Today I'm going to write about doping again as this topic is a never ending one. I believe it will only end when countries are going to hand out jail sentences for doping. That will stop them. Or not. Who knows as it looks like somepeople have no limits.
I'm reading in the news today that the South African race-walking star Lebogang Shange has allegedly been caught doping. This is not surprising as there's someone in the news for doping every day. What surprises me is the substances they are using.
source
Lebogang Shange has been caught using trenbolone, which obviously is a banned substance. Why? Because it helps promoting muscle growth and appetite. Muscle is essential in every sport, appetite is also important as you need to feed those muscles properly. What is odd is that this substance is used for livestock.
I remember when the "meldonium madness" was happening I needed to know what is it as so many athletes were caught, among which big names like Maria Sharapova, the famous tennis player. Meldonium is a substance that is used to treat coronary artery diseases.
this drug is thought to expand the arteries, it helps to increase the blood flow as well as increase the flow of oxygen throughout the body. source
In sports where speed is important lack of oxygen is always a problem. No wonder so many athletes got caught using Meldonium. At the press conference held by Sharapova she said she had some heart problems as a kid and that's why she was taking it. It's a convenient explanation, but I don't believe it.
Lebogang Shange has been using a drug that is used for livestock.
Side effects of trenbolone acetate include symptoms of masculinization like acne, increased hair growth, voice changes, and increased sexual desire. The drug is a controlled substance in many countries and so non-veterinary use is generally illicit. source
Imagine what these substances can cause as none of the athletes needed those, they were only using those to have a higher chance to win.
Not long ago another South African sprinter, Carina Horn has been suspended for failing the drug test. She has been caught using Ibutamoren and LGD-4033. Ibutamoren increases both muscle mass and bone mineral density. LGD-4033 is also called Ligandrol and it is used to treat conditions like muscle wasting and osteoporosis. Muscle wasting usually appears when a person has pancreatic cancer while osteoporosis appears after a certain age, which is not the age of Carina Horn, I'm pretty sure of that.
I'm always wondering if it worth to risk your health, as these substances can do much harm if you don't need them, not to mention your reputation. Once you are caught and banned, you can never wash that off. It will be attached to you for life!