Despite the dearth of hard evidence, it is not unreasonable to speculate that athletes in ancient cultures used such herbs, perhaps even while they were otherwise "healthy." More contemporaneously, athletes from the former Soviet Union used herbs extensively in their training and contest preparation. Dr. Ben Tabachnik, former head of the Scientific Research Group for the Soviet National Track and Field Team, described the use of herbs, especially adaptogens, by athletes in the former Soviet Union :
"The use of plant and animal-based adaptogens by Soviet athletes is a common practice. Western athletes on the other hand approach herbal preparations with much skepticism. They have been led to believe natural medicines are not as effective as synthetic drugs. This is a great error, and western athletes have missed out on a classification of sport pharmacology that is safe and effective.
"Adaptogens are prescribed by Soviet sports physicians to athletes in order to prepare them for an enormous amount of work during high-load training cycles. Soviet coaches recognize that the more an athlete trains, the more he or she has a chance of winning high level competitions, so they train them very hard. From one training session to the next, the athlete must replenish depleted structural and psychological reserves."
The Soviets had found that such adaptogens as eleutherococcus senticosus (also known as Siberian Ginseng) and schizandra chinensis (berries from a type of magnolia plant) are useful in aiding athletes to adapt to the stress caused by long trips and flights involving jet lag (rapid translocation syndrome) as well as to training and competition stresses.
Of course, an athletes lifestyle doesn't help matters. They have succumbed to a world of quick fixes resulting from a do-or-die mentality. How often is it heard on the sidelines,"Hey Doc, I pulled my hamstring. Gimme a shot or something! I gotta finish the game!" How many athletes routinely go underground to find a black market source for uppers, anabolic steroids or pain killers ? Sadly, the answer is most of them !
Using drugs in this manner is only a short term solution to your athletic problems. Herbs, on the other hand, can gently coax your body to adapt to the stresses of training, give you greater energy, mental focus and healing powers. Drugs often create side effects or health problems while trying to ameliorate symptoms, whereas the only side effects you're likely to experience with herbs will be improved systemic functioning.
But not all the time! Just as performance enhancing drugs are banned not only by all of the sport governing bodies, but also by federal law, some herbs are so powerful that they've been banned as well !
By : ISSA
