djpbaltimore said:
You are being obtuse IMO if you think that study was referring to blood doping. The evidence does not support that assertion.
Well, let's look at the study.
"The effects of conditioning on cardiorespiratory function in adolescent boys"
by Gregory B. Shasby, MS AND Frederick C. Hagerman, Ph.D.
1975, American journal of sports medicine.
This is the part I referred to, where I am tempted to read between the lines and see Hagerman (and Shasby) hint at (the need for) Scandinavian style blood boosting:
A similar testing procedure, with some modifications, and exposure of subjects to various modern training methods might serve to help identify potential outstanding athletes. Certain Scandinavian countries are currently using cardiorespiratory testing, both in the laboratory and in the field, to screen prospective oarsmen, runners and skiers. This method has previously been utilized to identify oarsmen with outstanding physiological potential.
In the bibliography we find references to works of Astrand, Saltin and Ekblom, as well as a reference to Woldemar Gerschler:
Astrand PO. Expenmental Studies of Physical
Working Capacity in Relation to Sex and
Age. Copenhagen, Munksgaard, 1952
Astrand PO, Engstrom L, Eriksson B, et al
Girl swimmers. Acta Paediat Suppl 147 1963
Astrand PO, Rodahl K. Textbook of Work
Physiology. New York, McGraw-Hill Book
Company, 1970
...
Ekblom B. Effect of physical training in
adolescent boys J Appl Physiol 27: 350 355,
1969
...
Saltin B, Blomqvist B, Mitchell JH, et al:
Response to submaximal and maximal exercise
after bed rest and training. Circulation 38
(Suppl 7), 1968
...
Sprecher P Visit with Dr. Woldemar Gerschler.
Track and Field News 150-151, 1964
Sure, blood boosting is not mentioned explicitly and there is no link to the blood boosting study from Ekblom from 1972. (There could be different reasons for that; maybe the Ekblom study had not yet been available to Hagerman/Shasby when they did their study; or maybe they didn't want to make it too obvious, as blood boosting was already controversial in some areas.)
Anyway, if they're not hinting at Scandinavian blood boosting there in that bolded part, then what are they referring to? (honest question)
At the very least we can probably agree that at the time of doing this study (early 70s I assume) Hagerman (and Shasby) were well acquainted with the work of the Scandinavian scientists who were at the center of early blood boosting experiments for athletic purposes.
Finally, in case you're tempted to invoke Hagerman's morals as a reason why he wouldn't test the effects of (blood) doping on juniors, read this from the conclusions (basically a summary of the article):
There is a great deal of controversy over the relative contributions of heredity and environment to an athlete’s success and there is, at present, only limited information available concerning this important topic. Research with younger subjects might help to clarify specific parameters involved in these contributions.
...
The results of this study have provided greater insight into the upper and lower limits of cardiorespi ratory function of 12-13 year old boys. It appeared that the interval
program was nearly as effective in improving aerobic power as the long distance
regimen and depending on the youngster’s preference, either program could be utilized
to significantly improve endurance. The boys were able to handle hard work, either
continuously or intermittently and the formal training programs did not seem to cause
adverse physical or emotional effects. However, a discontinuance of training caused
significant decreases in fitness levels achieved during training. The positive physiological
and emotional responses of these youngsters to vigorous conditioning indicates
that perhaps state athletic associations should re-evaluate present limitations placed
on cross-country distances and distance track events for this age group. Based on
these results, this age group can satisfactorily train at quite high aerobic and anaerobic
levels and should be allowed to compete in distances exceedmg 2 miles.
Now, this study is from 1975.
Some three of four years later we see Hagerman doing the physiological testing on Heiden and a 17-18 year old Lemond at the OTC together with our friend Ed Burke. (a link to that is provided upthread)
If you add to that the fact that Dardik and Ariel (founders of the OTC) on various occasions had explicitly stated the aim to test (blood) doping on talented juniors and to hold the Leipzig Hochschule for Koerperkultur as the example for the OTC, well, you have to be rather obtuse to deny the likelihood that doping was involved here.
And you have to be obtuse to deny that there is *a decent possibility* that Lemond, training with Heiden and others at the OTC under Eddie Borysewicz (known for introducing 'East bloc scientific training methods', see Lemond/Gordis "Book of cycling" from 1984(?)) whilst being physiologically tested by Hagerman and Burke, was one of their most talented responders.
The assumption that Lemond was doping then and there at the OTC also provides a rather straightforward explanation for the fact that already in the early 80s Lemond was beating known (blood) dopers from Russia, from his own country, and from traditional European cycling countries.
Not to mention (again) Lemond's fundraiser in 2004(5?) for his friend and mentor, unrepentant blood doper Eddie "The Father of American Doping" Borysewicz. Occam's razor 101.
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