. To me, the cause is miseducation. If you can educate an athlete on the importance of healthy diet, adequate nutrition and other recovery processes as well as educating them on the various supplements out there then they can make their own, informed decisions on using supplements. With the right education the majority of athletes will understand the difference between using vitamin C, caffeine or creatine and with using hormones like testosterone, insulin etc.

I think regulation of the supplement industry would help also, with a crackdown on some of the claims companies can make about certain products and an insistence on warning labels on other products (such as vasodilators). I think such steps would help facilitate people in seeing the difference between safe, effective supplements (branch chain aminos, creatine, caffeine) and unproven, questionable supplements (NO2 products, ephedrine etc).

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Eamonn,

I recognize your points. I suppose education might help if it was delivered from the perspective of skepticism and caution toward the supplements but currently this is not the case. Strength coaches, researchers, the media, coaches, etc are all currently educating the youth (not nearly as problematic with adults obviously) to take these things and continue to chase after the perfect combination of substances. I personally consider pushing kids to take supplements to be immoral.

As for more government regulation, I agree that would help lessen the dangers of these substances but I personally am against ANY growth of the government right now, if not ever, as I feel the government is way too big, wasteful, unresponsive to the will of the people, etc. Another bureaucracy to regulate supplements is the last thing this nation needs IMO.

[Matt Erdman]

Interesting that no one commented on "When I was clean, my personal best was 9.97 seconds."

As far as supplements and kids... It depends on who is classified under "kids". High school and younger maybe. I agree that they are far better off learning about proper nutrition and training systems. Unfortunately they just get generic advice about high carbs (which their sodas and pop tarts fulfill), and train hard on the basic exercises (which their daily bounce presses and 1/2 squats fulfill). Therefore they feel they are doing everything right, so there must be an elusive spark to light the fire. Not much can be done about that.

[Matt Rupiper]

Has anyone ever seen the documentary bigger, faster, stronger?

It really changed my mind about the performance enhancers. 
Cortisone injections? Schilling, world series, anyone, Bueller? Steroid 
Lasik eye surgery? Tiger? Performance enhancer 
Beta blocker for lay people performing? Performance enhancer 
Ridalin/aderol, etc? classmates (not fair)? School performance enhancer 
Swimsuits in olympics? performance enhancer

Where do we draw the line?  I have come to the conclusion that they are here to stay.  If professional sports wanted them out, they could do it, but they don't.  Do i agree with the use? No
Take all the players unions and shove it. Wanna play ball, play by our rules.Drug tests whenever 24/7/365.
One offense for STEROIDS, good bye! No suspensions, show you mean business. That's what its gonna take  Also, if someone tests positive for a substance, say what it is.  Not all substances on the list have the same effect. 

It also goes both ways...stop the propaganda of all the HORRIBLE effects of steroids.  We have no friggin clue.  They won't let us study them and doctors use them everyday.  In moderation, they are probably beneficial. Where are all the cancers, falling limbs, etc etc from these horrible drugs. Exactly....we don't know...RCT's in research settings? Non-existent....so stop saying they're bad. Cause you don't know.

Tobacco, alcohol, anyone, Bueller?

Lastly, i'm tired of hearing "i've never tested positive", that means you never got caught. And to add to this rant, no one cares about steroids, people care about lying.  That's it.  Giambi,Pettite slaps on the wrist. Bonds, Clemens, Tejada, liers...Congress involved. Economy...anyone?

what a joke
Sorry for the rant

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Matt,

I feel you. If it was practical to just legalize all doping then I would say do it at this point because the war on doping will and can not ever succeed. But, it isn't practical. There is no solution.

[Owen Duguay]

I am afraid that I must disagree with you.   There are less athletes caught doping in Olympic Weightlifting than most other sports.  The reason is that most other sports haven't taken the stance against doping.   Olympic Weightlifting has.  It is not the laws sanctionning doping that will stop drug taking.   This will only happen if the men and women in charge of our sport at every level;   regional as well as national;  decide to combat doping.

Here in Canada I think I can safely say that our leaders at the provincial and national level are commited to the best interests of our athletes.   I once telephoned the Québec Weightlifting Federation and asked if I could take Whey protein.   Augustin Brassard said there are no banned substances in Whey protein but not to take it nor anything else.   He insisted that no supplements are necessary to train.   Only healthy  diet and inteligent training.   I am encouraged by his way of thinking.   

Thank you.