Rafa Nadal

[Roninho]

Too bad Nadal doesn't lift weights or anything, according to himself.

Hmmm... how heavy is his racket?

 

[sniper]

Hmmm... how heavy is his racket?

all players have roughly (give or take 10 Kg) the same weight of racket.
But not all players have Rafa's musculature.

and if you read through this thread, you'll indeed find a couple of links to interviews where Rafa explicitly states he doesn't work out in the gym.

do the math.

 

[Midnightfright]

Hmmm... how heavy is his racket?

You can build decent muscle bulk just threw stretching and other non weight related excersises. Him being fairly muscly doesn't mean his doping, sure it will help especially with definition but u certainly don't need to take anything. Saying that I would be shocked if any of the top players weren't doped to the eyeballs.

 

[Midnightfright]

I'm not meaning to be argumentative but can someone please explain what I'm missing? He's more powerfully built than other players but that's it. I don't really understand what this is wvide of there certainly a lot more Nadal attributes that are suspicious?

 

[hrotha]

all players have roughly (give or take 10 Kg) the same weight of racket.
But not all players have Rafa's musculature.

Maybe Rafa watched Dragon Ball and follows Píccolo and Goku's approach to training.

 

[Albatros]

all players have roughly (give or take 10 Kg) the same weight of racket.
But not all players have Rafa's musculature.

and if you read through this thread, you'll indeed find a couple of links to interviews where Rafa explicitly states he doesn't work out in the gym.

do the math.

In Nadal's "defense" his family are all of the muscular type. His uncle Miguel Angel, who played for Barcelona in the 90's, was a beast.

Genetics is a very important factor too.

 

[Andynonomous]

In Nadal's "defense" his family are all of the muscular type. His uncle Miguel Angel, who played for Barcelona in the 90's, was a beast.

Genetics is a very important factor too.

Didn't his uncle play for Barca? I suspect that his uncle didn't get his muscles from "genetics", just as I doubt that Rafael got his from "genetics".
The rest of the family are NOT overly muscular.

Regardless of genetics, you need the proper exercises to bulk up. Tennis playing, and practise does not give you the proper exercises to bulk up.

Rafa uses two Doctors to "prepare" for tournaments:
- Angel Ruiz Cortorro -
http://www.medabcn.com/doctors/cotorro

What is his specialty ?
"...he is a licensed physician for completion of doping control..."
Translated - He is the physician responsible for keeping athletes from testing positive. I suspect that he is no different than Dr. Ferrari.

- Mikel Sánchez
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=61319
Performs the "PRP treatment" on Nadal's knees. This treatment has been tested, and NO MEASURABLE POSITIVE EFFECT HAS BEEN FOUND. It is highly likely this "tendon repair treatment", is actually a cover used to inject IGF1 to enhance muscle growth. Canadian doctor that specializes in PRP treatment - Dr. Galea - was caught importing growth hormones into the US.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/anthony-galeas-path-from-treating-superstars-to-pleading-guilty/article2092104/

I VERY strongly suspect that Nadal's two doctors have MUCH more to do with his musculature, than does his "genetics". This is why Spanish athletes are doing so well now. In most other countries these "doctors" would have been thrown in jail, yet in Spain, they dope athletes to the gills with impunity (as does Dr. Fuentes, who has been caught by the Guardia Civil TWICE, yet he is still a free man, and still helping athletes to be "healthy").

 

[Paco_P]

In most other countries these "doctors" would have been thrown in jail, yet in Spain, they dope athletes to the gills with impunity (as does Dr. Fuentes, who has been caught by the Guardia Civil TWICE, yet he is still a free man, and still helping athletes to be "healthy").

You mean like the USofA? Where Roger Rocket got mistrialed for prosecutorial incompetence? Perhaps in the Land of Lance they have caught a few Galeas, but at least the Guardia Civil are trying - I don't see the FBI/ATF/DEA doing jack - only high school football players jacked on roids and HGH.

 

[Andynonomous]

Who do tennis fans suspect are doping ?

Here is a poll from a tennis forum (yes, I know it isn't "scientific", but it does show who the prime suspects are).

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=380770

And here is the opinion of a successfull tennis coach.

http://10is.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/is-nadal-juicing/

Another opinion :
http://therewesaidit.com/?p=2309

 

[Andynonomous]

I have no idea if doping has anything to do with Nadal's distress after todays match at the US Open, but it seems somewhat bizzare. I haven't seen someone cramp up well after an athletic event before.

http://tennis.si.com/2011/09/04/video-nadal-cramps-during-press-conference/

 

[Basecase]

I have no idea if doping has anything to do with Nadal's distress after todays match at the US Open, but it seems somewhat bizzare. I haven't seen someone cramp up well after an athletic event before.

http://tennis.si.com/2011/09/04/video-nadal-cramps-during-press-conference/

Why fo you assume it's related to dope? You ever cramped yourself after an extraordinary effort?

 

[Mambo95]

I have no idea if doping has anything to do with Nadal's distress after todays match at the US Open, but it seems somewhat bizzare. I haven't seen someone cramp up well after an athletic event before.

http://tennis.si.com/2011/09/04/video-nadal-cramps-during-press-conference/

Then you should trying playing sport then. It happens quite a lot. It's happened to myself on several occasions. The most common time to get cramp is the middle of the night.

 

[sniper]

Then you should trying playing sport then. It happens quite a lot. It's happened to myself on several occasions. The most common time to get cramp is the middle of the night.

Sure, but to me, Nadal's cramp seemed more heavy than the normal cramp that you get after an intense game of sports.

The guy was aching and calling for a medic.
Just a cramp?

 

[Velodude]

Sure, but to me, Nadal's cramp seemed more heavy than the normal cramp that you get after an intense game of sports.

The guy was aching and calling for a medic.
Just a cramp?

Tennis players are known to use the legal ergogenic aid, creatine. (It was or maybe still is illegal in France - cyclist Jeannie Longo got busted years ago).

One side effect experienced by users is acute cramping during the loading phase.

 

[patterson_hood]

I have no idea if doping has anything to do with Nadal's distress after todays match at the US Open, but it seems somewhat bizzare. I haven't seen someone cramp up well after an athletic event before.

http://tennis.si.com/2011/09/04/video-nadal-cramps-during-press-conference/

Quite hard to say, there are lots of reasons for cramps, with the most common being dehydration, hence why they tend to occur at night (added to the sleeping position where the calf is slightly shortened). However, professional athletes are extremely well managed health-wise (not refering to PEDs) so such a bad cramp does seem strange. It may be that he didn't get chance to stretch properly or get a massage before the press conference, his chain was slightly high and it's caused his calf to go into spasm.

 

[function]

Sure, but to me, Nadal's cramp seemed more heavy than the normal cramp that you get after an intense game of sports.

The guy was aching and calling for a medic.
Just a cramp?

Are you honestly entertaining the idea that cramping in your legs in a sport where you spend a lot of time using your legs is a symptom of doping? What i find hard to believe is that anyone who rides a bicycle thinks his cramping is abnormal.

 

[Andynonomous]

Quite hard to say, there are lots of reasons for cramps, with the most common being dehydration, ...

And dehydration can be caused by diuretics, which are used as a masking agent.

Actually, I have had cramps, and I didn't react anything like Nadal did (you normally try to loosen up the affected area by massaging it, stretching,...). Nadal made no attempt to use his hands to massage his legs.

Has anyone else seen the type of reaction Nadal gave, to someone else who cramped up ?

 

[Midnightfright]

And dehydration can be caused by diuretics, which are used as a masking agent.

Actually, I have had cramps, and I didn't react anything like Nadal did (you normally try to loosen up the affected area by massaging it, stretching,...). Nadal made no attempt to use his hands to massage his legs.

Has anyone else seen the type of reaction Nadal gave, to someone else who cramped up ?

If it was in his **** then yeah sure, I've had that a few times and if I was sitting down then it I responded almost excatly the same way.

 

[Paco_P]

Quite hard to say, there are lots of reasons for cramps, with the most common being dehydration, hence why they tend to occur at night (added to the sleeping position where the calf is slightly shortened). However, professional athletes are extremely well managed health-wise (not refering to PEDs) so such a bad cramp does seem strange. It may be that he didn't get chance to stretch properly or get a massage before the press conference, his chain was slightly high and it's caused his calf to go into spasm.

Pros get cramps too. It happens all the time at the end of football matches. It's ridiculous to infer doping because someone got cramps.

Nadal's reaction can be explained by trying to be careful not to let the cramp turn into an injury.

 

[patterson_hood]

Pros get cramps too. It happens all the time at the end of football matches. It's ridiculous to infer doping because someone got cramps.

Nadal's reaction can be explained by trying to be careful not to let the cramp turn into an injury.

I didn't, I gave very good reasons as to why it might not be doping.

Nadal's reaction however cannot be explained in such a way, he should have made much more of a fuss. It was a reaction of someone who is used to such cramps and accepts them, although we have never seen this before. If this is correct he either needs to get a better physio/trainer or adjust his "programme".

 

[El Pistolero]

Then you should trying playing sport then. It happens quite a lot. It's happened to myself on several occasions. The most common time to get cramp is the middle of the night.

Yup, I've cramped my muscles up a dozen times already. It's horrible. For Nadal to remain so calm indicates he has a very high pain limit. I'd be screaming it out of pain

Even my feet cramped up once

 

[thirteen]

Rafa's attempt to control his reaction may also be explained by the fact that he was surrounded by journalists and knew the camera was on him

i have had cramps this bad, too, btw... keeping yourself properly hydrated is not an exact science, even for elite athletes.

 

[L'arriviste]

Rafa's attempt to control his reaction may also be explained by the fact that he was surrounded by journalists and knew the camera was on him

i have had cramps this bad, too, btw... keeping yourself properly hydrated is not an exact science, even for elite athletes.

Interesting you say that (and I agree) because for my part I cannot ever recall having seen such a thing happen hors de jeu on television before. Perhaps somebody can correct me, but it was that uniqueness that led me to open this thread for the very first time!

 

[Gingerale]

I have no idea if doping has anything to do with Nadal's distress after todays match at the US Open, but it seems somewhat bizzare. I haven't seen someone cramp up well after an athletic event before.

http://tennis.si.com/2011/09/04/video-nadal-cramps-during-press-conference/

i've seen tennis players cramping during matches and trying to play through cramps a lot. but this was bizarre to me too. they didn't take the camera off him or go to commercial, go back to hanna storm, or try to give him privacy other than the blond crossing in front to stop the cameras from snapping. over 2 full minutes of showing nadal in agony, slowly sliding out of his chair to the floor behind a desk was too much. i got the idea in less than 15 seconds.

watching nadal take too much time between points and in general make opponents wait and play to his whims, (and most times he goes into a match with an insurance policy in the form of some injury) has made me cynical enough to watch the above presser questioning how much is melodramatics. nadal seems to have more and more issues this year after losing every match to djokovic.

federer has had a few crying episodes that made for uncomfortable viewing. not that crying at losing or winning is odd. it can be very touching sometimes. i might be being hard on him.

anyway, i wouldn't know if cramping or uncontrolled crying has anything to do with doping. though i tend to watch many matches suspecting more than the few who make news for doping are doped.

the approved negative tennis forum topics are match fixing or draw rigging. the whole subject of doping is taboo.

 

[Midnightfright]

Yup, I've cramped my muscles up a dozen times already. It's horrible. For Nadal to remain so calm indicates he has a very high pain limit. I'd be screaming it out of pain

Even my feet cramped up once

The worst thing I've cramped is my shins such an annoyance.