Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 4793
| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:16 am Post subject: 41 year old mom makes Olympic Swim Team-I hope | |
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Bought this up for several reasons including the those who thought someone over 40 shouldn't be wearing swimsuits let alone swim in em from the LE thread on Shld.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3474191&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1 41 year mom Dara Torres makes womens Olympic swimteam for the 5th time with the first being in 1984.Her age and competitive performance are raising questions as to wether her results are artificially induced. On one hand her age raise concern along with hanging around American and world record times.And since many other athletes have used "supplements" at a high level she is now under question. Wether she used 'supplements' or not I have to give it to her.She looks great,has enthusiam and love for her sport.And I think many give 'enhancements' too much credit. Personally I think guys like Barry Bonds cheated but he also had an understanding of his sport and his body that exceeded most.He understands the mechanics of his sport and he knows how to workout.That being said there has been enough progress over the last couple of decades as far as working out,sports science and sports medicine where a middle aged athlete can compete. I saw her tonight on the trials:for 41 she looks like a 20 something without make-up but her arms and extra lean and muscular body will make you wonder about her 'diet.I don't think I saw a wrinkle or freckle on here face,perfect teeth;no signs of aging or child rearing-another uh-oh.But again I think you need to know your stuff just to compete in the same league she and others do. Drugs and cheating in sports or in womens swimming are a whole nother thread but for those who snickered at the LE thread this lady can walk the talk. |
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 420
Location: Somewhere between here and there...
| Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject: | |
| More power to her! People need to take into consideration the diet of an athlete and how they work out. She has probably been on a restricted diet most of her life. Ho-ho's, nachos, ice cream...probably not even in her vocabulary. An athlete works out differently than the average person concentrating on muscles specific to their sport. You don't get into the olympics unless you truly eat, breathe and live your sport. | |
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 4793
| Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:27 pm Post subject: side issue | |
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Saw an ESPN report on her where it said her support staff costs her 100k per year,so I guess that helps...a bit...ALOT.
Your right though,she lives the life;pool workouts,gym workouts,massage sessionS and special amino acids imported from Germany.Her coach said her pregnancy stretched her hips which helps her kick which is crucial to swimming speed.He joked this is her advantage. She also is on asthma medication which expands the lungs which she uses before a race.I wouldn't be surprised it something's revealed about her though.Haven't seen enough interviews yet to see if she's lying or telling the truth.She does have almost machine like responses and ethusiam at times though. Even with all the coaches,training and 'supplements' how many could reach her level? Sidenote;Gary Hall a male swimmer just retired at 33. |
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Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 1369
| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:39 am Post subject: | |
| Well... dictator - any more questions? heh. | |
Joined: 10 Aug 2008
Posts: 260
| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 3:15 am Post subject: Re: side issue | |||
It doesn't expand the lungs, it opens the trachea and bronchial tubes. The negative pressure from the diaphram expands the lungs. |
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 6742
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 3:08 pm Post subject: | |
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Do we know what medication she's on for her asthma? Different ones do different things. I use two different ones five times a day regularly, by way of a nebulizer which I am able to carry with me at all times and more if needed, which are supplemented by a course of the inhaled corticosteroid prednisone on an as needed basis.
Prednisone is nasty stuff... my wife was a COPD sufferer and prednisone user for most of her life and eventually had to be on prednisone continuously starting at 25 years of age, since one of it's effects is to shut down the systems that produce natural corticosteroids within the body. In short, over the next 30 years, it killed her. She exhibited almost every known adverse side effect of the drug and died, basically of what we would have called old age if she hadn't been only 56. One of my medications is Ipratropium Bromide, which, while it doesn't actually "expand the lungs" it does dilate the bronchial passages or airways in the short term increasing the amount of airflow into and out of the lung tissue which accomplished much the same effect as "expanding the lungs" in people whose pulmonary system has been compromised. My second daily medication is Salbutamol sulfate (Albuterol) which also serves as a bronchodilator and provides a direct effect on bronchial smooth muscle tissue which controls the dilation of the airways. Again this can have the same effect as "expanding the lungs" by allowing increased expansion of these airways down to the alveoli level, at least in COPD sufferers. I doubt that any use of any of these substances would substantially "enhance" the performance of this lady in any competition. In the case of the corticosteroid, the side effects eventually outweigh the benefits as you're figuratively selling pieces of your body and years off a "normal" lifespan for another year or two of simply being able to breathe. In the case of the standard daily treatments, which might range from the occasional use of an inhaler on an as needed basis to prescribed measured doses, you never get back the ability to breathe in what a person without COPD would deem a "normal" manner. I'm also reasonably sure that if those medications did provide her with some kind of advantage over other competitors, it would have been noticed and action taken by now. |
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Joined: 09 Feb 2008
Posts: 1292
Location: Brand Central
| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 2:56 am Post subject: | |
| That woman is inspiring beyond belief.... now all I need to do is get out there and work my tush off! | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 420
Location: Somewhere between here and there...
| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:00 am Post subject: | |
I think you're gonna need Hans and Franz to "pump you up" 
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Joined: 09 Feb 2008
Posts: 1292
Location: Brand Central
| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 3:15 am Post subject: | |
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LOL
She will brook no Girlie Men! |
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 4793
| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject: increase what | |
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which meds?
The ESPN article just says 2 medications-1 in the morning and one at night.Says the use of inhalers has been questioned since they 'can increase lung capacity'.Supposedly Asthma medication has been suspected in swimming circles for years.I've heard stories of runner being disqualified for cold medicines but I thought that was the caffeine in them. Do these meds come in pill form? I saw her on an interview a few days after the Olympics I'm leaning twards the use of growth harmones which they say is very tough to detect.The girl that beat her had some muscle but didn't look like a bodybuilder. |
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 4793
| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:22 pm Post subject: which meds | |
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which meds part II
which meds is Dara Torres using?-Albuterol and Formoterol http://www.steroidreport.com/2008/07/24/swimmer-jessica-hardy-tests-positive-for-clenbuterol And another swimmer tested positive for Clenbuterol Pretty interesting site.I didn't realize how many athletes were cleared to use alot of the performance enhancing or banned substances. Like anything else in life I guess it's who you know ie a 'really good' doctor to which Dara has as a partner. |
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 6742
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:56 pm Post subject: | |
| Well, the alternative is to ban anyone with breathing problems from competition, something I certainly wouldn't advocate. The medicines are there to help COPD sufferers live as normal a life as possible and to help prevent a condition from becoming worse. | |
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 4793
| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:25 am Post subject: fake? | |
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I'm not concerned about a true suffer of asthma competing but alot of questions have come up about the many athletes including swimmers all the sudden as having asthma.I've heard of a condition I think they call chlorine lung common among life guards in particular because of exsposure to chlorinated pools.
I'm starting to have doubts about Torres and others. Considering that many doctors have been caught prescribing steroids and pain medicine for athletes and others in abnormal quantities what's to stop them from diagnosing someone with asthma so they can be prescribed the meds.They might even feel more comfortable doing that as compared to prescribing steroids and pain meds/narcotics. Torres not only has a doc for a partner but I think she's been divorced or dated other docs.What's the obsession with docs-she shouldn't need the money she could live comfortably without a doc's money. Hey,if they have asthma let em compete with their medicine but not the 'fakers" What would be the long term affects of a normal person taking the meds?-scaring? inducing actual asthma? addiction or addictive substances in these meds? |
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