Dont you think 41 yr old swimmer Dana Torres is on Steriods?

Question

I mean it defies logic to get better as you get older. in swimming terms she should be way past her peak, beating kids 20 yrs younger and even posting times better then when she was a teen. i mean come on, she gotta be juicing.

Answer 1

No. She swims a sprint, so her endurance (recovery) requirements are much less. She's training smarter now and training her metabolism to be anaerobic- unlike most swimmers who put in way too much distance in workouts. And her diet is sharp- with lots of quality protein and alkaline vegetables. Fast-twitch and core training wins out. She's involved in open testing by WADA (anti-doping) so she gives blood and urine samples anytime the ask- something all honest athletes should do. And she's focusing on the 50, dropping the 100. Her recovery at 41 isn't the same as at 15 but she'll win gold by being smart. A TRUE athlete.

Answer 2

no i think she just has natrual talent and is really fit. plus she has a lot of experince

Answer 3

obv you dont understand the sport of swimming very well if your asking this question. first of all her name is dara- not dana. when a swimmer goes to olympic trials they undergo so much testing it would be almost impossible to take drugs. after every finals race you get your ear pricked which gets tested for so many different kinds of illegal drugs. swimmers work amazingly hard everyday to be in the kind of shape they are in. and anyways she would look different if she was juicing. my mom broke american records in the prime and saw the east german women at international swim meets when they were on roids. she saidits really obvious to tell

Answer 4

uhh... idk u bring up a good point...

but ive also heard that she has spent like a c**p load of money on like massages and all that kind of stuff to physically get her body prepared for the tirals.. but i really dont know

personally i dont think she is... if she was juicin she would look like a man and have a beard... just like the entire 1984 (i think...) German olympic team

Answer 5

If you have no proof of that, you shouldn't accuse her. With proper training and the will to keep working at it, it's amazing what people can do. It is very unusual, but Lance Armstrong battled cancer and then won Tour de France seven times! Logic-defying things do happen.

Answer 6

I don't think so.  I got better up to that age with my free style.  I always excelled and don't really understand it because I am not "athletic" in any other sport.  I cannot explain my ability except that it is natural to me and maybe that is her situation also.  When I was younger, I was typically twice as fast as my friends.  They could beat me at anything else but rode in my wake when swimming....lol, maybe I'm part fish.

Answer 7

No, I don't.  I guess it's possible, but she doesn't look like it.

There is a major factor called will.  She also has advanced training techniques.  It would be interesting to read more studies about her and some other great Olympians to see if there is some common factors in their success.

I remember hearing Bruce Jenner describe his training regimen years after he won the Olympics: 8 hours a day, 365 five days a year for three+ years: except  he just trained 4 hours on Christmas. There must be tremendous motivation and persistence in these athlete's make up.

Answer 8

No I don't think Dara Torres is juicing.  Have you ever seen women on steroids?  Because they look like men.  Dara looks very female, she is stick thin, and has low bodyfat.  Plus she is 6 feet tall.  In a sprint you don't need the same kind of grueling conditioning that you do for other strokes/distances.  Didn't you hear about one of the sprint freestyler guys going to Bejing that he tore a pec muscle and had only trained since April?  Not sure of the guy one of the hyphenated guys Ben Wildman-Tobriner or no, it was Garrett Weber Gale.  Also the depth of the women's team doesn't come close to the greatness of the men's.

Answer 9

First of all I would like to say the people who are saying she is NOT juicing are probably NON-Athletes.  First off, look at her body.  We're talking body builder... Is this natural ? I have a hard time believing that it is. But, I think a more interesting question should be asked. Have you notice that **NO** swimmers (not even men ) are as cut up as she is ? So my question is this. Swimmers are **not** trained too look like body builders ( better yet, think Terril Owens ). If you saw Terril owens on a beach, you would be sure he is a high level athlete. If you saw Michael Phelps on a beach, would you know he is a world champion ?  Does Dana torres usher in a new  thinking in swimming ( the same way Serena and Venuse did in tennis ). Will all swimmers rush to the weight room ?

Answer 10

No she's not and that's rude to think of her like that.  She's making history and your dissing her???  How can you live with yourself? Not everyone goes with logic.  I just started swimming a year ago and I'm already getting BB and A cuts not very many people can do that their first year!  Am I defying logic?? NO!  I working hard and that's just what she does!!  She can't be on steriods b/c then she'd just be cheating herself.  And you would also heard about her having weird rampages in the locker rooms too!  She just takes vewry good care of herself and works hard!  And now it's paying off!!

Answer 11

I think she trains very hard and is very competitive. Besides, she would never use steroids because it would destroy her career if she was caught.

Answer 12

I hope they're freezing the test samples - if they don't catch her now, at least we will know later.

Answer 13

No. There is an extensive article about her in last week's New York Times Magazine. Torres has seemingly unlimited funds, affording her a full mobile staff to keep her in tip top shape 24/7. Also, it seems that swimming affects athletes' bodies in less stressful manner than other sports. Please refer to the article for more information.

Answer 14

i think that baseball and track and field has casted doubt over all of sports.  however i believe that professional athletes have an insane amount of mony and access to the best resources and training in the world.  with proper dedication this can be done.  also, how many other people have even attempted an olympic chase at this age?  we cannot judge, and she is open to more drug testing than most professional athletes, and she volunteered for it!

Answer 15

It is difficult not to be a little skeptical in light of the numerous drug scandels in the past several years.  After all, the BALCO case has proven what many insiders knew all along--testing is not fool proof.  Tests can only detect what the WADA is looking for.  Plus, there are gene delivery techniques that the WADA is not prepared to test for and that some athletes may be experimenting with.  Nevertheless, I believe we are all "innocent until proven guilty."  It really is an awesome story (Dara's comeback) and I hope she wins her first individual Olympic gold medal and tests clean (and, if fact, is clean).

Answer 16

My take on this besides losing 10 lbs fat and adding some strength training is she quit overtraining--she does 25,000 meters vs. 65,000 meters.  Swimmers--heck ATHLETES in all sports--should examine quality training vs. quantity (junk) training.   It is in the rest and sleep is where the body improves.  Once technique is honed and event-specific conditioning is established--REST!

Addendum:  I found her diet is "Zone"-like in that she NOW eats more protein and healthy fats--and less CARBS.  As a personal trainer, this is what I ALWAYS espouse for clients to get leaner.  I can feel it if my bodyweight increases 3 lbs. on my mountain bike--dropping 10 lbs is like adding a supercharger.  So, basically what Rick B (I think) said below.

Answer 17

I dont think anyone know for sure but they check her all the time and I know that she is on supplements but they are ok for her to use.  It is a little fishy though especailly sice she beat Natalie Coughlin and 100 free and just set the American record in the 50.  but also she has lots of help with her personal staff of 10!!

Answer 18

nah...but having 1500 txt in one night for her age i mean holy c**p

Answer 19

no i dont they would know if she did. i think its sweet that she can still swim  like that and that's rude of you to even ask.

Answer 20

listen dude

even if she was on steriods..... it wouldnt matter

because swimming is mostly teqinuiqe, not strenghth