I had a skin irritation and my doctor prescribed me 60mg Prednisone for the next 4 days followed by a taper off the medication.
I'm running Boston on Monday and concerned about racing while on this med. Has anyone run a marathon on Prednisone before? What was your experience like?
Doctor prescribed me Prednisone 3 days before Boston
Non-Running
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I was on a bunch of prednisone last summer after getting poison ivy all over me. I don't think you will have a bad side effect. Most likely you will feel better. Prednisone made me feel super alert. Focused.
If you are tapering the prescription by that point, the dose will be minimal enough that you probably won't be feeling any different. Don't cut the prescription cold turkey the day of race. You taper off it for a reason. -
Get ready for a big pr. It will make you feel amazing the next couple of days!
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Do you need to get a TUE? ?
I think Prednisone requires a TUE for IC use?
This study shows it's performance enhancing:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17805102 -
Nah, none, and its not that youre gonna win the race or anything to get tested for.
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I would wait until after the race to do the prednisone cycle. While it is permissible to use when prescribed, its use in competition, even when prescribed, violates doping rules. I went through this myself earlier in this training cycle because of some posterior tibial tendinitis. The prednisone does make you feel amazing two or three days into the cycle.
At the end of the day if you are not in contention for a top 20 age group finish (they are giving out special shirts this year for such finishes), it probably isn't a big deal, but I would not feel like my time was a true PR or course record if I set it while on prednisone, so I would just wait the few days. Plus, it weakens your immune system, and you don't want a cold starting on or before race day (unlikely given timing, but with travel, certainly possible). -
Are the performance enhancing benefits really so significant that he should feel guilty about a new PR?
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I don't know how significant they are, but I can tell you that I have been prescribed prednisone twice during marathon cycles, and whether it was the effect of the drug reducing all inflammation and eliminating all aches and pains or just the placebo effect, I absolutely destroyed my workouts during the prednisone cycles.
I did the same workout two marathon cycles in a row 4 xx 1 mile with 1:00 rest, 5:00 rest, then 3 x 1 mile with 1:00 rest. The first time I did it, my splits were: 5:12, 5:20, 5:16, 5:21, 5:13, 5:17, 5:24. The second time, during a prednisone cycle, my splits were: 5:15, 5:08, 5:13, 5:12, 5:14, 5:14, 5:14. The second effort also had a lower perceived effort even with a 5 second per mile faster average pace. Maybe some of that was familiarity with the workout or improved fitness, but some of it was also just feeling really good from the prednisone (again, perhaps as a result of the placebo effect).
Whether the OP feels guilty or not is up to the OP, I simply said that I wouldn't feel good about a PR set while using prednisone based on my firsthand experience with it. -
4realz wrote:
Are the performance enhancing benefits really so significant that he should feel guilty about a new PR?
Yes. Particularly if he never runs faster clean. -
Smoove wrote:
I don't know how significant they are, but I can tell you that I have been prescribed prednisone twice during marathon cycles, and whether it was the effect of the drug reducing all inflammation and eliminating all aches and pains or just the placebo effect, I absolutely destroyed my workouts during the prednisone cycles.
I did the same workout two marathon cycles in a row 4 xx 1 mile with 1:00 rest, 5:00 rest, then 3 x 1 mile with 1:00 rest. The first time I did it, my splits were: 5:12, 5:20, 5:16, 5:21, 5:13, 5:17, 5:24. The second time, during a prednisone cycle, my splits were: 5:15, 5:08, 5:13, 5:12, 5:14, 5:14, 5:14. The second effort also had a lower perceived effort even with a 5 second per mile faster average pace. Maybe some of that was familiarity with the workout or improved fitness, but some of it was also just feeling really good from the prednisone (again, perhaps as a result of the placebo effect).
Whether the OP feels guilty or not is up to the OP, I simply said that I wouldn't feel good about a PR set while using prednisone based on my firsthand experience with it.
Your knowledge of training, running and racing and respect for the sport never ceases to amaze me. You are with out a doubt the best poster on L.R. Thanks. -
4realz wrote:
Are the performance enhancing benefits really so significant that he should feel guilty about a new PR?
Nope! -
they only give money for the top 15 and top 5 masters.
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Smoove wrote:
I don't know how significant they are, but I can tell you that I have been prescribed prednisone twice during marathon cycles, and whether it was the effect of the drug reducing all inflammation and eliminating all aches and pains or just the placebo effect, I absolutely destroyed my workouts during the prednisone cycles.
I did the same workout two marathon cycles in a row 4 xx 1 mile with 1:00 rest, 5:00 rest, then 3 x 1 mile with 1:00 rest. The first time I did it, my splits were: 5:12, 5:20, 5:16, 5:21, 5:13, 5:17, 5:24. The second time, during a prednisone cycle, my splits were: 5:15, 5:08, 5:13, 5:12, 5:14, 5:14, 5:14. The second effort also had a lower perceived effort even with a 5 second per mile faster average pace. Maybe some of that was familiarity with the workout or improved fitness, but some of it was also just feeling really good from the prednisone (again, perhaps as a result of the placebo effect).
Whether the OP feels guilty or not is up to the OP, I simply said that I wouldn't feel good about a PR set while using prednisone based on my firsthand experience with it.
Are you admitting to out of competition doping? It sure sounds that way. -
Correct, that is all of the prize money that is awarded. but they also give out trophies for top 3 in each age group and for team competitions. In addition, this year, for the first time, they will give out special shirts to each of the top 20 finishers in each age group. Not cash, but still an award.
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Weren't some of the pro cyclists using it like crazy? Team Sky was using it with some of their cyclists on a TUE basis during the TdF. And if the Pros are sold on it then it must be performance enhancing:
4realz wrote:
Are the performance enhancing benefits really so significant that he should feel guilty about a new PR?
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/mar/05/bradley-wiggins-and-team-sky-accused-drugs-in-damning-report -
4realz wrote:
Are the performance enhancing benefits really so significant that he should feel guilty about a new PR?
Depends on the person (as with all meds). I can tell you that, for myself, I would not race on it, and I have sat out races before because I had to go on it.
I do not believe any person should be competing while on Prednisone, though I concede that those who have TUEs are at least competing legally.
I use pred to control asthma flares when my inhaled meds aren't enough. My rule is that I have to be off of it at least 3 days before my race. 5 days is preferable, just because I usually feel like crap for a few days after coming off of it. -
John Clendon wrote:
I was on a bunch of prednisone last summer after getting poison ivy all over me. I don't think you will have a bad side effect. Most likely you will feel better. Prednisone made me feel super alert. Focused.
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Those are exactly the same words I used when I was prescribed a six day dosage (6-5-4-3-2-1) prednisone for a body rash. Super alert, super focused, and full of energy! Amazing stuff. If it translates to athletic performance the OP will do great. -
Wow...you were on fire! It's weird that you bring this up because over the years I've known several runners from our club who seem to go on prednisone at about the same time as a big race that they are competing in. This happens year after year - so maybe they have an Rx for prednisone and save the pills for certain competitions every year.
Smoove wrote:
I don't know how significant they are, but I can tell you that I have been prescribed prednisone twice during marathon cycles, and whether it was the effect of the drug reducing all inflammation and eliminating all aches and pains or just the placebo effect, I absolutely destroyed my workouts during the prednisone cycles.
I did the same workout two marathon cycles in a row 4 xx 1 mile with 1:00 rest, 5:00 rest, then 3 x 1 mile with 1:00 rest. The first time I did it, my splits were: 5:12, 5:20, 5:16, 5:21, 5:13, 5:17, 5:24. The second time, during a prednisone cycle, my splits were: 5:15, 5:08, 5:13, 5:12, 5:14, 5:14, 5:14. The second effort also had a lower perceived effort even with a 5 second per mile faster average pace. Maybe some of that was familiarity with the workout or improved fitness, but some of it was also just feeling really good from the prednisone (again, perhaps as a result of the placebo effect). -
Dril wrote:
Are you admitting to out of competition doping? It sure sounds that way.
Prednisone is explicitly allowed out of competition, but banned in competition. -
I am admitting to taking a corticosteroid outside of competition as prescribed by a physician for a legitimate medical conditions: plantar fasciitis in one case, posterior tibial tendinitis in the other.
The use of corticosteroids is prohibited IN COMPETITION under Section S9 of the WADA anti-doping rules. The use of corticosteroids outside of competition for therapeutic purposes is not prohibited and not doping.
"IN ADDITION TO THE CATEGORIES S0 TO S5 AND M1 TO M3 DEFINED ABOVE, THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES
ARE PROHIBITED IN-COMPETITION: . . . . Prednisone".
I became familiar with the rules before taking the prescribed medication.
https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/wada-2018-prohibited-list-en.pdf
