uh, how does doping improve shooting performance (N. Korea stripped of medal)

[30 cal slob]

whiskey tango foxtrot.

North Korean shooter Kim Jong Su failed a doping test and was stripped of his silver medal in the 50-meter pistol and bronze in the 10-meter air pistol. The 31-year-old Kim was also barred from the Games, the International Olympic Committee said.

whassup wid dis?

 

[Shung]

beta-bloquants, for example..

make stress disapear, make you calm and smooth, while keeping concentration.. for example..

 

[DJAteOhAte]

I've always found that a couple of cool Schlitzes improves my shooting immensely.

 

[Norinco982lover]

so would this have a positive effect on soldiers in battle?

 

[Neo-Luddite]

In the same phisiological/mental ways it might be said to 'unfairly' improve perfromance of any athletic event.

 

[XDShooter07]

As an RN the best I can figure is that the extra hemoglobin increasing the amount of oxygen your blood can carry will increase your concentration, help you react quicker, reduce fatigue.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

so would this have a positive effect on soldiers in battle?

*MANY* soldiers have been 'doped' in one way or another before battle. The methods and substances used are usually not as subtle. In our day and age, the drug of choice for troops has usually been an amphetamine of some kind; probably NOT of much use in olympic shooting but certainly might give a soldier an edge in reaction time and short-term energy.

But of course this comes with HUGE risks of negative effects in the short and long term so our military doesn't hand out dexadrine like it did in years past--but it *IS* an option still open to military docs--flight surgeons in particular.

 

[hso]

Propranolol, what he tested positive for, is a beta-blocker that can benefit shooters. Reducing blood pressure and countering other physical symptoms of stress could improve performance.

 

[Shung]

beta blocker.. I would have bet on that for shooting.

 

[LSU Fan]

IOC chief medical official Arne Ljungqvist said he took Kim's case as "a deliberate intake" of propanolol, a blocking agent that prevents trembling and is banned only in certain sports such as shooting and archery.

.....that's how

 

[SDC]

Any drug that slows your heart-beat, lowers your blood pressure, or allows you to hold your breath longer (ie. your blood can carry more oxygen, so you don't NEED to breathe) will also give a shooter an advantage.

 

[berettaprofessor]

And for those who were wondering about doping soldiers, Beta-blockers, like propanolol, slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure all right....to the point that you can't run very far or fast. It'll make you real calm right up to the point where you need to have a little panic...or a little heroism.... and then you can't.

 

[Ric]

The tube says that it helps to prevent the "shakes" when shooting.

 

[JohnL2]

mods please indulge me

An old Army marching cadence that we modified:
One, two
One-two-three-four
You can't count to five; 'cause your brain is fried- on crack, and dope, and all that (edit) you smoke.

ALL RIGHT YOU BUNCHA' WISEASSES GET DOWN AND DO PUSHUPS!!!

 

[jackstinson]

Maybe the guy takes AstraZeneca (Propranolol) for high blood pressure? Or migraines? Or stage fright?
Good thing I take Benicar for my high blood pressure...or I could kiss the Olympics goodbye!
It's interesting that this particular mis-usage case has already made it onto Wikipedia under "Beta-blocker".

 

[Guns and more]

Maybe the guy takes AstraZeneca (Propranolol) for high blood pressure? Or migraines? Or stage fright?

So what? Then his Olympic carer is ended. You don't have a constitutional right to be in the Olympics.

 

[anythingshiny]

perhaps the lowered BP and slowed HR would give him the advantage of shooting between heartbeats?!

cuz..i mean.. i know at the range i wait between my heartbeats to press...hahahah

 

[jackstinson]

So what? Then his Olympic carer is ended. You don't have a constitutional right to be in the Olympics.

IT WAS A JOKE. Lighten up....maybe take some Propranolol to bring down that blood pressure.
Sheeeeeeeeezzzzzz. And folks wonder why so many of us tend to just lurk.
BTW: I doubt North Koreans have constitutional rights to much of anything.

 

[SomeKid]

Thing is, if you have normal blood pressure and you took that, it may cause it to go too low, which I would think would hinder shooting greatly. I know that is one of the reasons nurses on my floor do not give any drugs in that class of drugs without taking blood pressure beforehand. Low blood pressure can cause quite a few problems as well.

 

[Rembrandt]

I thought blood doping was the procedure where you donated blood, they added more oxygen, then transferred it back into your system?

 

[waterhouse]

I thought blood doping was the procedure where you donated blood, they added more oxygen, then transferred it back into your system?

I think that is how they did it a long time ago. The term is commonly used to refer to things like EPO (you probably heard a lot about this when Lance Armstrong was doing the Tour), which is injected to bump up your red blood cells (more oxygen), and doping has pretty much come to be any tampering with your blood that increases performance.

ETA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_doping
For those interested in military applications, wiki has a paragraph about doping in military use:

Senior nutritionist at the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organization, Chris Forbes-Ewan, is quoted as saying that unlike in sport, "all's fair in love and war".

 

[Jayman]

For a while I took some Claritin-D 24 before any major IDPA or USPSA match. Helped me immensely on any short range course of fire where speed was paramount. Kind of screwed me on distant shots, however.

 

[bogie]

Erythropoietin (jeeze, it's been years since I spelled it out) is what they give to folks who are doing high dose radiation and chemo, to make them grow more red cells... Could be a good thing for folks engaging in endurance stuff. Probably doesn't matter to sprinter types.

Odds are the guy didn't report that he was on any kind of blood pressure med, etc., so when he tested positive for it, fine. If you don't see how something like that will affect shooting, you -really- need to go back to your video games, or go tell your cube manager that you want to bother a different forum.

I wonder - would huffing O2 be legit for a rifle/handgun competition?

 

[Werewolf]

Early this summer my Doctor told me to take Zyrtec when my allergies started acting up.

Major improvement in shooting ability noted when I happen to take one before going to the range.

Wierd but it definitely helps me on the range.

 

[gbran]

I've not tried it shooting, but I've found that I can shoot pool better after about 2 beers. Much more than that and my game goes down hill fast.

On days when I go to the range for serious paperwork, I don't drink coffee or cokes or serious amounts of sugar. I've even taken the herb Kava Kava to relax me. It seems to work.