yirg said:I haven't seen this posted here yet. Maybe I missed it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/28/sports/othersports/28doping.html
July 28, 2006
Testing Benefits and Levels of Testosterone Is Difficult
By GINA KOLATA
It seems like the medical opinion is that a one day application of T is
not going to do anything but get you busted. However, there are a few
snippets of information that have come out that could be woven into a
coherent theory about what happened.
It sounds possible that Landis has tested for a high absolute T level
previously but for this test the E level went low driving the result
positive. Landis himself claimed yesterday that he has a naturally high
level of T; presumably he would not make this claim without evidence to
back it up, such as the earlier and later tests from the Tour. Also,
the rumors are out there that his T level was normal and E was low. It
would be possible for all these statements to be true if he normally
has a high T and a high E.
So, then the question is, has he been using the patch all the time, and
boosting E as well to keep the ratio normal, or is his T level high all
the time and something natural happened to lower his E level the day he
was tested.
The thing that sounds like a bunch of [censored] is the theory that he
boosted one night in response to his weakness during stage 16, and then
goes out and wins the stage just to make sure he gets tested. That
would conflict with Landis's easily disproved (if it is not a fact)
claim that he has a naturally high T level, and the widespread opinions
of sports doctors including a WADA official that a single dose would
have no benefit. Yes, there may be a benefit to using the patch daily
with levels kept below the threshold of detectibility, but I just don't
believe that Landis would have knowingly allowed a one-time super dose
before going for a stage win.
The bottomline is that Landis must have been doping consistently, or he
has a naturally high testosterone level. It wasn't a one-shot deal. The
isotope test should be able to provide the answer if it is done
properly.