[CTcard]

Caterpillar fungus ... made news in the West in the 1990's when Chinese women were setting world records in distance track events. When suspicions about PEDs were raised, the coach attributed their success to caterpillar fungus.

I have to admit, that particular incident did make me think a bit about what is cheating and what should be considered a PED.


Let's assume the story is true; that something in caterpillar fungus actually helped these Chinese women run faster for longer.
What exactly was it?

Does that by caterpillar fungus a PED? Or a PED that's okay?

What should be outlawed?
Only things on a list - so far?
Only things with negative side effects?
Only things with some unspecified amount of processing beyond where the ingredients are first found?
Only things that are not available to everybody?


The incident didn't shake my belief that taking PEDs is bad, very bad ...  but did make me wonder if we can really define the issue properly.

[CTcard]

Caterpillar fungus ... made news in the West in the 1990's when Chinese women were setting world records in distance track events. When suspicions about PEDs were raised, the coach attributed their success to caterpillar fungus.

I have to admit, that particular incident did make me think a bit about what is cheating and what should be considered a PED.


Let's assume the story is true; that something in caterpillar fungus actually helped these Chinese women run faster for longer.
What exactly was it?

Does that by caterpillar fungus a PED? Or a PED that's okay?

What should be outlawed?
Only things on a list - so far?
Only things with negative side effects?
Only things with some unspecified amount of processing beyond where the ingredients are first found?
Only things that are not available to everybody?


The incident didn't shake my belief that taking PEDs is bad, very bad ...  but did make me wonder if we can really define the issue properly.