# what steroids to use for cycling, road racing? (strength and stamina)



## bobert (May 29, 2008)

I'm looking to steroids for the use of cycling (road racing).

I weigh 12 stone, 6 foot tall and a quite a lean build, most of my weight is in my upper body because of a few courses of roids I did last year but my legs are pretty weedy because I never used to train them.

I am a very keen cyclist and thinking of competing in some road races this year, i am now training my legs in the gym to get more strength in them but I wondered what steroids would be suited for this (strength and stamina)?


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## bunker (Sep 13, 2009)

EPO used to be the drug of choice (*Erythropoietin*).


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## ba baracuss (Apr 26, 2004)

Yeas, EPO is what sprung to mind for me too. Most steroids won't help with cardio fitness at all.


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## bunker (Sep 13, 2009)

although some pro cyclists have been banned for testosterone so it must work....


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## 44carl44 (Apr 24, 2013)

yeh epo is the way to go mate


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## Gazbeast (Oct 30, 2009)

No need for weight training if your gonna compete at cycling mate, 3-4 hours a day on the road is what you need, 75-100 miles a day. 2 hours light work (flat course, low gear, spinning the legs) on rest days. :thumbup1:


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## google (Oct 14, 2008)

EPO was always the drug of pro cyclists due to it's effect of being able to carry more oxygen around the body by boosting red blood cells....however, unless you have a doctor on hand 24 hrs it should be avoided at all costs!! It thickens the blood dramatically leading to heart attacks and strokes. Several cyclists have died as a result of EPO abuse. 8 pros from 2003-2004 alone, most due to heart attacks in their sleep. Some have been rumoured to have slept with heart monitors which woke them if their heart rate fell below a danger level, whereupon they had to get up and excersise to get the thick blood moving and their heart rate higher.

As far as steroids go, a course would certainly help put power and size onto your legs, but then you're going to have the handicap of additional weight. And it will do nothing for your stamina or endurance. After all, competitive cycling is all about power to weight ratio. Only you can weigh up whether you'll be better off.

I'll throw in an oddball for you. BEETROOT juice. Yep....the purple stuff. I heard about a study done recently, and dug this up for you. Have a read...might work, who knows.

"Forget caffeine and high-energy drinks, athletes could soon be drinking beetroot juice to boost their sporting endurance. Athletes were able to exercise for 16 per cent longer, pushing past their previous endurance limits with the aide of beetroot juice.

Scientists based at the University of Exeter yesterday published results of their beetroot study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The study showed that just 500ml of beetroot juice a day prevented test subjects from tiring as quickly, giving them the energy to exercise longer and harder than before.

The study is the first of its kind to examine the effect of nitrate-rich foods on endurance levels during exercise. The increased nitrate levels present in beetroot reduce the intake of oxygen having the effect of making exercise less tiring.

The study sample were given beetroot juice twice a day and asked to do increasingly challenging cycling exercises to monitor their work rate. When cycling at a steady and comfortable pace, the men in the sample used less oxygen after taking on beetroot juice, which allowed the cyclists to do the same amount of work whilst expending less energy.

In an endurance test to see how far the trialists could cycle before they stopped from exhaustion, the beetroot juice allowed an additional 92 seconds on average of pedal power. The remarkable effect of the beetroot juice would allow athletes to either work at the same rate for longer, or work harder to cover the same distance in a shorter time.

Professor Andy Jones said that he was amazed by the results, particularly given that no other method has been found to date to rival the results of beetroot juice, including continuous training. "I am sure professional and amateur athletes will be interested in the results of this research," Dr Jones said.

As well as assisting with sporting excellence, Dr Jones plans to use the results of take the study further to see if dietary supplements can help people who suffer from poor fitness to improve their normal everyday lives."


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## Gazbeast (Oct 30, 2009)

It is well documented in Marco Pantani's book that their team would wake at 2am and cycle on a turbo trainer for an hour in the team hotel during the Tour de France to thin their blood due to EPO thickening. And Marco Pantani should know...... say no more!


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## google (Oct 14, 2008)

Yip...spot on.

Mind you, the shovel loads of coke he was ramming up his hooter didn't help him either.


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## Gazbeast (Oct 30, 2009)

google said:


> Yip...spot on.
> 
> Mind you, the shovel loads of coke he was ramming up his hooter didn't help him either.


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Correct


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2010)

Gazbeast said:


> No need for weight training if your gonna compete at cycling mate, 3-4 hours a day on the road is what you need, 75-100 miles a day. 2 hours light work (flat course, low gear, spinning the legs) on rest days. :thumbup1:


There are conflicting views on this. Some top cyclists, Lance Armstrong springs to mind, do promote weight training for cycling.

Here is a link on it:

http://www.cptips.com/weights.htm

One interesting point here is the idea that cyclists might need weight training to avoid bone loss as cycling is not a weight-bearing activity.


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## google (Oct 14, 2008)

Some very important points there....

"*Weight-room strength has to be converted to cycling-specific fitness before it's of much use on the bike*."

"*Conclusion: The present data suggest that increased leg strength does not improve cycle ENDURANCE performance in endurance-trained, female cyclists.*"....the study was on females.

Chris Carmichael at no time advocates bb'ing....rather he says heavy resistance in the winter has to be followed by high rep intervals.

I have photos of Lance doing plyometrics using hand held db's, but at no time have I ever heard of him squatting 4 plates! I've met him and he's tiny, and skinny with it. Built like a snake.

POWER to WEIGHT ratio is everything in cycling.(Unless you're a sprinter eg Chris Hoy)

But the OP is looking to improve his endurance strength, not explosive power.


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## BillC (Jun 11, 2009)

Would a simple test course not help though? As long as you keep up the cardio, strength will improve and not necessarily put on too much weight with the added benefit of increased redblood cells which is a side effect of roids. Just a thought.


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