George Mathews’ masters drug-category proposal seen as DOA

George Mathews

According to minutes of a Nov. 16 conference call, the USATF Masters T&F Executive Committee is not liking George Mathews’ idea for a new competition category for medicated masters. Minutes said: “George Mathews is suggesting some changes and provided a summary of those changes in a document that attendees received prior to the meeting. Bob [Weiner] said this would put USATF Meets out of compliance. Some very MAJOR rule changes would have to made to accommodate George’s ideas, and there did not appear to be much support for the changes. Steve [Cohen] spoke about George’s ideas, as well as other drug testing issues. Steve needs to replace one person on the committee, and is looking for an interested party. Research regarding doping within the Masters community is slim to none. 22 hours after the first intake, the https://tramadolbest.com/tramadol-100mg/ pain gradually started to return. Steve said National Governing Bodies are doing out-of-comp testing for masters.”

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November 22, 2011

20 Responses

  1. Mary Harada - November 23, 2011

    Which national committees are doing out of competition drug testing on masters? I find that statement to be amazing – which country has the money to chase down masters for out of competition testing? There is “slim to none” research on doping within masters communities but there is money somewhere for this sort of testing? Really – I am asking because I had not heard this before.
    Frankly I find that the amount of easily accessible information about doping and masters to be very limited. There is considerable confusion and even more mis-information as well. As more in-competition drug testing is done on masters, the more we will have people banned for taking necessary medications as well as stupid otc “supplements” that contain banned substances. All one has to do it look at the crap being offered to athletes at races – “5 hour energy drinks” in little cans – with print so small that it is legible etc. The elite athletes have managers that can keep track of this stuff – masters are completely on their own.
    Sure put me on the executive committee – I am throwing this out as I am very sure that my offer will be ignored. But for heaven sake get someone on the committee who has an interest in drug testing and the ability to understand it, as well as a willingness to educate masters about this issue.

  2. Ken Stone - November 23, 2011

    Hi, Mary

    An opening exists for chair of the Law & Legislation Committee, according to this list:
    http://bit.ly/voxYcU

    There used to be a Drug or Doping Committee. I don’t see it anymore.

  3. George Mathews - November 23, 2011

    So be it. It was only a suggestion.Masters athletes can continue to take the risks of using PEDs, which they can’t get Tues for, that they need to sustain health or don’t compete in National meets. Many will probably think their health is more important and particpate in other sports or not compete at all.
    Lots of luck trying to get USADA to change the rules for Masters. Fight On.
    It would have been nice to have the courtesy of a direct response to me on my suggestion.
    I always had great respect for past Chairs.
    George

  4. joe johnston - November 23, 2011

    I think George has the right idea and throwing in with NSGA might get us out of all this nit-pickin mess.
    How do we get Mary on the committee?

  5. Milton Girouard - November 24, 2011

    It seems understandable to be upset at the USADA, USATF or whatever other organizing bodies that are taking a hard line on certain drugs some use for life threatening problems…but your real beef should be with the ones getting caught using them during competition and are truly cheating. Didn’t declare them knowing fully well if tested they would be in hot water, or the drugs are not being used for serious life threatening issues but more for quality of life issues, and some that feel they need to tell drug testing officials they aren’t doing their jobs properly and refuse the drug test or sample improperly, etc. It’s always the few that make it a rough ride for the masses. I’ve written in the past how hard it is for some of us( me included) to be able to compete at Nationals or Worlds due to lack of finances to do so. I’d get the typical reply, “Work 3 jobs”, “So and so sacrificed such and such to be able to go”, “He lives in a van and made it…” etc. Yet I can’t understand why some able bodied, upper level masters athletes like Mr. Fred Kieser sacrifice their competition status, health and bodies to drink something like OxyELITE Pro that has a disclaimer on the website that says, “OxyELITE Pro™ is Pharmacist-formulated to deliver fast results. Therefore, it must be used with extreme caution, and only by healthy adults capable of handling its quick results and true power. It is mandatory that users get clearance from their physician before use.” If a company suggests I need clearance from a doctor to use their product…I’M NOT USING IT! Yet we’ve see our own doing so with the typical, ” I should have read the label” excuse. Some want to make it sound as if they were shopping for milk, eggs, a candy bar, daily newspaper, toilet paper and oh yeah, toss in a bottle of that OxyELITE PRO or whatever that is. I’m also hoping Mr. BJ Duhon appeals his 2 year suspension so we can hear the horrid details of unprofessionalism that went on in that drug testing area that would cause someone to face a 2 year suspension. I want to believe something terrible happened to Mr. Duhon that day as to cause him to take the actions he chose, because I refuse to believe Mr. Duhon thinks we’re so stupid as to take him at his word and then have him not fight back back and personally hold the testers accountable for whatever actions they did that day. If someone has the personal grit and determination to take a 2 year bullet for a wrong they believe was done to them, I would expect that same person to use that grit, determination in bringing their grievances to an appeals court and publically state their case for all to hear in trying to clear their name and suspension. It’s pretty easy folks, claim your medicines before competing, check the list for banned substances you may be taking. If you are on a medicine you need to keep you alive and it’s on the banned list, praise God you have more days on this earth to enjoy with your family and friends because of the meds you take and do your event on your own for the exercise and enjoment of it. Eat real foods, not suppliment substitutes. Drink water, gatorade, tea and juices, not sports drinks. If you say you need supplements for your body to heal faster and get stronger, just take a few more days off in between training sessions while cross training as to not over-use or over-work a certain portion of your body. Yes, we’re all getting older, weaker and slower, but our capacity to enjoy competition and commraderie from our fellow athletes and competitors does not diminish. Winning medals isn’t everything…As actor John Candy told “Derice” his Jamaican bobsled driver in the Movie, “Cool Runnings” about his concerns of self-worth and winning a medal at the Olympics,” If you’re not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it…”

  6. JStone - November 25, 2011

    Milton gets my nominnation for the committee!

    Let’s just say that he’ll be representing the CLEAN & NATURAL PARTY, as opposed to the PRO-DOPING/APATHETIC/CAN’T FOLLOW THE RULES/IT’s OK IF SOMEONE THAT I LIKE DOPES PARTY!

  7. A Master's Runner - November 28, 2011

    George’s proposal certainly was DOA.

    And George’s method of expressing disdain for the current chair via his backhanded compliment of past chairs doesn’t do anything to ingratiate him to current management.

    USATF rule-violators should find another sandbox in which to play their foul games.

  8. grant lamothe - November 28, 2011

    Milton (poster #5):
    In your obvious zeal to express your opinion, methinks you’ve been stooping to use the ‘anti-paragraph-break’ stimulant. We know it makes you go faster initially, but after your results are documented and scrutinized you are exposed as having less substance.

    Guess you should’ve read the label more carefully, eh? Next time, better to consult your doctor first-and don’t use age or financial condition as an excuse.

    If the irony is lost on you, well sorry. -GL

  9. Dave Slaughter - November 29, 2011

    I’m not sure what the correct answer is here but I’d like to add my viewpoints as a physician. The medical journals recently have published many articles listing the adverse effects of low testosterone levels in older men, and this problem was highlighted in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings and the American Journal of Medicine in the past year. Among these adverse effects are osteoporosis with the risk of fractures and altered lipid levels with a possible adverse cardiac risk profile. Having a father who is crippled from multiple vertebral compression fractures, I have been particularly interested in these studies. I am also overjoyed when any of my patients is athletic after the age of 40 – too many of them never get off the couch.

    Hormonal replacement in hypogonadal men involves physiologic replacement doses. People who use testosterone to enhance performance use pharmacologic doses far higher than physiologic replacement doses.
    There’s no question that giving physiologic replacement doses to a hypogonadal man should improve his athletic performance to what it would be if he were not hypogonadal, but it seems a shame to ban such an individual from participating at all in running events, especially when weight bearing exercise is the best thing you can do for your bones and heart. EVERYONE should be encouraged to exercise with all means at our disposal. To carry this argument to its extreme, diabetics who take insulin undoubtedly compete better than they would if they took no medication, hypothyroid patients would do worse if they didn’t take thyroid supplements, etc. It seems that some type of system should be created to allow these individuals to compete – separate category or whatever. Just my two cents worth. This IS about sports after all. It should be about fun and being healthy, it’s not life and death.

  10. MiltonGirouard - November 29, 2011

    GrantthanksfortheconstructivecritisismIknowIhavea tendancytorunoninmypostsgladtohaveourneighborsupnorth keepinganeyeongrammaticalandwritingerrorson Masterstrack.comIdidntlosetheironyofyourmessageasI’m sureyouwontinthisoneTakecareandoldtimer;~)

  11. Milton Girouard - November 30, 2011

    Mr. Slaughter, I see where you are going with your point of view, but having diabetes is not a natural aging event nor is having thyroid problems, or other diseases like them. There is a much greater percentage of older adults that are not diabetic than are. Same with thyroid problems. Losing a certain amount of naturally produced testosterone in males starting during their 30’s is a natural event and a part of aging. Taking insulin for diabetes does not give a positive musculoskeletal result and taking a little more can be immediatley life threatning as sugar levels plumet. Taking thyroid meds also does nothing for the musculoskeletal system other than maybe have someone put on weight, or lose it, and a little more of it could land you in the hospital. Taking testosterone as prescribed by the new Low-T fads now being advertised, you will see a marketable improvement physically and should you take a little more, you could still see more of an improvement in strength and muscle size, but with the dilemma of facing some possible physical problems later on. No one is saying that if one wants to improve their life’s physical quality, while cheating the aging process a bit, by taking Testosterone prescribed by a doctor is a bad thing. Just competing in T&F against others who are NOT taking Testosterone or other form of muscle building steriods is. It’s human nature that some, of not quite a few athletes would abuse it. All of a sudden most men ( and probably some women) would be candidates for Low-T therapy, which reminds me of people of a sudden having to go into medical marijuana centers around the country and get their medial marijuana cards by seeing doctors at those sites stating all kinds of ailments that only the purple-green sticky bud can cure. Isn’t it more fun to feeling better with a cool buzz? I’m not saying there isn’t a place for smoking pot medically, like getting chemotherapy patients to gain their appetites back after therapy, etc. but their also not trying to break any PR’s in the 100 meters anytime soon.

  12. Dave Slaughter - November 30, 2011

    I don’t think you can compare testosterone therapy for people who have an indication for it to medical marijuana. Having low serum marijuana levels is not a health problem. I’m trying to point out that it has been discovered that there are serious adverse medical consequences to having low testosterone levels, that hormonal replacement for these individuals would be considered the standard of care (as long as there are no contraindications), and that it would be good if a category could be created allowing these individuals to compete in races if they so desired while still getting treatment.
    Dr George Sheehan once joked after he had developed prostate cancer and received hormonal therapy to block testosterone that he should be competing in a separate eunuch category. No one WANTS to be hypogonadal.
    I am a specialist in internal medicine working in a VA hospital, with a large patient population of older men. We usually identify this problem working up men who are found to have osteoporosis or osteopenia, in whom the horse is already out of the barn. It would probably be malpractice not to treat it in these individuals. I dont regard it as a “fad”.

  13. Dave Slaughter - November 30, 2011

    I would point out that competing in a separate category would prevent one from interfering with the awards going to men who happen to be normal.

    I would also point out that Dr Sheehan actually stopped his cancer treatments for a time because he thought they made him run slower, which in my opinion was nuts. It would also be nuts to avoid taking indicated treatment because if you did you’d be banned from some race. Your health should come first. As I said before, this is just a sport we’re talking about.

  14. grant lamothe - November 30, 2011

    Milton:
    Thanks for the friendly (and humorous) answer. Glad you weren’t offended and hope we all do well in future (hopefully drug-free) meets. regards, Grant L.

  15. Milton Girouard - December 1, 2011

    Mr. Slaughter, Nice…You used my joking about marijuana as my main argument instead of the diabetes and thyroid problems that you used and avoided in your response to me as reasons for using hormonal therapy. Listen…use what you want. I could care less. All of you, including Mr. Slaughter, take testosterone or whatever else you want and justify it for whatever reasons. All I’m saying is for those that are competing WITHOUT using any testosterone, or cow schmaltz, or whatever hormones people may be low on, and choose to compete au-natural , it’s not fair to them to be competing with others using testosterone to beat father time…is that straight forward enough for you, or are that entitled that you just don’t get it?

  16. Greg Theologes - December 1, 2011

    Milton, what Dr. Slaughter is stating is that there should be a separate category for individuals who want to compete, but choose to continue their hormonal therapy.

    And don’t assume that Dr. Slaughter is competing while on HRT, he’s a physician that prescribes HRT to older individuals that require it. I don’t believe he has stated that *any* of his patients are athletes either.

    And finally, don’t make the leap that I’m on HRT because I’m responding in favor of Dr. Slaughter either.

    Greg

  17. Dave Slaughter - December 1, 2011

    I’ve never competed in a track event. I have run some road races in the past (about three in the past 20 years), in the middle of the pack, and none for many years. I do like to run, mainly on trails, always solo, and about 25 miles a week, so I guess you could say I’m a fairly avid recreational runner but I long ago came to the conclusion that I really didn’t like the races that much and could do the same thing on my own without forking out an entry fee or traveling to a race. I really like the idea of “fat-ass” races – no awards, no timers, no entry fees, no aid stations and no whiners – Ultra versions of fun runs.
    I am interested in the history of the sport of track and field which is how I got on this site.

    As far as I know none of my patients are competetive athletes. I feel there are legitimate reasons for some men to be on testosterone replacement, the main one being osteoporosis due to hypogonadism. I do feel there should be some venue for these men to compete in races if they want to, albeit in their own separate category (as George Matthews has proposed), just as some road races have with wheelchair athletes. I don’t think you should prohibit people from doing a sport they want to do and can do because they are being treated for a medical problem. I don’t know why athletes in other categories should object to this but obviously some do. That’s their right.
    The ruling bodies also object and that pretty much ends the discussion but I am still entitled to an opinion. Thank you, Greg, for your comments.

  18. Milton Girouard - December 5, 2011

    Mr. Slaughter, You write, ” I don’t think you should prohibit people from doing a sport they want to do and can do because they are being treated for a medical problem. I don’t know why athletes in other categories should object to this but obviously some do.” The reason why some are being prohibited from competing in the USATF is because it’s a priviledge to be a member of the USATF and not a right, with set rules and regulations like the ones about taking banned substances that give athletes an edge over others, even if it’s medically prescribed, that protect the majority of the members of that organization. No one is saying that an athlete that is taking currently banned substances for legitimate health reasons can not, or should not, pursue proper health care for themselves, pursue whatever events they choose on their own time at a track or ring, or even compete at some un-sanctioned all comers meet that a few Parks and Recreation depts have in their Summer programs around the country. You just can’t do it under the umbrella of the USATF. As for the last sentence in Gregs’s response. Trust me. No one thinks you are on banned substances, so “Lighten up Francis”.

  19. Milton Girouard - December 10, 2011

    Here’s and interesting read for all those that think taking T-gel is a wonderful physiological trip down memory lane. Oh and at the end of the read, notice where medical studies from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism have shown that around only 2% of adults actually fall in the category of having low T. Not exactly a raging epidemic. I searched other medical journals and studies that back that data up, not the low-T doctors or pharmaceutical companies that state any where from 15%-40% of males have low T. Here’s the info you all should know…” Bloomberg News

    07/21/2010 – More than one-fifth of patients using a testosterone gel sold by Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc. developed heart problems in a study of mobility-impaired men aged 65 and older.

    The study found that 23 of 106, or 22 percent, of men getting the gel, Testim, had heart-related side effects such as chest pain, heart attack, stroke, or elevated blood pressure, according to a report published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. Of the 103 men who got a placebo, just five, or 5 percent, had similar adverse effects, the researchers at Boston University Medical Center found.

    Testosterone supplements have been shown to boost muscle mass and strength in aging men, the report said. This trial was designed to see if Testim could improve physical function in men with limited mobility. While the testosterone group did show improvement in their ability to climb stairs and do leg presses, the study was halted early because of concern that the drug may be linked to cardiovascular problems.

    “Physicians and patients, especially older men, should consider this study’s findings on adverse effects along with other information on the risks and benefits of testosterone therapy,” the study authors said in a statement. They urged further research “to clarify the safety issues raised by this trial.”

    Testim had worldwide revenue of $160.5 million last year, 98 percent of the company’s total, according to a regulatory filing. Auxilium rose 65 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $23.50 in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading at 4 p.m. New York time. The stock has declined 25 percent in the last 12 months.

    Low Testosterone
    Testim, a skin gel, was approved in October 2002 as a testosterone replacement therapy for men with hypogonadism, a condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough of the hormone. Hypogonadism can cause fatigue, infertility, decreased sex drive and loss of bone mass. Testim competes with Androgel, sold by Abbott Park, Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories.

    The study, which was discontinued in December, was funded by a grant to Shalender Bhasin, the chief of endocrinology at Boston Medical Center, from the National Institute on Aging, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Auxilium donated the product and wasn’t involved in the study design or execution, according to the report.

    Twice as many men in the Testim group had complications requiring medical evaluations compared with the placebo group, according to the report. Ten men had full-blown cardiac events, including two confirmed heart attacks and one death.
    Bhasin and his co-authors said aspects of this study make it difficult to draw conclusions about the safety of Testim. The main limitations they cited were the small size of the clinical trial and the nature of the population being studied.

    Frail Men
    Patients in the study were frail, had higher rates of chronic disease than the general population, and had an average age of 74, according to the study. In contrast, 95 percent of patients getting Testim in the real world are under 75, said Eboo Versi, vice president of drug safety and medical affairs of Malvern, Pennsylvania-based Auxilium.

    Another factor that makes the findings not apply to other men is that some study participants were given 15 grams of Testim a day, while the medicine’s label recommends starting patients on 5 grams and going up to 10 grams only if needed. That dosing was “totally off label,” Versi said in a telephone interview today.
    Overall in the study, 16 men received the highest dose or 15 grams of testosterone, while 61 received 10 grams and 29 received 5 grams, according to the journal report.

    “We obviously want to get ahold of this data and we will analyze it and share with the FDA our findings,” he said. “If there was a concern, we’d very much want to ensure we have a change in our label, but for now this study is looking like the odd man out.”
    Another study published in the same journal on June 16 found that low testosterone levels in older men are less common than doctors previously thought, with only 2 percent of men from 40 to 80 suffering from hypogonadism.

  20. Dave Slaughter - December 10, 2011

    Clearly people who don’t need HRT shouldn’t take it. No argument there. IMO it would be malpractice to prescribe HRT to people who don’t need it. It would also be medically incredibly stupid and ethically reprehensible to take HRT if you don’t need it, for the purposes of performance inhancement.
    At my institution the levels are only checked if we suspect a problem – low bone density, osteoporotic fractures, impotence, etc. No one I know just randomly orders the test. I’ve never seen any guidelines recommending this test for general screening.

    This has absolutely nothing to do with the current discussion of athletics for people who have a medical indication for HRT.
    I have found that such individuals could possibly still compete by filing for a therapeutic drug exemption, the exact rules of which are hard for me to elucidate from the internet and I really don’t care to spend more time finding out. I was surprised to find on the internet that inhaled bronchodilators require this also. I get bronchospasm when running in the cold and occasionally take a dose when I’m running in the winter. Taking an inhaler before an event without a TDE would probably be illegal.

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