The Supermen

As earlier posts have show, I take inspiration from the formidable accomplishments and capabilities of the likes of Don Wildman, Arthur De Vany, and Clarence Bass.  All in their 70's they represent outliers in any measure of human performance, athletic ability, and fitness at almost any age.  They all train intensely and have refined their food consumption to an art.  Yet, what makes them outliers? 

• Genetics? 
• Discipline? 
• Mental toughness to train consistently at intensity?
• Harder work than anyone else does?
• Have they each discovered by long trial and error a universally applicable method to optimize fitness at age? 
• Have they each discovered by long trial and error a means to optimize only their own physiology an performance?
• Willingness to do what almost no one else will do?

Maybe some measure of all of these things.  I admire what these men have achieved, but in light of the information Chris Bell's film Bigger Stronger Faster puts before the public consciousness, I think it behooves us to ask to what degree, if any, these men have employed anabolic steroids, testosterone replacement therapy, and/or human growth hormone supplementation. 

Clarence Bass, claims to have used very modest amounts of steroids many years ago and claims not to use them now.  Several internet sources report Bass as having 2.5% body fat, an extraordinary figure even if he took steroids.

Arthur De Vany at 8% body fat has an interesting link on his public blog to a site, Steroids, Other "Drugs", and Baseball, run by baseball analyst Eric Walker, which questions among other things the effectiveness of steroids in the sport, the conventional hysteria around them, and the Mitchell Report in particular.  He may not say anything directly about his own use of performance enhancers, but where does this bring Professor De Vany on the side of their use?

I haven't found anything to link Don Wildman and performance enhancing drugs.  He looks different than the others, more wiry, perhaps less muscle mass on his frame.

Sylvester Stallone interviewed by Time Magazine, in January, denied ever using anabolic steroids, but did admit to taking prescription testosterone:

Testosterone to me is so important for a sense of well-being when you get older. Everyone over 40 years old would be wise to investigate it because it increases the quality of your life. Mark my words. In 10 years, it will be over the counter.

Stallone makes an odd distinction between anabolic steroids and testosterone, but I wonder if Stallone has nevertheless done us all a service (deliberately or not) by beginning to speak more openly, if only about "prescription" testosterone replacement therapy.

While the three 70+ year old "Supermen" may not use any performance enhancers, I for one would find it very very interesting if they did use them and came to speak about them openly. But then I once asked, a 90 year old painter how he continued to do such innovative work at his age, he replied with a wry smile, "One is only as good as the obscurity of their sources". 

Alpha^2

Comments

[Arthur De Vany]

In response to your question, I have never used performance enhancing (a fiction) drugs. Nor do I take prescription drugs. My testosterone is 660, higher than any reading my doctor has seen, though not at the top limit of the lab. Being lean and muscular and not over doing anything, work, play or exercise, helps a lot. Avoiding glucose is a large factor since one 75g dose of glucose can lower testosterone by 25%.

I make my own, endogenous GH through intense, but brief, exercise and intermittent fasting.

[Alpha^2]

Professor De Vany -- Many thanks for the response. My readers, (few but dedicated) would welcome any links to discussions about your implication re: "performance enhancing drugs (fiction)".

Best,
Alpha^2