I’ll admit it……I take DRUGS! AN EXCLUSIVE EXPOSE!

Over the last few weeks it has become increasingly obvious that we all exist in a world of fallen angels in the form of sports stars who we all once looked up to....

 There was Lance; Numero-uno role model for every 'lead pack' chasing cancer fighter on earth. Quite publicly he spilled his guts and admitted to using a cocktail of performance enhancing drugs and blood transfusions. I guess most of us secretly knew this all the while, but somehow convinced ourselves that superman existed and the blindly obvious simply wasn't happening. We’d noticed the flurry of snowflakes early, but kept our backs turned until the avalanche hit.

Then came the explosive allegations that widespread drug taking in Australian professional football (across a number of TEAMs and CODES!) had been occurring under our oblivious noses. With the number of professional athletes, Olympians, coaches, trainers and support staff coming clean (no pun intended) and admitting their involvement and the breadth of cheating in sport we as fans can only be left to watch our favourite sports with an unparalleled level of cynicism and disbelief. 



This and we were only still recovering from Milli Vanilli.

But you see….from my ivory castle I’d always felt so distant from those in the media.

The time has come to fess up. 

As a (and I use this word lightly) ‘competitive’ runner I need to come clean to my competitors, and the readers of this article.

I have used drugs in the past, and although I know it is wrong I continue to do so.

I’m not proud of myself.

Now, the drugs I use aren't those you would refer to as being ‘illegal’, either criminally, or athletically. They aren't performance enhancing in any way that would give me an advantage over any other competitor, however they do have the power to change me physically in a very dramatic manner.

I don’t get my drugs from other competitors or from shady characters in store car-parks….but I do get it from the stores themselves.

But this is hardly explosive information, I’m small time. It’s the wrong thing to do, but my actions haven’t effected too many people (considering), and if they did, 

I’ll take this time to misdirect your hatred back onto Lance. 

Wasn’t what he did quite bad?!!!!!! How does he sleep at night?!!!!! Etc. etc.

THE EXPOSE:

The truth is, almost EVERY living sport star on the planet is guilty of partaking in recreational and unconsciously addictive taking of this drug.

They have TELEVISED footage of athletes taking this drug.

YOU HAVE TAKEN THIS DRUG.

But before you start vehemently denying this or calling your lawyers to file ‘slander lawsuits’ against me (err hmm ‘Lance’), take the time to learn a little about THE MOST WIDESPREAD DRUG USED IN SPORT/FITNESS TODAY!

C(6)H(12)O(6) is known by many different names; ‘Brown’, ‘Raw’, ‘White’, ‘Palm’ or (to a very select few) ‘Angels Dandruff’.

Most of us know it as Sugar.

Now sugar doesn't have the capacity to positively affect muscle recovery, and although it holds, with some varianse in figures here (...I'm working in satire and with Google here!)....1,619kj (per 100gm) or energy. It does no provide enough stimulation to give anyone a sufficient edge over their competition at all!

In fact, Sugar occurs naturally in foods, such as fruits (dried, fresh or otherwise), so really it would be quite impossible to police anyway…..even if it did provide an edge. 

Which it doesn't.

Funny though, that advertising companies and product manufacturers will pitch sugar laden products to you as being ‘healthy’ or ‘essential’ for performance, or recovery. It’s simply not true, no matter how many athletes they get to pedal it.

The way sugar can affect your sporting performance is through a lack of it (within reason….I’m not a doctor remember!). I can speak from personal experience that by using a ‘reduced sugar’ intake in collaboration with a reasonable exercise regime I can more easily manage my weight and performance.

Yes, after a hard run I will drink a Gatorade. To be honest I’m fortunate enough that I don’t need to lose much (if any) weight, so I can enjoy sugar in moderation. I DON’T however, binge on foods and drinks laden with the stuff. I find that it renders the training less effective, and spikes my energy levels unnaturally high and low.

So I reward myself with it, and to assist this, I look at the ‘sugar per 100gms’ level on food and drinks I consume to check they are under 10gms (or 10%).

It’s hardly rocket-surgery, but you’d be surprised how eating a diet with less refined sugars can keep your emotional, physical and professional life at a more manageable level.

I’m interested in hearing other people’s tips, and thoughts on SUGAR intake. POST COMMENTS BELOW.

As for this article, I’m not an expert, or a dietician. I can only tell you what worked for me and the things I have read and learned. It is a simple admission, and acknowledgement that I won’t stop taking this drug…If there is a delicious slice of cake on offer at one of my niece’s or nephew’s birthday parties, be sure that I’ll be eating it!...but that’s ok, because all of this is supplemented with hard work and a realistic understanding of how my body works!

I never wanted to race in the peloton of the tour-de-france anyway!

Keep training, running and laughing!

(I’ll do my best to keep up on all accounts!)

Clay