Ban Coffee!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html?ref=nutrition

This article reminded me of something that I wanted to riff on real quick. So all of these scientists are making fortunes coming up with performance enhancing drugs. Professional and international sports regulating bodies are struggling to come up with new tests and to discourage athletes from risking their long-term health for the sake of short term success. And with all of this, caffeine is a more effective performance enhancer than many of these other drugs. It doesn't require the athlete to lift weights or spend time in a gym to see improved results. All one has to do is have a cup of coffee 1hr or less before engaging in whatever activity the athlete wants to improve in.

I think what it comes down to is that either caffeine should be banned as a stimulant, just like ephedra, or performance enhancing drugs shouldn't be banned AT ALL. What's the difference between taking steroids and having one's career saved by having a ligament removed from your knee and placed in your elbow? How is Lasik eye surgery not performance enhancing? How is microfracture surgery (breaking down the cappellaries in a joint with lasers, causing eventual regrowth of cartillage) not changing the path of an athlete's carrer? These medical procedures don't require any extra time in a weight room (outside of rehab time), and they surely do save/improve careers. If athletes want to ruin their later lives by taking performance enhancing drugs, I really don't have a problem with it. Hell they can take caffeine and they can go get laser eye surgery to improve their performance without spending an extra minute practicing their sport or working out in a gym. So before my run on Saturday, you can be DAMN SURE I'm going to have a cup of coffee!