I know a serious runner who enjoys the occasional opiate indulgence after a hard run or workout. He sticks to "light" opiates, (hydrocodone, tramadol) and typically indulges once every 2-3 weeks. He takes a dose much higher than the prescribed dose but does a cold water extraction to remove the acetaminophen from the pills to obtain pure hydrocodone. He has done his research and has not been able to find much information regarding how opiates affect recovery from hard endurance exercise. He has seen some literature that indicates opiates can suppress testosterone production but he doesn't know if this translates to once every few weeks usage. In his mind it could help recovery as it tends to make him just lay around and relax all day however he would like to be sure because he doesn't want to be sacrificing gains from his workout that day. He also rarely drinks and instead uses opiates because he feels they are less detrimental to his running. Does anyone know anything about this? Sources that back up claims are preferred but anecdotal evidence is also useful. Also, if you think that preaching about the dangers of opiates over a running message board is enough to change anyone's mind please do not post here.