The Fable of the Doctor and Doping

One day an athlete comes to the consultation and says: Doctor, what can I take? I'm not going forward, I train and train and I don't get better, I look worse and worse, I try to make more and more effort, but I'm getting worse and worse. I'm nervous, I wake up at night, I'm gaining weight -and I hardly eat-, I'm in a bad mood, I feel frustrated.

After analyzing the situation in detail, I find myself with a book overtraining: excessive training intensities, lack of carbohydrates in the food, absence or poor execution of general physical conditioning work (elasticity, strength, technique, etc.), overcompetition, lack of make-up work, etc.

After studying the different physiological aspects (with stress test, blood tests, body composition, strength, etc.), a work plan is proposed. Namely: you should take a break, of a couple of weeks at least, and from there, start with a better structured work plan, and correctly tutored by a training professional.

The biggest surprise comes from the fact that you are advised to train at a lower general intensity, a little more volume, fewer and better chosen competitions, and invisible work: stretching, strength, etc., within the prescribed work plan.

If we have been convincing enough, the "patient" (pun intended) will listen to us, which will mean that when he goes out to train, his teammates will systematically leave him behind, and he, with the excuse that that is what The doctor has told him, he will take it more or less, although always with some doubt.

As the work, over the weeks, has been carried out properly, you will have lost fat weight and gained muscle mass, improved your aerobic capacity, you will have been able to do aerobic power and anaerobic power workouts at the appropriate intensities (because already he is not so tired), he recovers better, sleeps better, is in a better mood, he will gradually gain confidence in what he is doing.

One good day it's time to compete (the target competition), and for that day he goes with his homework done (rested, with his reserves full, in a good mood –although with some doubts–) and goes out, as proposed, from less to more. Therefore, his training partners come out ahead again. But, halfway through the test, he progressively overtakes them one by one, finishing ahead of them and above all with the feeling that he could have done more, and above all, having enjoyed.

The teammates, who arrive from behind, some exhausted, others dull and see him at the finish line so happy, once they have returned to calm they ask him:

AND WHAT HAS THE DOCTOR GIVEN YOU?

Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral Betzen Physical Education and Sports Medicine