Why would an average marathon runner such as Claire Squires take drugs to...

kittenkat wrote (see)

Eggyh73 wrote (see)

kittenkat wrote (see)

The coroner has ruled that the drug was a factor in her death, so the drug was a factor in her death.

No he hasn't. The drug was found in her water bottle. They can't even confirm if she drank it.

EDIT: What they said it was "possible", but as I state they can't actually confirm she even took it that day. The drug has been banned since due to other studies on it.

Not according to the BBC, clicky!

 

The BBC article is badly written. Notice they don't quote the corners words, but try to summarise for him!

Let's face it with her heart issue, running for a PB your heart is working big time anyway. The product if she took it increases heart rate which is adding extra pressure, mind you caffeine would do the same trick.

I agree she was daft to ignore the fact she didn't get on with it during her long runs, but they don't specify what "didn't get on was". That could have been anything from feeling ill due to heart pressure, a dose of the trots or some good old fashioned stomach cramps.

From The Guardian:

Prof William McKenna of the University College London hospitals trust, who reviewed Squires's medical records, said he found "significant levels" of the amphetamine-like substance in her blood. The energy drink was, he added, "an important factor" in Squires's death.

"In an apparently fit and healthy young woman who dies suddenly in the last stages of the London marathon, with no abnormalities identified to explain her death, the toxicology identifying an amphetamine-like substance does suggest its contribution to her arrest, particularly after excessive exercise," he said.

"In the absence of further evidence, we think the irregular heartbeat is a red herring and the substance found in the blood is an important factor in the outcome."

That is completely different from the report they and others had up earlier. Fair enough.

Eggyh73 wrote (see)

That is completely different from the report they and others had up earlier. Fair enough.

 

apology accepted.

Indeed we don't know what "didn't get on" with the supplement means. Perhaps it gave her the trots or something (though to be honest, I've read little about this case).

It seems likely that she's just taking an over the counter, legitimate supplement... and was probably completely unaware of the controversy surrounding the product.  It's unlikely that the shop brought the problems to her attention... and why should she go searching for information about it?  It was legal and on sale in mainstream shops, just like the Tesco burgers I'm having for tea tonight...  I can fully trust them to be perfectly OK, without checking the internet for information

To take the sugar coating off...  I think the OP is indeed being crass in using words like stupid, foolish etc about the girl.   The 'stupid and foolish' people were the people making money by continuing to manufacture and supply it to consumers.

And though it's sometimes nice to be forthright, there are some occasions where it is socially unacceptable to just shoot from the hip.

Whose Jenny?

Run Wales wrote (see)

To take the sugar coating off...  I think the OP is indeed being crass in using words like stupid, foolish etc about the girl.   The 'stupid and foolish' people were the people making money by continuing to manufacture and supply it to consumers.

 

Although to be honest every drug on the market has possible side affects from pick it up at the supermarket aspirin to prescribed drugs from your GP.

The drug here must have passed approval at some point to have been sold legally, but there are cases of drugs being pulled as certain issues are not discovered until they are out there. No drug company will pull a drug based on possibles either. Sadly the millions they invest in developing the drug and getting it to market will be first and foremost in their mind unless they have a bad drug epidemic on their hands.

A couple of my friends bought a weight loss product from health food shops that sounds scarily similar, they were raving about the way it made them lose weight by making their "bodies work harder" even at rest - increased heart rate and increased core temperature.

I told them at the time that I thought taking some kind of legal speed to lose weight was the stupidest thing I'd heard, but will send those linked articles to them. Whatever it is they were taking was available to buy during summer 2012.

This is incredibly sad, as the only thing we can be certain of is that she had no idea that this "boost" would have such catastrophic effects.

I'd never heard of DMAA prior to reading the BBC website, but a quick google shows its been marketed as a geranium extract for several years, which sounds quite benign.  Its only in recent years (and since the VLM in the UK) that suspicions have been raised and countries have started banning it. 

As NLR mentioned, I don't think there's any runner in a marathon who isn't looking for a nutrional boost - be it beetroot shots or jelly babies!  Its one of the major differentiators between the marathon and shorter runs, as you have to consider fuelling during the event.

Run Wales wrote (see)

 on sale in mainstream shops, just like the Tesco burgers I'm having for tea tonight... 

Oh dear, someone hasnt actually bothered to do any research before posting, always a danger when trying to contradict someones agrument ... actually a year before she died, jack3d had been removed from most retailers due to efforts by the government to ban the product and concerns over what it contained. Hence why she didnt buy it 'over the counter' but instead on the internet. That should be your first clue when your local supplement store doesnt sell it and you need to source it over the internet.

 think the OP is indeed being crass in using words like stupid, foolish etc about the girl.   The 'stupid and foolish' people were the people making money by continuing to manufacture and supply it to consumers.

And though it's sometimes nice to be forthright, there are some occasions where it is socially unacceptable to just shoot from the hip.

Why is that we have to play by your rules, and that we can't play by mine? Since when do you have more rights than me? You are always free to not read what I post if you are offended. Thats whats wrong with this country, people are looking to be offended all the time.

Eggy, one interesting thing that came out of my (quick) search was the loophole that let this drug get out there without thorough testing.  By labelling it as a geranium extract it didn't have to go through the same pharmacology(?) testing/approvals as synthetics drugs.  One of the key steps in getting it banned was proving that it was proving that it wasn't a naturally occuring chemical within the geranium plant, and therefore was a synthesised product (and therefore required more stringent testing, which someone would have to pay for).

PS I don't really know anything about pharmacology and this was only a few minutes googling - so I'm quite likely to be inaccurate!

Eggyh73 wrote (see)

kittenkat wrote (see)

Eggyh73 wrote (see)

kittenkat wrote (see)

The coroner has ruled that the drug was a factor in her death, so the drug was a factor in her death.

No he hasn't. The drug was found in her water bottle. They can't even confirm if she drank it.

EDIT: What they said it was "possible", but as I state they can't actually confirm she even took it that day. The drug has been banned since due to other studies on it.

Not according to the BBC, clicky!

 

The BBC article is badly written. Notice they don't quote the corners words, but try to summarise for him!

Let's face it with her heart issue, running for a PB your heart is working big time anyway. The product if she took it increases heart rate which is adding extra pressure, mind you caffeine would do the same trick.

I agree she was daft to ignore the fact she didn't get on with it during her long runs, but they don't specify what "didn't get on was". That could have been anything from feeling ill due to heart pressure, a dose of the trots or some good old fashioned stomach cramps.

Running for a PB doesn't necessarily mean that your heart rate is working big time. Also an irregular heart beat isn't necessarily a heart issue, it can just be an irregular heartbeat and have no impact on the situation. That's my own opinion though just from knowing someone who has one.

xine267 wrote (see)

A couple of my friends bought a weight loss product from health food shops that sounds scarily similar, they were raving about the way it made them lose weight by making their "bodies work harder" even at rest - increased heart rate and increased core temperature.

I told them at the time that I thought taking some kind of legal speed to lose weight was the stupidest thing I'd heard, but will send those linked articles to them. Whatever it is they were taking was available to buy during summer 2012.

that was my first thought.....

Also a reason to wear a heart monitor during a race ...... I never leave home without one ..... 

Her heart rate must have been through the roof! By seeing the numbers in black and white she might have thought, OK no matter what, Ive got to stop right now.

David.not sure a heart rate monitor would help much...people ofeten have spikes.......at the beginning of a cross country mine was over 200 for the first 1/2 a mile......normally goes up towards 190 in a race........

what info from your HR monitor would make you stop in a race if you were on for a PB

David Falconer 3 wrote (see)

Also a reason to wear a heart monitor during a race ...... I never leave home without one ..... 

Oh come on people have run for centuries without heart monitors, we're really becoming a comfort blankie holding nation.

David Falconer 3 wrote (see)

Also a reason to wear a heart monitor during a race ...... I never leave home without one ..... 

Her heart rate must have been through the roof!

I saw 289 on mine this morning, couldn't decide on poor contact, over head power lines or the lycra clad ass of the wench in front having an effect on an old man

Keyboard_Worrier wrote (see)

Whose Jenny?

"Who the fuck is Alice?" has never been answered, wait in line!

During a race is one place I never wear my HRM....  I never give a sh!t about it racing, and so long as I make the pub after who cares what it hit during the race