The science behind performances of Olympic athletes was revealed at a public discussion on 29 April at the University of Birmingham that was hosted by the Engineering & Technology Board (etb) in partnership with the Royal Institution (Ri).
The public discussions emphasized upon explanation to the science at work behind the Olympics, as per Dr Greg Whyte, Director of Science and Research at the English Institute of Sport.
It seems that the aim of these discussions was on educating sportsmen about the pros and cons of steroids in sports.
Random drug testing has been instituted beyond sanctions by a high proportion of public school districts as set by the U.S. Supreme Court on their high school students, as per a study led by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).
Dr. Chris Ringwalt, Senior Research Scientist at PIRE said that he believed that the study will have implications to monitor the happening of random drug testing for preventing the use of steroids in sports and schools in the coming times.
It is worth nothing here that more and more young people are using anabolic steroids to buildup solid muscles and enhance performance levels.
Two security staff members of the Boston Red Sox were fired last year after they were caught involved in steroid use during an investigation by Major Baseball League.
This incident was reported by The Boston Globe. There was no evidence that the staff members had sold performance enhancing drugs to players or were aware of any direct knowledge about players using such drugs.
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, said in an interview with CNN that he was “sick” about the use of steroids in sports.
In the world of professional sports, especially in bodybuilding and athletics, the use of steroids is a big matter of discussions and something that is criticized by some individuals. But the truth is thatanabolic steroids are very effective and only one side of the side is told to the world but the entire story is left hidden.
In this context, it is important to note that more and more individuals are using steroids these days despite tall claims from the government authorities and WADA. The only reason behind success and popularity of steroids despite all odds is nothing but endless benefits.
Let us find out whether steroids and sports are perceived in the right spirit or not.
It can be easily concluded that sportsmen on steroids are well aware of the fact that steroids cannot result in any side effect if they are used sensibly and as per medical recommendations. The fact that steroids result in side effects only when abused is also known to them and this is the reason why they are not hesitant to use steroids after evaluating their pros and cons.
In the world of sports, a long debate is always there when the topic of discussion was steroids. While some advocate the usage of steroids to deliver consistently high performances on the field, some think that steroids are harmful. While the former group is right, the latter group is not completely right; this is because steroids are harmful but only when they are abused.
Let us read excerpts from a conversation between Rick Collins, J.D. –RC – and Norman Fost, M.D. – NF – to find if steroids are really harmful for its users and society.
It can be easily concluded from the above studies that steroids, as such, do not bring any side effects to their users but a high sense of carefulness and diligence are very much required while using steroids. One can stay away from dangers of steroids just like one can stay away from road accidents by walking or driving carefully on the road. The point is very clear – there is nothing safe in this world, but you can ensure it remains safe by following the established rules.
According to a research published today in the Journal Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, anew technique can offer a new dimensional approach in spotting use of banned substances by athletes.
This technique is expected to help doping staff and drug officials to distinguish between the presence of synthetically manufactured and naturally occurring human steroids in the body. It is interesting to note here that though naturally occurring and synthetic steroids are somehow similar in nature, there seems to be a difference in the ratio of ‘heavy’ carbon to ‘light’ carbon they contain.
From News-Medical.Net:
The new approach, developed by scientists from Imperial College London and the University of Nottingham, allows easy analysis of the carbon ratio. It uses a catalytic reaction to strip steroids of their more aggressive parts whilst leaving the carbon ‘skeleton’ intact. This technique, called hydropyrolysis, is commonly used to aid oil exploration by freeing small fragments of organic matter from petroleum rock sources.
Dr Mark Sephton, from Imperial’s Department of Earth Science and Engineering and lead author of the research, explained: “The type of carbon in the body’s molecules reflects the carbon ingested as part of an athlete’s diet, and if you can work out the carbon ratio in the molecules you can determine the source of the carbon.
“Drug cheats should beware. The carbon-based secrets of steroidsare now apparent to the analyst. Thanks to our technique, in the future it will be much more difficult to escape detection when using performance-enhancing steroids“, he added.
The next step of researchers is to extend the present findings onto pure samples of steroid molecules. It is believed that the new technique will help in curbing use of steroids in sportsto enhance the image of sports, which has been tarnished by steroid-taking athletes and other sportsmen in the last few years.
During a public discussion on 29 April at the University of Birmingham that was hosted by the Engineering & Technology Board (etb) in partnership with the Royal Institution (Ri), the science behind the performances of Olympic athletes was revealed.
Speakers at the University of Birmingham included Craig Sharp (Professor of Sports Science at Brunel University), James Lamont (Innovation Team Leader, adidas), Dr Greg Whyte (Director of Science and Research at the English Institute of Sport), and Claire Davis (School of Engineering, Birmingham University).
According to Dr Greg Whyte, Director of Science and Research at the English Institute of Sport, the public discussions were aimed at explaining the science at work behind the Olympics.
From News-Medical.Net:
Dr Greg Whyte, Director of Science and Research at the English Institute of Sport, who will lead each event said: “Every four years Olympic records previously thought to be unbeatable are broken and new milestones are reached.”
“These three public discussions will not only explain the science at work behind the Olympics, but also highlight the increasingly critical role science, engineering and technology plays in assisting athlete’s participation, and success, in the world’s greatest sportsevent.”
Dr Whyte will open the discussion by providing an overview of human performance throughout history in our bid to become swifter, higher and stronger. He will be followed by leading industry experts, who will talk on:
i) The physiological limits of human achievement by looking at the differences between humans and animals in terms of speed and endurance;
ii) The advances in sports equipment technology and examine its impact on human performance; and finally;
iii) The effect of advancements in drug testing technology on athletes’ pursuit of excellence.
Modern day Olympics have always been played under the clouds of steroids. With steroids gaining more popularity than ever, it is high time that sportsmen can be educated about the pros and cons of steroids in sports so that no awkward incident occurs at any of the future Olympics.
Scientists in the United States have claimed to find two possible drugs, AICAR and GW1516, which can help people, especially sportsmen, to exercise for longer. The discovery of these two drugs is controversial in a sense that it may give an ‘unfair’ advantage to sportsmen like steroids and even to those who do not move a muscle.
These two drugs have been understood to build muscle mass, burn fat, and increase level of stamina.
It is believed that the two drugs will help sportsmen improve training methodologies besides gaining optimum benefits to deliver dramatic on-field performance. It will be worthwhile however to note the reaction of doping and sporting bodies on these drugs as they have been raising concerns about the use of steroids in sports till now.
In today’s sporting world, sportsmen and audience do not talk about the use of steroids in sports. This is because they know that steroids have become an integral part of their lives and there is no point in blaming steroids as they help in fulfilling those previously unattained, unexplored, and unfeasible acts.
A small majority of individuals who blamed modern-day sportsmen are those who themselves used steroids at times. The only difference is that they were not caught as past-day technologies were not capable of confirming a steroid use. But, today things can be tracked to some extent. It is high time they grow up and accept the game as it is.
The point is – steroids do not offer something bad to its users. They do not even harm unless they are abused. So, what’s the point in blaming them? The earlier people realize this fact, the better. One thing that just cannot be denied is the fact steroids and sports are almost inseparable.
There have been many people who went on record to say that steroidsare dangerous for their users, but are they really dangerous?
Let us read excerpts from a conversation between Rick Collins, J.D. –RC – and Norman Fost, M.D. – NF – to find if steroids are really harmful for its users and society.
From the above discussions, it can be easily concluded that steroids do not pose a serious threat to its users unless they are abused or used without a qualified medical advice. One can stay away from dangers of steroids just like one can stay away from road accidents by walking or driving carefully on the road. The point is very clear – there is nothing safe in this world, but you can ensure it remains safe by following the established rules.
This also means that myths surrounding use of steroids in sports do not make any sense and are just created for the sake of it.
In short, steroids are not dangerous for you unless you start making them dangerous.