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[RC] "technology" at the racetrack - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: ti Tivers@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Since I posted this Mr. Ivers has posted that his methods are producing dramatic improvements in race times. His statement may be very true for his clients and his venues. If it is true for the Kentucky Derby (and other very top races), someone should look up some winning times that show it is. Ed> A better initial question might be "how much science has actually reached the racetrack?" The answer, except for that 1% I'm always talking about, is "none", save for illegal drug technology designed to beat the testing labs. You won't find a simple heart rate monitor on any racetrack in the US. An example is EPO. This hormone is known to increase red cell proliferation and is illegal. At one time it was detectable because it was derived from humans and caused an immune response in horses from which antibodies could be detected. This immune response often led to chronic anemia and death in racehorses that had been dosed with EPO (Erythropoeitin)over long periods of time. the problem has now been solved by the bent vets and the labs that service them--sever new versions of EPO have been developed that do not cause an immune response and are therefore undetectable. So EPO use runs rampant. Unfortunately, there is another aspect of EPO dosing that is not so happy. There is a window where polycythemia can improve athletic performance in the horse--but a narrow one. This is due to the equine spleen, which can contact and induce its own version of polycy--as much as doubling the red cells in the blood stream. But at a 66% PCV, there is a phenomenon called "sludging" that takes place, where, essentially, the blood approaches a constency like tooth paste. Goes nowhere. Plugs up small capillaries in the lungs, muscles and cartilage and does a hell of a lot of damage, inculding death. And, of course, racing performance suffers too. It is very likely that EPO is being used in endurance horses, or will be soon enough, and because of the common dehydration occurring in endurance races, the evidence will likely be death via heart attack. Watch for this occurring overseas and in the Middle East first. The AERC and FEI will have a lot of fun with this one. There are plenty of bent vets to go around--anybody can own one. If you don't want to inject EPO, then you can get one of these $35K "high altitude" machines, which stimulates endogenous EPO production. Same "sludging" caveat applies. You'd better know what you're doing and be ready to bleed 5 gallons of blood from the horse if you overshoot EPO production. Hint: never purcahse a horse that demonstrates a resting Hct or PCV approaching 50. this will become more important as time goes on. The undetectable EPO copies are just one year old at this point and, as usual, hit SB racing first. ti =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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