human performance and nutrition consulting

Right about now, the Landis camp is trying to make some sense of the doping allegations. And rightfully so.

There is a good chance that Floyd didn't "cheat".

Of course, after hearing about the alleged doping allegations on TV, on the radio, on web blogs, and in chat rooms, one would think this was a cut and dry case. It's just another one of them damn cyclists trying to cut corners, break the rules, dope his way to the top.

Yet after talking with the Landis camp, and knowing a bit about the current drug testing procedures, anyone with half a brain knows that this is anything but a cut and dry case.

First of all, Floyd had at least 6 biological samples collected and tested during the Tour de France. Five of them came back clean. One of them, however, allegedly contained a high amount of testosterone relative to epitestosterone.

(If you don't know anything about this test, check out parts 1, 2, and 3 of my Steroid Manifesto article series here.)

But get this - Floyd was tested on three consecutive days. Interestingly, he was "clean" on day 1, "dirty" on day 2, and "clean" again on day 3. Something sounds kinda fishy, eh?

Now, personally, I don't know if Floyd used banned substances or not. However, I'm inclined to believe that he didn't. Here's why:

1) The Testosterone to Epitestosterone ratio is a poor test that can be affected by a number of factors including alcohol consumption. In fact, alcohol consumption can increase the T:E ratio by up to 300%.

Check out these two studies for more info:
Study 1
Study 2

Sure, I doubt Floyd was getting wasted during the Tour, but this points to one flaw in the testing method. There are more to come.

2) Sample handling is a critical issue with the T:E test. Several high profile cases have been thrown out as the T:E ratio can be profoundly impacted by less than optimal sample handling procedures. Leave the sample out in the sun for too long and you've got a false reading. Fail to chill the sample at optimal temperatures and you've got a false reading. Dehydrate the body (cycling does this, ya know) and you get a false reading. Send the sample to 2 different labs and you get 2 different results. Heck, even urinary bacteria (and other bacteria) can dramatically alter the T:E ratio. Click here to read a nice review of this topic.

3) The T:E test has so many problems that a newer test - a test that determines whether an athlete has exogenous testosterone in his/her body - has been developed. This techinque is called isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

I'm not really sure why this technique hasn't been used yet while the flawed T:E test is being used - but that's for cycling officials to address. If this test comes out containing exogenous (external) testosterone, then the case is more certain. If not, then we're looking at a potential false positive.

Now here's the kicker...anyone who knows cycling should know that testosterone isn't the drug a cyclist like Floyd would want to randomly take on sunny July day in France. Sure, he had a great performance that day. But testosterone doesn't give any athletes an acute physiological edge. Some claim it "makes them more aggressive or euphoric, but this is speculative.

In my opinion, I can think of a dozen different substances that could have helped Floyd out on that particular day - but an acute dose of testosterone just isn't one of them.

So, in the end, we all have to kick back and wait for either a) the results of Floyd's "B sample" - a duplicate sample taken for follow-up analysis or b) the results of an isotope ratio test on either sample A or B.

But based on what I know right now, I think that either Floyd is getting royally screwed here -- OR -- he's working with a doping dope - a drug advisor who's likely made one of the worst drug recommendations in cycling history.

I just got back from an exciting trip out to Calgary, Alberta. For those who don't know, Alberta is home to the Calgary Sport Centre (CSC), the Canadian hub of Olympic winter sport activity. The CSC is one of the best Olympic facilities in the world.

And, as a result of the trip out west, I'm proud to announce that the Canadian National Bobsleigh and Skeleton Teams have become Precision Nutrition members. That's right, the Precision Nutrition team will be working alongside the Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS)program leading into the 2010 Olympic Games.

Here's a pic of some of the BCS athletes. Big dudes, eh?

Stay tuned for updates on how my teams are progressing.

Note: while elite athletes excel on the Precision Nutrition program, the ideas shared in PN can help you get into the best shape of your life whether your an Olympic athlete or you just watch them on TV.

I'm excited to announce that I've recently been brought on as a consultant to the Spike Professional Racing Team, the top track cycling team in the US.

The Spike Professional Racing Team is made up of members of the US National Track Cycling Team and, like I said, is a force to be reckoned with both nationally internationally.

It's an honor to be able to work with such a hard-working, top achieving group of athletes. I consider it a priviledge to add this team to my roster along side my other national teams, including Cross Country Canada, Alpine Canada, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, and Canoe Kayak Canada.

Here's a pic of me in Colorado Springs during one of the team's warm-ups. The Spike Riders are in black and yellow and are on the sweet, red Raleigh "Spike Bikes".

If you've never followed track cycling click this link for more.