Pubdate: Thu, 19 Feb 2009
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/A1kAshhc
Website: http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Tim Lemke
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Marijuana)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Michael+Phelps

SMOKE YET TO CLEAR ON MARIJUANA EFFECTS

Impact on Athletes Is Uncertain

Michael Phelps avoided arrest in connection with his use of a 
marijuana pipe at a party in South Carolina last fall. But he has not 
dodged questions about why, as the world's most accomplished swimmer, 
he would consider taking the drug in the first place.

Reasons aside, he joins a long list of athletes who have been tied to 
marijuana, including Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, 
Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard and Washington Nationals 
outfielder Elijah Dukes, all of whom have acknowledged taking the 
drug on the side. It begs the question: Does occasional use of 
marijuana affect athletic performance?

Numerous medical studies have shown that marijuana can impact a 
person's hand-eye coordination and the ability to concentrate and 
maintain attention. And a 2007 study from the Yale School of Medicine 
showed that long-term marijuana users can suffer the same 
debilitating lung problems as those who smoke cigarettes over a long 
period of time.

But it's less clear what that means for a young athlete who smokes 
marijuana occasionally during breaks in training. While doctors and 
trainers contend the short-term effects can be problematic, they 
acknowledge that some marijuana users claim the drug helps them deal 
with anxiety, stress and depression.

"It's still a very popular, recreational, 'let your hair down' way to 
party for athletes," said Dave Ellis, a nutrition and conditioning 
consultant for college athletic programs and professional teams. 
"It's probably as popular as ever. I have to laugh because I think 
there's a lot of it going on."

But knowing whether these athletes are hurting their abilities is 
tough to know, trainers and doctors said, because there has never 
been a scientific study on marijuana use and athletic performance. 
Finding subjects for such a study is challenging because researchers 
can't ethically ask people to take an illegal drug, and it's also 
hard to pinpoint the effects of marijuana if someone also drinks or 
smokes cigarettes occasionally.

Nevertheless, athletic trainers said they would like to see more 
information on how marijuana affects lung performance, if for no 
other reason to back up their own belief that it can be harmful.

"I think the thing that needs to be studied are the effects of taking 
that hot, 400-degree smoke and putting it in your respiratory 
system," said Shawn Vass, a speed and agility trainer who operates 
Xtreme Acceleration Sports Performance, a specialized gym in Bethesda 
that caters to top athletes. "When it comes to a high-performance 
athlete, you want to make sure your breathing element, your filter, 
is as clean and as powerful as possible."

Some studies have offered insight into how the drug is perceived 
compared to legal substances like tobacco and alcohol. Dr. Harrison 
Pope, director of the Biological Psychiatry Laboratory at Harvard's 
McLean Hospital, said his study of bodybuilders and weightlifters 
showed that marijuana use was widespread even among those who refused 
to smoke or drink out of fear of potential effects on their training.

"From my experience, these people scrupulously abstain from alcohol 
and scrupulously abstain from tobacco because they know it will 
interfere with their weightlifting or overall athletic performance," 
Pope said. "The impression I get was that they fell back on marijuana 
because it was an intoxicant that they could use without having as 
much of an effect on their performance as the two legal intoxicants, 
alcohol or tobacco."

But the fact remains that many athletes have had long, successful 
careers while taking marijuana on the side. Mark Stepnoski, a former 
offensive lineman with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers, told 
ESPN in 2003 that he was a frequent user of marijuana during his 
career. Stepnoski is an advocate for its legalization.

"I have used marijuana, and it's never prevented me from 
accomplishing what I wanted to accomplish," he said.

Ellis, however, said he has collected considerable anecdotal evidence 
in analyzing body composition of athletes and that those athletes who 
have lost muscle mass or increased body fat are often involved in 
drug use. Ellis said it can have a noticeable effect on the ability 
of athletes to play well during the course of a long season.

"Marijuana users don't thrive like they should versus someone who can 
breathe normally," Ellis said. "I don't think it's anything good for 
these athletes. We're talking about people trying to recover from one 
competition to the next. Anytime you have something that impedes 
oxygen transport or screws up blood pressure, then you've got 
endurance outcomes where these athletes are going to struggle."

Vass, who has worked with top runners and players from the NFL, NBA 
and English Premier League soccer, acknowledged that many athletes 
smoke marijuana in order to reduce stress and relax when away from 
the court or field. But he said he believed taking marijuana, even 
during the offseason, can have an effect on performance at a later time.

"A true athlete is always in training mode," he said. "Like [Redskins 
quarterback] Jason Campbell may take a little break between his last 
game and the Pro Bowl, but then it's time to go to work. Anything 
that happens in between affects the work he has to do. If you're 
trying to be a high level athlete, you need to stay clean during the 
off time or just retire." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake