lovedawg's blog

Here is a pic from the Colorado Jr. Criterium Championships - with a RIDECLEAN racer in 2nd! The message is getting out...

The advances in gene therapy have been huge. There is a recent article in Sports Illustrated outlining the current state of the technology. It does have medical application, e.g. reversing or limiting muscle wasting diseases. The scientists behind this research report being contacted after publication by many athletes/coaches, included a high school coach offering his team as "lab rat". The 2 genes in question, as I recall it, code for the products: insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF 1), and a myostatin blocker. The 1st gene does what it says: promotes growth. Lab rats on this therapy end up like little bulls carrying weighted back packs up ladders. The other gene blocks the normal product that shuts off muscle deposition. Animals that naturally have this gene (steers dogs) are called "double muscle". Info on this can be found here: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=24998

The IGF 1 research was conducted by lab director H. Lee Sweeney

This came out today (5/15/08) in cyclingnews.com

This is oddly reminiscent of what Rassmussen was accused of:

Balco head reveals methods, offers anti-doping advice
After masterminding a designer steroids ring which allowed athletes to cheat without detection, former BALCO head Victor Conte is now offering up detailed accounts of the doping regime used by top track and field athletes and giving anti-doping advice to the US Anti-doping Agency (USADA), the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) as well as the authorities in the Great Britain (UK Sport).

Conte served a four-month prison sentence for conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering, while the scandal also put former Olympic gold medallist Marion Jones in prison for perjury. Track cyclist Tammy Thomas was convicted of perjury in April in relation to the case.

This is from cyclingnews.com 3/29/08
it looks to be interesting - especially the postivity found by riders like Gilbert (read the latter portions of this report)

D'Hont to write about Ullrich
By Susan Westemeyer

Jef D'hont is writing another book, and this time he is taking on Jan Ullrich. His first book, published last year, set off a series of doping confessions and investigations. "Before the first book, Rudy Pevenage asked me, 'leave me out, and Jan, too, please. Because we both want to tell our stories ourselves.' I did what he asked – but they didn't. They haven't said anything so far. So I will."

This is why Dick Pound was not invited to the premiere of the latest Stallone movie:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22728530/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080126/ap_on_en_mo/people_stallone_hgh

By the way, HGH is not simply an amino acid, it is composed of 191 amino acids. All proteins are composed of amino acids and if all you were looking for was amino acids, you can get all 20 from brown rice and veggies without the use of pills. For example, most hormones are based off of cholesterol, but you don’t steroid users claiming: “I was only eating butter”?

Thanks to JR and Bryan H. for these links.

If you think supplementation is strange now, check out the future here (cue to up 15:40) : http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/38

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