Cam Levins Addresses Doping Allegations, Says He Takes Asthma Medication for Adult Onset Asthma

lol ... adult onset asthma ....... hmmm .....

He is a terrible liar.

This is disappointing. Adult onset asthma? GTFO! Sounds like Cam was one of the guys that ran the stairs and then took the test.

I wish I could run a sub 14 minute 5k as an asthmatic. Its riidiculous. Im huffing and puffing after running a 20 minute 5k. I had no idea it was because I had asthma. I just assumed it was because I was operating at my maximum limit.

It's exercise-induced asthma.

Haile Geb had asthma as an Adult. Sara Hall had/has asthma - especially at altitude.

It's not uncommon to get asthma as an adult. 190 miles a week could do it.

Running actually got rid of my Asthma and I started running under the advice of a specialist, I haven't needed an inhaler as a result in years. These guys are claiming it gave them asthma!

Medicines you take for asthma don't help you if you're not asthmatic. A non-asthmatic taking a puff of someone else's inhaler won't help increase their oxygen intake capacity or do anything else.

He claims he got it before joining NOP. Was that a requirement?

el hombre wrote:

Medicines you take for asthma don't help you if you're not asthmatic. A non-asthmatic taking a puff of someone else's inhaler won't help increase their oxygen intake capacity or do anything else.

BS. It's on WADAs list.

yet another sickly Olympian who needs medication to do his sport

agip wrote:

yet another sickly Olympian who needs medication to do his sport

^THIS

I recall reading that at one point a large % (50-75) of triathletes 'had' asthma and were on medication. Total BS.

Not sure if Cam is telling the truth or not. It does seem like he didn't start taking the medication until he joined the group. However, with that said, I can't say I've experience any positive effects from asthma inhalers.

I got exercised-induced asthma at age 13 from running.

Then it wasn't much of an issue except for indoors when it was dusty and less natural air to breathe.

At 17, it flared back up.

I used an inhaler mostly during indoor track and only when I felt like I was wheezing during the warm up. With that said, I never PRed on those days.

My best running days would be days in the spring/summer when I didn't need an inhaler. I never had asthma again after age 17.

Anyway, point was, I'm not sure how much enhancement one can get from an inhaler.

asthmmyass wrote:

Running actually got rid of my Asthma and I started running under the advice of a specialist, I haven't needed an inhaler as a result in years. These guys are claiming it gave them asthma!

There is a difference between running 25 mpw and 190.

Funny how it seems that every athlete that tends to go under Salazar all of a sudden has "asthma" and needs an inhaler. Have a buddy who was a former athlete of his and that was one of the first things they tried to put him on when he went there. Levins is an absolute joke if he thinks anyone is buying this. If you are using an inhaler, and don't truly need it, YOU ARE CHEATING! period

RiceFuelsUs wrote:

Sucks to his ass-mar!

Ha! Haven't heard that one in a while.

Before the lynch mob gets too fired up, it's worth noting a couple of things.

First, there is plenty of evidence that elite athletes in certain sports acquire asthma (or more specifically, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction) as a consequence of repeated airway irritation during training. Winter athletes who train in indoor arenas (e.g. speedskaters) have some of the highest prevalence, presumably due to the terrible air quality (zamboni fumes). Cross-country skiers also have very high prevalence (higher than runners), because they do a lot of heavy breathing of cold, dry air. Runners also have elevated prevalence, and it would likely be worse for those who train in cold, dry areas -- like Utah, and particularly with very high mileage.

E.g. here's some background:

"... Repetitive hyperpnea of dry air during training is associated with airway inflammatory changes and remodeling..."

Second, the evidence that inhalers help athletic performance in those without asthma is very mixed at best. It definitely improves lung function, but lung function is very rarely a limiting factor for well-trained endurance athletes, except in certain specific conditions like running at altitude. Most studies end up with results like this:

"The inhalation of salbutamol induced a significant increase in lung function in female athletes, but this increased lung function did not translate to improved exercise performance."

Is there abuse of TUEs to get asthma meds? Undoubtedly. But it's also possible to REALLY have adult-onset EIB, and if you don't have it the meds are unlikely to have any benefits.

Don't know whether or not he's being honest, but adult onset asthma is very real. Ny first asthma attack was at age 23. Between 16 and 23 I went from zero allergies to severe seasonal and dust mite allergies so bad I developed asthma. Not believing in adult onset asthma is like not believing in the flu.

Yeah, it really must just be a coincidence, that Levins and just about everyone else happens to turn asthmatic when they get to the NOP. Definitely not anything weird about that....

Also anon wrote:

asthmmyass wrote:

Running actually got rid of my Asthma and I started running under the advice of a specialist, I haven't needed an inhaler as a result in years. These guys are claiming it gave them asthma!

There is a difference between running 25 mpw and 190.

29.00 10K 64 HALF RUNNER ACTUALLY

Alberto Salazar was born Fernando Salazar. When he back in the 70s discovered the wonders of the asthma drug albuterol salbutamol he changed his first name to Alberto in honor of the drug that made him a top runner. Al Sal has been devoted to exploring PEDs ever since.