Supertraining

Members may find the below to be of interest:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/athletics/7403158.stm

Dear Dwain, 

Per your request, this letter is to confirm I am willing to assist 
you in providing UK Sport and others with information that will help 
them to improve the effectiveness of their anti-doping programs. 

The specific details regarding how you were able to circumvent the 
British and IAAF anti-doping tests for an extended period of time are 
provided below. 

Your performance enhancing drug program included the following seven 
prohibited substances: THG, testosterone/epitestosterone cream, EPO 
(Procrit), HGH (Serostim), insulin (Humalog), modafinil (Provigil) 
and liothryonine, which is a synthetic form of the T3 thyroid hormone 
(Cytomel). 

THG is a previously undetectable designer steroid nicknamed "the 
clear." It was primarily used in the off season and was taken two 
days per week, typically on Mondays and Wednesdays. Generally, these 
were the two most intense weight-training days of the week. The 
purpose was to accelerate healing and tissue repair. Thirty units 
(IU) of the liquid was place under the tongue during the morning time-
frame. THG was used in cycles of "three weeks on and one week off." 

Testosterone/epitestosterone cream was also primarily used during the 
off season. It was rubbed into the skin on the front of the forearm 
two days per week, typically Tuesdays and Thursdays. The dosage was ½ 
gram which contained 50mg of testosterone and 2.5mg of 
epitestosterone (20 to 1 ratio). The purpose was to offset the 
suppression of endogenous testosterone caused by the use of the THG 
and to accelerate recovery. The testosterone/epitestosterone cream 
was also used in cycles of three weeks on and one week off. 

EPO was used three days per week during the "corrective phase", which 
is the first two weeks of a cycle. Typically, it was on Mondays, 
Wednesdays and Fridays. It was only used once per week during 
the "maintenance phase" thereafter, typically this was every 
Wednesday. The dosage was 4,000 IU per injection. The purpose was to 
increase the red blood cell count and enhance oxygen uptake and 
utilization. This substance provides a big advantage to sprinters 
because it enables them to do more track repetitions and obtain a 
much deeper training load during the off season. EPO becomes 
undetectable about 72 hours after subcutaneous injection (stomach) 
and only 24 hours after intravenous injection. 

HGH was used three nights per week, typically on Mondays, Wednesdays 
and Fridays. Each injection would contain 4.5 units of growth 
hormone. Once again, this substance was used primarily during the off 
season to help with recovery from very strenuous weight training 
sessions. 

Insulin was used after strenuous weight training sessions during the 
off season. Three units of Humalog (fast-acting insulin) were 
injected immediately after the workout sessions together with a 
powdered drink that contained 30 grams of dextrose, 30 grams of whey 
protein isolates and 3 grams of creatine. The purpose was to quickly 
replenish glycogen, resynthesize ATP and promote protein synthesis 
and muscle growth. Insulin acts as a "shuttle system" in the 
transport of glucose and branch chain amino acids. There is no test 
available for insulin at this time. 

Modafinil was used as a "wakefulness promoting" agent before 
competitions. The purpose was to decrease fatigue and enhance mental 
alertness and reaction time. A 200mg tablet was consumed one hour 
before competition. 

Liothryonine was used help accelerate the basic metabolic rate before 
competitions. The purpose was to reduce sluggishness and increase 
quickness. Two 25mg tablets were taken one hour before competition. 
There is no test available for liothryonine at this time. 

In general terms, explosive strength athletes, such as sprinters, use 
anabolic steroids, growth hormone, insulin and EPO during the off 
season. They use these drugs in conjunction with an intense weight 
training program, which helps to develop a strength base that will 
serve them throughout the competitive season. Speed work is done just 
prior to the start of the competitive season. 

It is important to understand it is not really necessary for athletes 
to have access to designer anabolic steroids such as THG. They can 
simply use fast-acting testosterone (oral as well as creams and gels) 
and still easily avoid the testers. For example, oral testosterone 
will clear the system in less than a week and testosterone creams and 
gels will clear even faster. 

Many drug-tested athletes use what I call the "duck and dodge" 
technique. Several journalists in the UK have recently referred to it 
as the "duck and dive" technique. This is basically how it works. 

First, the athlete repeatedly calls their own cell phone until the 
message capacity is full. This way the athlete can claim to the 
testers that they didn't get a message when they finally decide to 
make themselves available. Secondly, they provide incorrect 
information on their whereabouts form. They say they are going to one 
place and then go to another. Thereafter, they start using 
testosterone, growth hormone and other drugs for a short cycle of two 
to three weeks. 

After the athlete discontinues using the drugs for a few days and 
they know that they will test clean, they become available and resume 
training at their regular facility. 

Most athletes are tested approximately two times each year on a 
random out-of -competition basis. If a tester shows up and the 
athlete is not where they are supposed to be, then the athlete will 
receive a "missed test". This is the equivalent to receiving "strike 
one" when up to bat in a baseball game. The current anti-doping rules 
allow an athlete to have two missed tests in any given eighteen-month 
period without a penalty or consequence. So, the disadvantage for an 
athlete having a missed test is that they have one strike against 
them. The advantage of that missed test is the athlete has now 
received the benefit of a cycle of steroids. Long story short, an 
athlete can continue to duck and dive until they have two missed 
tests, which basically means that they can continue to use drugs 
until that time. 

In summary, it's my opinion that more than fifty percent of the drug 
tests performed each year should be during the off season or the 
fourth quarter. This is when the track athletes are duckin' and 
divin' and using anabolic steroids and other drugs. Let me provide 
some rather startling information for your consideration. If you 
check the testing statistics on the USADA website, you will find that 
the number of out-of-competition drug tests performed during each 
quarter of 2007 are as follows: in the first quarter there were 1208, 
second quarter 1295, third quarter 1141 and in the fourth quarter 
there were only 642. 

In late 2003 I advised USADA about the importance of random testing 
during the fourth quarter of the year. They did initially seem to 
follow my advice because they increased the number of fourth-quarter 
tests in 2004, 2005 and 2006. 

However, they failed to continue this practice in 2007. Why would 
USADA decide to perform only 15% of their annual out-of-competition 
tests during the fourth quarter? Let's not forget that this is the 
off season before the upcoming summer Olympic Games. This is 
equivalent to a fisherman knowing that the fish are ready to bite and 
then consciously deciding that it is time to reel in his line and 
hook, lean his fishing pole up against a tree and take a nap. 

On several occasions, I have provided detailed information to both 
USADA and WADA in an attempt to help them establish more effective 
testing policies and procedures. 

I certainly have more information that I would like the opportunity 
to provide to you and UK Sport, but I will leave that for another 
time. 

Hopefully, this information will be helpful and I am available to 
assist you further upon request. 

Yours sincerely, 

Victor Conte 

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Jamie Carruthers
Wakefield, UK