Thyroid Hormone IS Cheating

This has been beat to death before on the message boards, but the actual science is still inconclusive at this point:

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/how-does-endurance-training-affect-your-thyroid-and-vice-versa

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/vo2-and-the-low-but-normal-thyroid

Bad Wigins wrote:

reed wrote:

besides, none of it is "illegal"

If it's not FDA-approved, then laws are pretty strict about who a doctor can give it to and why. Giving experimental drugs to NOP would not likely be legal, at least not for an MD.

NOP - "We don't care about no stinkin laws!"

Gabriele Anderson's performance actually improved from 4:22 to 4:06 before her thyroid was removed and before she was started on thyroid medication. She had her parotid gland removed prior to this improvement though so maybe that is the answer. Parotidectomy will cause a 16 second pr in the 1500.

is mo farahs thyroid jacked up to the max

did he get the tue for it when he moved to oregon

or is he doin regular dopping

Your teammate was always more talented than you. His thyroid condition masked his talent and once it was resolved, he beat your @ss. Stop whining like a little %itch and do some hard tempo runs.

Also, for all you stupid HS kids out there who think thyroid meds make you faster because VC used them, he used them as a masking agent for the PED. Perhaps the same is true for AlSal, but who knows.

mistermao wrote:

is mo farahs thyroid jacked up to the max

did he get the tue for it when he moved to oregon

or is he doin regular dopping

As far as I know, nobody has established whether or not Farah is taking thyroid meds. A lot of people assume he is just because Salazar took them and several of his other runners are known or alleged to be on them, but I'm not aware of the question ever being put to Farah in an interview or anything like that.

And apparently you don't need a TUE for thyroid meds anyway. Hopefully that will change in the near future, and athletes will start having to disclose what TUEs they have (though I'm not holding my breath).

I wanna know how this works. My thyroid went wacky and my weight went nothing but up. I basically lost my ability to be an elite athlete.

How much are medicine can you take?

My TSH is around 2.5 and it never gets any lower no matter the dose I take.

My meds are .0125 I take 8 pills a week

I started taking .0025

I take synthroid not I started taking lexvithrine and that stuff did nothing for me.

I would love some answers here ?

asu guy wrote:

I wanna know how this works. My thyroid went wacky and my weight went nothing but up. I basically lost my ability to be an elite athlete.

How much are medicine can you take?

My TSH is around 2.5 and it never gets any lower no matter the dose I take.

My meds are .0125 I take 8 pills a week

I started taking .0025

I take synthroid not I started taking lexvithrine and that stuff did nothing for me.

I would love some answers here ?

Your post makes the best point; talk to any athlete sufferer of thyroid condition and these armchair "experts" won't come away thinking thyroid meds yield some advantage.

Some baby or babies have an agenda posting a thread like this ever few days, it's a self fertilizing BS pit.

Another question wrote:

And what do you think about Gabriele Anderson, who takes artificial thyroid because her thyroid was removed because she had an aggressive form of thyroid cancer?

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/london-calling-2012/201205/gabriele-anderson-minnesota-cancer-track-olympics

Sounds like someone who doesn't have what it takes to compete at an elite level without the aid of drugs.

czybtc wrote:

Also, for all you stupid HS kids out there who think thyroid meds make you faster because VC used them, he used them as a masking agent for the PED. Perhaps the same is true for AlSal, but who knows.

Sorry, try again.

"Liothryonine was used help accelerate the basic metabolic rate before competitions. The purpose was to reduce sluggishness and increase quickness. Two 25mg tablets were taken one hour before competition. There is no test available for liothryonine at this time."

Read more:

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Here is the WADA banned substances list:

http://www.wada-ama.org/documents/world_anti-doping_program/wadp-prohibited-list/2013/wada-prohibited-list-2013-en.pdf

There are hundreds of derivatives being created in labs which are not on the banned list.

Oh darn! Now you are all on to our little secret!!!! Those of us who have had our thyroid's removed and take artificial levels are such good athletes! Everyone should do it if they can afford to have the surgery! No problems ever.....there is no adjustment period, no issues, nothing. I wish that by being artificially adjusted it was nice and even...but that is not the case. It can take years to get things straight, and it is never a direct path. The runner was lucky, and she probably just feels healthier now that she is regulated.

It is absolutely true that there are many marginal cases out there, that would benefit from medication. And sometimes, shockingly, excess exercise screws it up.

But do go ahead and have your thyroid removed if you think it will make you a better athlete.

What a douche

I have been Hypothyroid for 12+ years and never really regained my form from before. I got it at about 20yrs. Normal is 0-5 tsh mine was 48 when I was diagnosed. After a month of not having access to my synthroid recently my level shot to 136. When I race or make a hard effort I have learned it is better not to take synthroid that day. I run better without it.

Those guys may have a way to use it to cheat but I can tell you if you really have the condition it does not really help performance.

To clarify for you all, I forgot to tell you that my teammate told me that his levels were within the normal limits but just barely so he was allowed to go on it by his doctor. This kid also told me that he knows he doesn't need it but just went with to see if it would make him faster. He just repeatedly complained to his doctor about symptoms that you would expect for hypothyroid which was backed by his lower but normal levels.

As for asthma meds, most people that have them legitimately need them but I have seen teammates use them to "potentially" run faster when they don't need them. Not sure if they actually help but is kind of an abuse.

NOP "It ain't cheating if you get away with it. We got the loot!"

Keep Sport Pure wrote:

This stuff is just legalized PEDs!

Well, it isn't illegal. It might be unethical. How do you feel about vitamins? They are not "Natural", they are a supplement. All this flap is arbitrary. Trying to say what is "normal" is still possibly arbitrary if it helps one person, but not another because they cant or don't have to "take something" to be "normal". Until it becomes banned by WADA, let it be. Everyone can 'Cheat' this way so there isn't a real advantage.

My two cents... These particular athletes have found a doctor who will diagnose hypothyroidism due to extreme exercise, as opposed to an autoimmune disease, iodine deficiency, etc. But for their rigorous training, their levels would be normal. They do not have a disorder. I can find no reference to any study this Houston doctor performed that led him to this conclusion. It appears to be his opinion, as is what levels of hormone he considers low. This opinion allows him access to Olympic athletes and gives him a notoriety he seems to enjoy.

I was treated for hyperthyroidism for several years. This was caused by an autoimmune disorder. My thyroid functions normally now, but I will need to check my levels for the rest of my life as I now risk becoming hypoactive at any time. For the 17 plus years I have been a patient, my doctor has never mentioned exercise as an enhanced risk for developing hypothyroidism, ever. Not once has he warned me off marathon training - and I have run six since my initial diagnosis - and most doctors never miss an opportunity to tell you not to run marathons. Granted I do not come close to training at an elite level, but I would argue it is commensurate with my natural abilities. I've never worried, nor has my doctor, that rigorous exercise would cause my thyroid to become hypoactive.

My guess... A small dosage increases metabolism, and keeps weight down. Runners want to run thin. Might also be masking agent.

I suppose you think the Diabetics taking insulin is also cheating because it makes the cells permeable to glucose.

Too lazy to go over the thread a second time, but just got the thought - WADA and Anti Doping were initially founded to protect Athletes from harmful substances, not to prevent performance enhancing from going on. Case in point - drug testing really began after numerous deaths were going on due to side effects. Hence why Cocaine is more likely to be banned than Caffeine even though the latter is much more of a PES.

One big question that others here will know better than I do: What are the (proven and unproven) side effects and how severe are they of this thyroid hormone?