This will probably be controversial, but I’m willing to bring it up.
Propanolol, a prescription drug has been used for years as a performance enhancing drug for atheletes and public speakers, anything. It’s a beta-blocker. It reduces stage fright, drows out background distractions to whatever you are focusing on, and STOPS hand tremors, flushing face, nervousness etc.
I won’t say any names, but a top player doesn’t show any of those characteristics. And he works in the healthcare sector.
Most of the time you see players get nervous, they have facial tics, like rubbing their hands through their hair, making sort of mechanical movements after they make a mistake or lose.
Stimulants, like dextroamphetamine can increase focus and allow the brain to store more information or play longer without fatigue.
Here’s the first page of an article written about the use of propanolol in competitve sports. It’s been said that propanolol has no significant immediate or long term side effects for casual use, but ampehetamines on the other hand are a different story.
If players were using drugs to win, should the fighting game rules change?
But how are you going to know? This is utterly ridiculous.
You cant drug test a 17 year old entering a tournament. And you’re not drug testing me either, and Im 22. That doesnt even sound legal. What are you gonna do, have dont-ask-dont-tell rules applying to use of stimulants? Can you get someone disqualified if you claim they are on stimulants because they dont show signs of nervousness? lol. Get the hell outta here man.
While youre at it you might as well ban the consumption of red bull and honey buns. Those are also energizers.
Dumb thread. Maybe if youre to scared you should start taking drugs too.
Dammit you stole my joke. I was just gonna type “Daigo.” and let the good people figure out my meaning from the implication. Yeah. All smart and classy like that. That’s how I roll.
Yea ummm experience gets rid of any type tournament nervousness. Most tourney vets don’t get nervous when playing in tournaments so i can see this only helping new players.
This stuff has been going on for ages in any facet of life. I’m just suggesting that it may happen with this world and since it’s so competitive, asking if it would bother anyone to know that they might lose to someone who may potentially be using a drug.
If you drop $50 on a money match and you find out later that the guy you lost to was using an enhancement drug, would you get mad?
I don’t know if the term health care sector implies the same thing in Japan as it does here. I’m not trying to paint anyone as a morally evil cheat.
Might help newcomers who don’t have tourney experience and never really had to play important games. But tournament regulars? Nah, they don’t need it. They have experience, they’re not intimidated by the crowds and noise.
I think your proposition would hit home more if professional poker players or chess players were tested for drugs.
I don’t mean to sound like a biased Dodger fan, but Manny Ramirez tested positive this last time, not for 'roids but for HcG.
I have a female friend that has started using HcG as an alternative for weight loss. (I told her to really think about it, but she swears by the 40 lbs. she’s lost so far that it’s safe.)
HcG is also found naturally in pregnant women, but because it can be used to also counteract certain effects of anabolic 'roids, HcG is on the list of chemicals to test for.
The point I am trying to make, so horribly, is that you either need precedent or to prove that there is an unfair advantage.
Adderrall is surely, surely used already. You can look at interviews of ‘some’ top players around tournament time and see the jaw clenching especially.
And yes you are crazy if you don’t think that it helps. Specifically, it enhances your reaction time. That is why amphetamines have been the #1 drug of choice for MLB batters since like the 60’s where they are called “greenies.”
Like everyone said though testing for a street fighter tournament is completely absurd, and it won’t be in our lifetimes where payout/player would make being even curious about this issue reasonable.
edit- The whole side effects or availabilty issue is ridiculous too, like 1/3 of americans who are in the FG community are going to be diagnosed ADHD at some point or another and given amphetamines.
edit2- You should edit out where you are calling someone out specifically. Also, jaw clenching or pupil dilation or rapid coke-esque talking are symptoms, not the absence of nervousness. Some of these top players have been playing in tournaments for 10+ years so that really isn’t evidence of anything.