2016 Tennis Thread

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Nah, I feel the same way. She's taking a legal drug for years and suddenly it becomes illegal without her knowledge? That's about the most understandable failed drug test in history.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Nah, I feel the same way. She's taking a legal drug for years and suddenly it becomes illegal without her knowledge? That's about the most understandable failed drug test in history.

But why was she taking it? To enhance performance

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

But why was she taking it? To enhance performance

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...ping-drug.html

Meldonium, which Sharapova knew by the name Mildronate, is a Latvian drug used in Russia and throughout Eastern Europe to treat heart problems like angina, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. The drug is not approved for clinical use by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, where Sharapova has lived since 1994.


Sharapova told reporters that she started taking the drug a decade ago because “[she] had several health issues going on at the time.”


“I was getting sick very often, I had a deficiency in magnesium, I had irregular EKG results, and I had a family history of diabetes,” she said. While meldonium is primarily used to treat cardiac problems, one animal study has indicated that meldonium has anti-diabetic effects on the metabolism of rats

[Street Pharmacist]

What would she need it for? It won't help with magnesium deficiency, that one is easy: take magnesium. It won't prevent diabetes or do anything to stop her from getting it. Family history of diabetes is totally irrelevant here. In fact, with the shape she's in and her age, she's likely not getting it soon if at all. The only indications listed for use are not applicable to her.

It's used as an anti ischemic. Meaning, increases blood flow specifically with this drug for heart failure patients as their hearts are no longer efficient.

She better come up with something better than "I was sick for a while". That's honestly like me saying I was taking amphetamines because I was tired a lot. It wasn't banned, but it helped performance. She had zero clinical need for the drug, nor would any athlete. Ah least that I can possibly think of. Nothing she listed, that's for sure.

It was on the monitored drug list for a while and was added to the banned list in September, taking effect in January.

[CofR]

Worth noting 2015 study referred to in yday's WDR docu says 724/4316 samples of RUS athletes contained Meldonium...

Means, almost one in five Russian athletes [all sports, not just athletics I believe] showed traces of Meldonium in their system in 2015.

https://twitter.com/michellesammet/s...60256761470976

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Nah, I feel the same way. She's taking a legal drug for years and suddenly it becomes illegal without her knowledge? That's about the most understandable failed drug test in history.

At first this is how I felt. Especially with how well she handled the press conference. Then I found out that the drug she was taking is clearly performance enhancing with no other medical benefits. It's a shame that WADA didn't ban it earlier. Give her a nice long ban and her career is effectively over.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

At first this is how I felt. Especially with how well she handled the press conference. Then I found out that the drug she was taking is clearly performance enhancing with no other medical benefits. It's a shame that WADA didn't ban it earlier. Give her a nice long ban and her career is effectively over.

I've spent the last hour or so reading about meldonium. It's certainly not enough time to call myself an expect by any means, but my stance has changed too.

This isn't a case where someone was trying to get over a flu or viral infection, like some previous doping cases. She's been taking this for a decade. According to the manufacturer of meldonium, you're only supposed to take it for four to six weeks (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/meld...pova-1.3480694).

"There is a potential of the substance to enhance performance and it has been described as a means to facilitate recovery and to enhance physical as well as mental workload capabilities."

Clearly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. It sounds like many athletes in Eastern Europe have been taking it.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

What would she need it for? It won't help with magnesium deficiency, that one is easy: take magnesium. It won't prevent diabetes or do anything to stop her from getting it. Family history of diabetes is totally irrelevant here. In fact, with the shape she's in and her age, she's likely not getting it soon if at all. The only indications listed for use are not applicable to her.

I like how you just glossed over "I had irregular EKG results" to focus on the magnesium complaint before and the diabetes one after. I mean, chances are you aren't wrong overall, but it is pretty glaring when you simply ignore things that run completely counter to your argument. I doubt *this specific drug* was chosen by accident. If it improved her performance as a benefit of also treating some sort of heart issue, all to the good, I suppose.

[GirlySports]

errr

Bouchard draws a qualifier first round at Indian wells

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

errr

Bouchard draws a qualifier first round at Indian wells

Just took a quick peak at the draw, if Genie can win her first match against the qualifier, she would then face Sloane Stephens.

[GirlySports]

on the men's side Federer, Ferrer and Anderson are not playing so that will bump Milos up to the #11 seed. Draw should come out later today.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I like how you just glossed over "I had irregular EKG results" to focus on the magnesium complaint before and the diabetes one after. I mean, chances are you aren't wrong overall, but it is pretty glaring when you simply ignore things that run completely counter to your argument. I doubt *this specific drug* was chosen by accident. If it improved her performance as a benefit of also treating some sort of heart issue, all to the good, I suppose.

I didn't "gloss over it", I ignored it. An irregular EKG is not an indication, it's a test result. Lots of things can cause it (including dehydration), and if it was something to need Meldonium, she'd give the diagnosis. If she had heart failure, she wouldn't be a tennis pro.

You don't treat an irregular EKG with an anti ischemic drug. That's absurd. That's the same as treating a headache with stroke medication

Ask yourself, "do 1 in 5 Russian athletes have heart failure?"

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

on the men's side Federer, Ferrer and Anderson are not playing so that will bump Milos up to the #11 seed. Draw should come out later today.

Do we know for sure that Milos will be playing? I haven't seen anything official come out as of yet.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I actually take a different view fundamentally - if you're taking a performance enhancing substance, but it's not banned, I have no issue with it. Everyone takes whatever they can until and unless it's banned. There are lots of things these people put into their bodies to enhance their performance. This was one of those substances, which ultimately the powers that be decided was verboten. She didn't know that had happened. Had she known, I'm sure she would've stopped taking it.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Do we know for sure that Milos will be playing? I haven't seen anything official come out as of yet.

Nor have I.

Just following him on social media, it looks like he's currently training in California.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I actually take a different view fundamentally - if you're taking a performance enhancing substance, but it's not banned, I have no issue with it. Everyone takes whatever they can until and unless it's banned. There are lots of things these people put into their bodies to enhance their performance. This was one of those substances, which ultimately the powers that be decided was verboten. She didn't know that had happened. Had she known, I'm sure she would've stopped taking it.

And that's fine and perfectly defensible. But it's total counter to what she said, and people are still clinging to "she had medical conditions" which are painfully obviously false to anyone with rudimentary medical knowledge

[Street Pharmacist]

And to add, if someone is taking a drug they know isn't medically necessary but isn't yet on the banned substance list, there's little sympathy to be had for not watching what's added to the list

[dash_pinched]

I approve of anything to keep the shrieking in women's tennis to a minimum.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Do we know for sure that Milos will be playing? I haven't seen anything official come out as of yet.

Originally Posted by Mango

Nor have I.

Just following him on social media, it looks like he's currently training in California.

as of now, he's on the entry list

http://www.bnpparibasopen.com/en/pla...016-entry-list

and this list too

[Resolute 14]

Dmitry Tursunov, at world rank 32,700? Um...