Performance Enhancing Substances in Rugby?

[shazbooger]

Just wondering what everyones thoughts on this are. Do you think its an issue? Do you thinks its a problem waiting to be discovered?

My own thoughts, knowing **** all about the testing regime, are that it could well be a problem that were all happy to ignore. Ireland would be a prime candidate for it if you ask me. All the players are centrally contracted and its a fairly closed shop from the provinces to the International lineout. As we are constantly playing catch up with pretty much every nation on the physical side of the game, surely it would be a temptation.

Anyhoo I started with Ireland just so it didnt come across as me pointing a finger elsewhere. Anyone have any thoughts on it? Is the testing managed by the IRB or the individual unions? Is there a testing process at all?

 

[Substitute]

Well it depends whether you are on about legal or illegal performance-enhancing substances.

Creatin (an amino-acid) is legal and is widely used. Creatin is one compound used to make muscles. It is present in meat primarily but in such small amounts that there is none wasted. We generally use up all the creatin we eat (about half goes to storage to repair muscles). Taking in more allows more creatin-base muscle to form and faster giving significant advantages - you will bulk up faster.

Taking such supplements is legal (certainly in the UK) because they are naturally found and theoretically can be obtained in such quantities by eating a lot of the foods that contain them. Wasps are advocates of Creatin supplements, Bath on the other hand don't use them or don't encourage use of them. As for other sides I don't know.

They can be very effective but must be taken with caution. Only a finite amount can be stored, the rest must be removed as waste. As creatine, I'm told, is formed through the way of removing waste proteins it is difficult for the kidneys to remove and sadly the kidneys almost become storage sites. You should only take as much as you will use. I only kno this about talking to our club doctor - one of players wil be on dialysis in the indefinit future due to misproper use of creatin.

As for illegal drugs it's hard to tell. I'm not saying Asafa Powell cheated but the 100 metre record is falling so rapidly it suggests that our evolutionary rate is as fast as it was when we were cavemen. This is entirely plausible but the increase is bizaare. Notice on average we are all getting taller to.

I honestly hope noone cheats, but there will always be people who clamour for the fame more thn the commitment. Hopefully rugby is not afflicted with such idiots.

 

[RC]

I've always wodnered how many of the pro's use the big-bad-nasty drugs.
A few of the boys i work with have either played, or they know someone, at a high level in rugby. Now i'm not going to name any names but they have thrown out very strong suggestions about how big a certain player may look after a summer off. I'm sure a lot of you guys on here train in the gym and when you see some guys coming back after a summer off weighing 12-14lbs more, you begin to question what you're doing wrong in the gym.

I read an interview wtih George Gregan a while ago and he says that he takes Caffeine Pills: one beore a match and one at half time. Fair play, nothing wrong with that; there are plenty of players who take creatine as well; and amphetamines are more than likely in use as well. But then there are those legal over-the-counter ones that are deemed as stimulants, but in some sports are banned because of their performance enhancing effect.

Cold remedies usually contain the stimulant an athelete would look for, which i believe is the reason Greg Rusedski claimed he was found positive in a drugs test - because he was taking cold remedies.
But Cocaine and methamphetamine also possesses the same stimulants, which is maybe why athletes, such as Wendell Sailor, are found with these drugs in their system.

It's clear to see why these are used when they increase agression, reduce fatigue and increase alertness - they're perfect for a game that's over with in 2 hours!

I believe the IRB are the boys who look at testing the players in the world, but it's never been that prevalent an issue. I never read about things like this in any rugby magazine and when players (like Sailor) get caught red handed the rugby media always seem reluctant to cover the story in detail (i.e. providing history, details of IRB drug testing procedures, how rigorous their testing is etc.)

Who knows there could be a devious world behind the glamorous visage of tight-fitting jerseys and highly-professional rugby players.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

There was an artical i read in the paper here in NZ by some NH paper's accusing Ritchie MaCaw of taking drug's...LOL

 

[RC]

Please, that boy is all natural and anyone that accuses McCaw of doing the illegal is bullshitting themselves...and fooling no one while they're at it.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

There was an artical i read in the paper here in NZ by some NH paper's accusing Ritchie MaCaw of taking drug's...LOL [/b]

i saw him at a night club once, we talked for a while, he ended up telling me his life story, offered me a massage, but i declined. the last i saw of him, he'd got some glowsticks and was heading for the dance floor the rest of the night was a bit blurry

 

[Dmx#1]

Richie McGaw taking drugs like weed maybe, but i seriously doubt hes taking performance enhancing drugs. Imagine if Lomu took steroids in his prime man he would be unstoppable.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

<div class='quotemain'> There was an artical i read in the paper here in NZ by some NH paper's accusing Ritchie MaCaw of taking drug's...LOL [/b]

i saw him at a night club once, we talked for a while, he ended up telling me his life story, offered me a massage, but i declined. the last i saw of him, he'd got some glowsticks and was heading for the dance floor the rest of the night was a bit blurry
[/b][/quote]



Are you sreious ?? the last time i heard he was against going to night clubs and drinking

 

[BigE610]

<div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotemain'> There was an artical i read in the paper here in NZ by some NH paper's accusing Ritchie MaCaw of taking drug's...LOL [/b]

i saw him at a night club once, we talked for a while, he ended up telling me his life story, offered me a massage, but i declined. the last i saw of him, he'd got some glowsticks and was heading for the dance floor the rest of the night was a bit blurry
[/b][/quote]



Are you sreious ?? the last time i heard he was against going to night clubs and drinking

[/b][/quote]



I think he was joking man

 

[shazbooger]

I think he was joking man[/b]

Who, Richie McCaw or Insane?