Comments on: Olympic Pistol Shooter Used Anti-Trembling Drug to Steady His Hands http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day\'s most compelling topics. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:06:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Chad http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3395 Chad Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:43:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3395 "There’s an Olympic pistol shooting event? How come all they play on television is swimming and beach volleyball?" Political correctness for you. Can't show guns being used in a fun friendly way! There are pistol and rifle, air pistol and air rifle, as well as shotgun events in the Olympics. But the pistol events do not use a 357 or 44 revolver as is shown in the article. They use specialized 22lr pistols that look like space guns due to their ergonomic design. “There’s an Olympic pistol shooting event? How come all they play on television is swimming and beach volleyball?”

Political correctness for you. Can’t show guns being used in a fun friendly way! There are pistol and rifle, air pistol and air rifle, as well as shotgun events in the Olympics.

But the pistol events do not use a 357 or 44 revolver as is shown in the article. They use specialized 22lr pistols that look like space guns due to their ergonomic design.

]]> By: Bill Rowe http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3336 Bill Rowe Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:41:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3336 "Are all beta-blockers banned in those 2 sports? Seems to me kinda difficult to limit a common medicinal class used in cardiovascular disease." I suspect people who would normally take beta-blockers don't get to the highest levels of completive pistol and rifle shooting because of the the tremors, shakes, and general motion associated with their condition. “Are all beta-blockers banned in those 2 sports? Seems to me kinda difficult to limit a common medicinal class used in cardiovascular disease.” I suspect people who would normally take beta-blockers don’t get to the highest levels of completive pistol and rifle shooting because of the the tremors, shakes, and general motion associated with their condition.

]]> By: Eliza Strickland http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3331 Eliza Strickland Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:58:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3331 Apparently all beta-blockers are indeed banned in archery and shooting, and there's no "therapeutic use exemption." However, it's my understanding that they only test these athletes for the drug during the competition, so presumably an athlete that had high blood pressure wouldn't be barred from taking the drug throughout his or her life. On a side note, the World Anti-Doping Agency bans beta-blockers not just in shooting and archery, but also some other competitive events like billiards, chess, and nine-pin bowling. Apparently all beta-blockers are indeed banned in archery and shooting, and there’s no “therapeutic use exemption.” However, it’s my understanding that they only test these athletes for the drug during the competition, so presumably an athlete that had high blood pressure wouldn’t be barred from taking the drug throughout his or her life.

On a side note, the World Anti-Doping Agency bans beta-blockers not just in shooting and archery, but also some other competitive events like billiards, chess, and nine-pin bowling.

]]> By: Jeremy Rose http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3257 Jeremy Rose Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:58:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3257 Are all beta-blockers banned in those 2 sports? Seems to me kinda difficult to limit a common medicinal class used in cardiovascular disease. Did the athlete have a medicical purpose for the medication? Are all beta-blockers banned in those 2 sports? Seems to me kinda difficult to limit a common medicinal class used in cardiovascular disease. Did the athlete have a medicical purpose for the medication?

]]> By: Eliza Strickland http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3237 Eliza Strickland Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:05:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3237 There's a lot more to the Olympics than Michael Phelps. Like table-tennis (otherwise known as ping-pong), which has gotten incredibly high-tech and intense: http://discovermagazine.com/2008/the-body/08-the-year-the-olympics-went-really-hi-tech/ There’s a lot more to the Olympics than Michael Phelps. Like table-tennis (otherwise known as ping-pong), which has gotten incredibly high-tech and intense:

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/the-body/08-the-year-the-olympics-went-really-hi-tech/

]]> By: Damian http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3213 Damian Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:15:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/olympic-pistol-shooter-used-anti-trembling-drug-to-steady-his-hands/#comment-3213 There's an Olympic pistol shooting event? How come all they play on television is swimming and beach volleyball? There’s an Olympic pistol shooting event? How come all they play on television is swimming and beach volleyball?

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