6 ms·

This is an oversimplification, in reality you looking for a certain ratio of weight, muscle mass, lactic acid buildup and other blood markers. This ratio can on

This is an oversimplification, in reality you looking for a certain ratio of weight, muscle mass, lactic acid buildup and other blood markers. This ratio can only be sustained for a short period of time, which is why you ramp up to competitions and peak during competition week. I dont see why experienced coaches would keep an athlete in this peak state since they know its not possible. In another sport, cyclist get so low in weight that they become very susceptible to illness but once again, it's only maintained for a very short period of time.

thrower123 7y ago
When you get to the very pinnacle of athletic performance, freak genetics plays an outsized role. Michael Phelps is one obvious example to point at, or Usain Bolt, but another is Eero Mantryranta[1], who had a natural gene variant that was equivalent in effect on red blood cell effectiveness to massive EPO doping. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_M%C3%A4ntyranta#Genetics_and_doping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_M%C3%A4ntyranta#Genetics_...
- dspillett 7y ago
  This is one of the areas where the system is heavily weighted against some female athletes. Phelps has a genetic thing that means his blood is more efficient at carrying oxygen and he is called lucky and lauded for his (still impressive) efforts anyway. A woman who naturally produces more testosterone than the normal range is either not permitted to compete or has to be "drugged down" to do so.
  - ponsin 7y ago
    source? I don't recall any sports that limit the amount of testosterone women can have. By women I mean people with XX chromosomes.
    - dragonwriter 7y ago
      Track & field (governed the IAAF): https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/26/606039409/iaaf-sets-new-limits-on-testosterone-levels-in-women https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/26/606039409... And this has, in fact, affected actual (not merely theoretical) XX females: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-loses.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-los...
      - ponsin 7y ago
        wow, that's crazy
      - username90 7y ago
        Caster Semenya is an XY female, she wasn't lucky she just got male genes.
    - beefalo 7y ago
      https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-loses.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-los...
      - jaytaylor 7y ago
        Paywall bypass: http://archive.is/oEC0q http://archive.is/oEC0q
notus 7y ago
It's also a combination of drug management. Almost all competitive athletes at a high level use some type of steroids in off seasons.
- cik 7y ago
  It's not even competitive athletes. It's folks doing the local race. Years ago, when I was an avid cyclist, I was turned off my first local race, a meaningless city race. Three guys, and two girls were doping in the parking lot. To this day I have yet to be at a single race where people aren't doping prior.
  - dman 7y ago
    I do not understand the mindset where you would cheat for essentially no payoff.
    - braythwayt 7y ago
      What do you mean by, "no payoff?" Are you aware that winning is itself a payoff for certain people? And they want to win at everything, at every level? You may not sympathize with these people, or agree with them, but they are not difficult to understand. In fact, they are easy to understand. When people ask me why there is doping in masters bicycle racing, I quote: "Why are University Politics so vicious? Because the stakes are so small." People's desire to "win," and the lengths they will go to "win," are not tied to economic or power rewards.
      - dman 7y ago
        I think the university politics part is different because there is at least some "power" or "influence" that you get to field no matter how small. I look at individual sports like running / cycling in an amateur setting as a pure outlet for self improvement. If the only person who is looking at my time is me, then whom am I really cheating by improving it using steroids?
        7y ago

thrower123 7y ago

When you get to the very pinnacle of athletic performance, freak genetics plays an outsized role. Michael Phelps is one obvious example to point at, or Usain Bolt, but another is Eero Mantryranta[1], who had a natural gene variant that was equivalent in effect on red blood cell effectiveness to massive EPO doping. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_M%C3%A4ntyranta#Genetics_and_doping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_M%C3%A4ntyranta#Genetics_...

dspillett 7y ago
This is one of the areas where the system is heavily weighted against some female athletes. Phelps has a genetic thing that means his blood is more efficient at carrying oxygen and he is called lucky and lauded for his (still impressive) efforts anyway. A woman who naturally produces more testosterone than the normal range is either not permitted to compete or has to be "drugged down" to do so.
- ponsin 7y ago
  source? I don't recall any sports that limit the amount of testosterone women can have. By women I mean people with XX chromosomes.
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    Track & field (governed the IAAF): https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/26/606039409/iaaf-sets-new-limits-on-testosterone-levels-in-women https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/26/606039409... And this has, in fact, affected actual (not merely theoretical) XX females: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-loses.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-los...
    - ponsin 7y ago
      wow, that's crazy
    - username90 7y ago
      Caster Semenya is an XY female, she wasn't lucky she just got male genes.
  - beefalo 7y ago
    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-loses.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/sports/caster-semenya-los...
    - jaytaylor 7y ago
      Paywall bypass: http://archive.is/oEC0q http://archive.is/oEC0q

notus 7y ago

It's also a combination of drug management. Almost all competitive athletes at a high level use some type of steroids in off seasons.

cik 7y ago
It's not even competitive athletes. It's folks doing the local race. Years ago, when I was an avid cyclist, I was turned off my first local race, a meaningless city race. Three guys, and two girls were doping in the parking lot. To this day I have yet to be at a single race where people aren't doping prior.
- dman 7y ago
  I do not understand the mindset where you would cheat for essentially no payoff.
  - braythwayt 7y ago
    What do you mean by, "no payoff?" Are you aware that winning is itself a payoff for certain people? And they want to win at everything, at every level? You may not sympathize with these people, or agree with them, but they are not difficult to understand. In fact, they are easy to understand. When people ask me why there is doping in masters bicycle racing, I quote: "Why are University Politics so vicious? Because the stakes are so small." People's desire to "win," and the lengths they will go to "win," are not tied to economic or power rewards.
    - dman 7y ago
      I think the university politics part is different because there is at least some "power" or "influence" that you get to field no matter how small. I look at individual sports like running / cycling in an amateur setting as a pure outlet for self improvement. If the only person who is looking at my time is me, then whom am I really cheating by improving it using steroids?
      - 7y ago