Jump to content

Doping in bridge


Walddk

Recommended Posts

~~I have already gone on record on other threads as stating that I would like strict anti-doping regs and I have been delighted at the extensive use of smoking bans throughout the game. In a big event stamina is critical, and improving ones fitness to cope with the stresses and demands should be an essential part of the preparation.

 

I have also ~~ a sports energy drink or two with me.

do you object to smoking because of the beneficial effect some people claim, or is there another reason? why ban nicotine and not caffine (as supposedly is in your energy drink)?

 

it sounds like you don't want to ban things that might help your concentration and/or stamina but don't have the same concerns for things that might help others... my thughts are more along the lines of todd's

Link to comment
Share on other sites

do you object to smoking because of the beneficial effect some people claim, or is there another reason? why ban nicotine and not caffine (as supposedly is in your energy drink)?

 

it sounds like you don't want to ban things that might help your concentration and/or stamina but don't have the same concerns for things that might help others... my thughts are more along the lines of todd's

I object to smoking at bridge tournaments for the same reason that I object to smoking in restuarants and work places.

 

Its a filthy habit that stinks up the surroundings.

Its documented that second hand smoke causes cancer.

 

The issues with nicotine are completely incidental...

 

(for what its worth, back in the carefree days of my youth, I was flying in to Marseilles and was stuck in the airport for an hour waiting for my car. Some annoying teen age brit he had a god given right to smoke in the no smoking section in the non-smoking section. I asked him politely to stop and he responded that this was France, everyone smoked, and I should get used to it. He then started blowed smoke in my face. He got very upset when I pissed on his lap...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you're kidding? some people just have no sense of humor... in any case, the subject was 'doping' and i took saint's post as referring to tobacco in that context

Not joking in the slightest...

 

The "hrothgar" you see on the forums is the improved, mellow/laid back Hrothgar...

 

You should have seen me back in the day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I say get rid of all doping regulations and let them all dope. I want to see what a human body can do when aided by the full power of mind and science.

I say the same, but not for the anarchist aspect of it, but instead because it's close to impossible to effectively enforce doping regulations. Those who have access to the latest doping methods (which usually cannot be detected for a while) have an unfair advantage to all the others. Appealing to fairness doesn't work -- the pressure to win is much too high in high-profile events.

 

From a certain standpoint I would welcome an entirely drug-free sports world (it's better for the athletes health etc.), but in reality it simply doesn't work out. Heck, I'd favor a drug-free world in general, but that doesn't work out either.

 

So a common sense reaction should be to let people decide on their own and have a go at whatever drugs they favour (be it in sports or otherwise).

 

--Sigi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an ex-smoker of 1.5 years and a person who chews nicotine gum constantly regardless of whether I am playing bridge or not, I can confirm that nicotine is good for my bridge.

 

The main reason for this (I think) is because having nicotine in my system allows me to avoid the effects of withdrawl.

I don't want to lecture you on this here, but my advice is to get rid of the nicotine gums. It's just a waste of money and what point is there in prolonging your nicotine addiction by constantly giving it to your body?

 

I've managed to stop smoking a few times simply by being consequent about it and never used gums. Well, after a few months I thought I could "handle it" and started again. Silly me.

 

It's a myth that nicotine withdrawal is preventing you from stopping. The effects last only a few days and after two weeks time 99% of the nicotine in the system has been broken down or left the body. What remains are the psychological effects which are much stronger.

 

I guess gums can be a help with quitting because you only have to handle one part of the addiction (the psychological part) and deal with the nicotine later, but continuing to use gums, what point is therein?

 

--Sigi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

~~I have already gone on record on other threads as stating that I would like strict anti-doping regs and I have been delighted at the extensive use of smoking bans throughout the game. In a big event stamina is critical, and improving ones fitness to cope with the stresses and demands should be an essential part of the preparation.

 

I have also ~~ a sports energy drink or two with me.

do you object to smoking because of the beneficial effect some people claim, or is there another reason? why ban nicotine and not caffine (as supposedly is in your energy drink)?

 

it sounds like you don't want to ban things that might help your concentration and/or stamina but don't have the same concerns for things that might help others... my thughts are more along the lines of todd's

I suppose this means where do you draw the boundary between what is a performance enhancing substance and what isn't. Technically food and water must be because if you didn't partake, you would drop dead after a few days, which while preventing you making any more mistakes, might get you fined for slow play.

 

The difference I believe is that we all need to intake certain things to function normally, but we condemn the use of substances that would enable performance above our normal level. Hence natural food and drink may be legal, and a stimulant/depressant (dependent upon the user) would not be. I note that isotonic drinks are not on the list of banned substance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be willing to bet that blood doping would help you in bridge: take out a couple liters a week before the match, get it good and oxygenated, then put it back through an IV between sessions. Supposedly, it almost completely eliminates fatigue, and it's safe when done properly (it's your blood, after all).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I'm surprised no one has mentioned drugs such as modafinil, which is used to treat narcolepsy. In a healthy person, I've read, modafinil boosts alertness without the jitters and faster heart rate that come with caffeine, dexedrine et al. Back then, playing regularly, I was a middling B player; I suspected that with an expert partner and a supply of modafinil I could probably make the finals of the Blue Ribbons.

 

Several top track athletes got suspensions not long ago for taking modafinil, which is on the banned list.

 

I'd be more than a little surprised if no bridge pros are taking the drug or something similar. The workaday traveling pro playing 2-3 sessions a day several days a week may have a hard time resisting the temptation. And at the moment there are no professional repercussions (and I'm not saying there should be), so why not give in?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be surprised if none were too. As I have said before, I have heard stories of pros taking various such substances although nothing concrete. IF there are no procedures against it, then you can't really blame them for doing it. I would like to see such things introduced, if only so Bridge can take itself seriously.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The line between what chemicals are allowed in sports and which are not is just going to grow more blurry. As we use more of these drugs in our everyday lives it may get to the point where most sports fans just will not care what the players use.

 

How many of our American Football players play every game hopped up on painkillers of one sort or another. I doubt almost any of the paying fans care that much to find out and or to tell the players to just not play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...