MX going with USADA for drug testing..

http://racerxonline.com/2014/05/02/mx-sports

I don't know if they do much testing right now in AMA RR but will be curious to see if they follow in the footsteps. I know there's been rumors of it in MX/SX for a long time but who knows.

also is this the same group that tested Armstrong all the time and never got any positive results? now that so many have come out with the fact that they did use performance enhancing drugs but were never actually caught "red handed" I wonder how good the testing is??

 

Much better than in was is '99

 

given the USADA's history with cycling, i dont see this as a good thing. too much bullshit politics interfering with the sport. AMA MX/SX should just manage the testing, punishment, etc themselves.

 

I'm sure interested in what they find.

 

AMA doing it themselves has got conflict of interest written all over it. the USADA has it's issues, but it's important to have a (relatively) non-biased body unrelated to the sanctioning body do the testing. AMA punishes...

 

man, i would really hate to see this MX/SX get political like cycling.

the level of athletics required to ride a 30 minute moto plus two laps is incredible though, and with the amount the racers are paying their trainers, i would not be surprised to find out they are using all kinds of techniques like cyclists for enhanced performance ofver long lengths of time.

 

There are going to be a shit load people running for cover

 

It takes so much skill to ride with those guys, the more who can ride hard for the whole moto the better the racing. Taking training aids isn't going to make you faster.

 

It will make you recover faster.

 

..so you can train more. The more you train the better you are

The thing with doping is that if they know that their threshold for a positive test is 100 units, you test yourself to be a 40. You know you can safely 'dope' to raise your levels to be 85 so better than before but still well below the 100 unit 'positive test' level. You will gain some performance, yet still be able to say "I do not dope, I have never failed a doping test" It is a chess game between the testers and the athletes/team doctors to see who is one step ahead of the other in their tricks and techniques. Part of the reason there were so many people on the cycling teams that got popped for doping was the team doctors trying to figure out what they could and could not do with the 'pawns' of the team so that they could develop a plan for their top marque athlete to dope them better but not over a limit and get caught.

 

there have been whispers of riders using PED's but overall I think it's not as big a deal as in some other sports. If you look at the top riders, for the most part they have been at the top of their game really since they were 10-12 years old. Pretty much all of them have come up thru the amateur ranks and were top performers at places like Loretta Lynn's and other events. I'm sure that some might see it as a quick fix but I think the big players just train and get stronger.

here's an article from 2012 that talks about the testing that Reed and Villipoto were subject to by the WADA for one year.

http://motocross.transworld.net/1000124312/features/the-fims-assault-on-performance-enhancing-drugs/

 

If you were at the top of your game with a group of 10 peers that were also at the same level, and you could be 2% better than your peers, that would take your top 10 performance to a top 5 performance, hitting the podium frequently, that would sure help your contract negotiations and your performance bonus payouts with your sponsors.

Top tier sports doping is NOT about taking 'gross' adjustments with your performance like doing steroids/etc, it is about making slight but measurable performance gains over your competition.

 

Sure it will.

If you are stronger you can go faster. If you have more endurance you can go faster for longer.

Winstrol would probably be the drug of choice for those guys. Increases red blood cell count giving you body a much higher oxygen carrying capacity. That means you can perform at your peak for the entire race rather than fading at the end.

 

I say get rid of all the testing and just let them do their thing.

 

Thanks Capitan Obvious. My point is it won't increase their riding skill,or speed, it'll just allow them to train harder so maybe more guys can be there at the end of a race.

If stronger=faster then little guys wouldn't dominate the sport. You'd have riders than looked like NFL tight ends.

 

There are "supplements" for just about every aspect/characteristic you are trying to improve...not just brute strength.

 

I didn't think he made an obvious point.

 

You should do some research on anabolics before you continue to comment.

NFL players shoot for size as much as strength. It takes more power to move a 300 pounder out of the way than a 200 pounder. Being large is an advantage.

A drug like Anavar does not put on large amounts of mass but will increase strength in a big way. Again... little strong guys dominate this sport. You cant be weak and wrestle a 450 for 30 minutes. Stack Anavar and Winstrol and you will cut fat, gain strength and increase your endurance exponentially without gaining much weight. If you dont think that will make a rider faster your crazy.

 

Who really cares if they are doping except for the people that will benefit if the top guys get thrown out?