CGH #046: Drug Testing In Sport

The podcast “Consumer’s Guide To Health” returned to the airwaves in January. This biweekly podcast and live stream airs on BlogTalkRadio every second Thursday at 11:00am central time. Join the discussion!

Episode 46 is entitled “Drug Testing In Sport”.

If you have any interest in sport, you have probably heard mention of drug testing. It is now front and center with the media. It could be professional sports such as the NFL or MLB, or Olympic sports such as track and field and cycling.

But are drugs always performance enhancing? Are all high level athletic performances now simply a case of the best doper wins? And should we be investing millions of dollars for the federal government to examine this?

Today’s special guest is Marshall Burt, a track coach in Austin, Texas. He is the head of the Elite Training Group Track Club. Burt has done a great deal of literature review and research on drug testing, and frankly has what may be considered some rather provocative perspectives on the drug testing world.

All previous episodes of CGH are currently available on my BlogTalkRadio channel. You can subscribe via RSS and the podcasts are also available on iTunes. The next episode will be on Thursday, June 21.

Episode 46 Notes: Drug Testing In Sport

Welcome to the Smart Life Project's "Consumer's Guide To Health" for June 21, 2012. I'm your host, Allan Besselink, coming to you live from Austin, Texas (as I do every other Thursday at 11:00 am central time). This show is brought to you by the Smart Life Project, a health initiative based in Austin, Texas committed to providing sports science solutions for training, rehab, and life. Life is a sport - play smart.

Becoming a consumer of your own health and health care is critical in this day and age. The health care and fitness worlds can be a challenge to negotiate. But we are also in an era of accessibility to information, and as I always say, knowledge is power - if only we'd use it. Let's face it though - the inability to challenge our belief systems in the face of good scientific evidence is the primary limiting factor in the advancement of both health care and coaching, as well as human performance and injury prevention. And as I always say - don't shoot the messenger.

The primary goal of this show is to increase awareness of these issues so that people can become better consumers of their own health - from the grass roots level on up.

With that in mind, our call in number is (347) 843-4753.

Today's episode 46 is entitled "Drug Testing In Sport".

If you have any interest in sport, you have probably heard mention of drug testing. It is now front and center with the media. It could be professional sports such as the NFL or MLB, or Olympic sports such as track and field and cycling.

This has become a rather hot topic lately with all of the furor that has surrounded Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and now Lance Armstrong. We have watched the federal government sink millions of dollars into investigations. In the Barry Bonds case, it is conservatively estimated that the case cost the federal government over $6 million dollars. What was the return on that investment? One charge of obstruction of justice. Roger Clemens was just acquitted of allegations that he lied to Congress. Oh, and there is the tale of Lance Armstrong, who has been hounded by allegations for at least 16 years and faces new USADA charges as I speak.

Gone are the days of Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile. Back then, an epic human performance was seen as just that - an epic human performance. Now, it seems that those involved in sport - and those that view it from the sidelines - have become more than just a little cynical about the whole drug testing issue. Any time that an athlete puts up an incredible performance, or breaks a record, it is immediately viewed as being assisted by performance-enhancing drugs. That, listeners, is a sad state of affairs.

But are drugs always performance enhancing? Are all high level athletic performances now simply a case of the best doper wins? And should we be investing millions of dollars for the federal government to examine this?

My guest for today's episode 46 of Consumer's Guide To Health is Marshall Burt, a track coach in Austin, Texas. He is the head of the Elite Training Group Track Club, which you can find online at theetgtrackclub.com. Burt has done a great deal of literature review and research on drug testing, and frankly has what may be considered some rather provocative perspectives on the drug testing world. Thanks for joining us, Marshall.

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Photo credits: joehardy