Track Athletes and Chinese Herbs

At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, American pole vaulter Kory Tarpenning took two Chinese herb formulas, one containing deer antler which is rich in natural testosterone-like molecules and the other containing nine different types of ginseng. He did this to prevent pre-event jitters that had previously hampered his performance while at the same time avoid feeling sedated. He finished in 4th place and attributed his improved performance to the use of these herbs.

One year later, at the 1993 Chinese National Games, nine Chinese women runners broke nine world records. In the 10,000 meter race, the previous record was broken by 42 seconds, an unbelievable time. The new 1500 meter record holder had been 73rd at the same distance the year before. Journalists and other athletes around the world took notice and accused the team of using steroids, even though the runners all passed steroid tests and there were no other indications of steroid use, such as acne or highly defined muscles. A press conference was held where Ma Jun Ren, the team coach, enraged by these accusations, held up a box of Chinese herbs he credited with his team's performance. It was derived from cordyceps, a traditional Chinese herb used for generations as a lung Qi tonic.

Let's examine these two substances...

Deer antler is known in Chinese herbology as lu rong and the Latin is (Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum). Actually, the substance used is the soft, velvet-like covering that deer antlers have before they turn bony. Antlers are organs of bone which regenerate each year from the heads of male deer. In addition to bone, support tissues such as nerves also regenerate. Nerves grow up to 1 cm each day. Deer antler velvet contains many substances including amino acids, minerals, proteins, anti-inflammatory peptides, hormones, gangliosides and glycosaminoglycans, and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1. The composition of velvet supplements depend on the diet of the deer, climate, time of year, age of stag and the various concentrations of substances in different regions of the antler velvet itself.

At moderate doses, deer antler displays positive chronotropic and inotropic effects, leading to increased cardiac output. Plasma levels of testosterone in mice increased when given deer antler. Interestingly enough, only very young and very old mice had their levels raised. Normal adult mice did not. Pantocrine, one component of deer antler has been shown to enhance work capacity, improve sleep, increase appetite and decrease muscle fatigue. Long term supplementation is associated with an increase in body weight and red blood cell count.

Good quality deer antler is expensive, and thus is not usually decocted with other herbs.

Cordyceps, dong chong xia cao (cordyceps sinensis), like deer antler, is a traditional Chinese tonic for Kidney Yang and Essence. It is a caterpillar fungus and can also be very expensive. Those Chinese runners probably experienced improved sleep, decreased oxygen requirement in the cardiac muscles and relaxation in the bronchial muscles. It also helps lower blood pressure and heart rate. Cordyceps has a low level of toxicity which makes it a popular traditional rememdy for convalescing patients.

"I Drink, I Party, and I Get Acupuncture"

"Everyone knows I drink here and everyone knows I go out and party but I take good care of my body," said Shockey, adding he doesn't drink to excess. "I take vitamins every day. I get acupuncture, massages, tons of things to keep body healthy."

Those were the recent words of Jeremy Shockey, the 26-year-old Pro Bowl tight end for the New York Giants. Jeremy is known to be a bit of a wild child off the field but has managed to be a star on the field.

We in the acupuncture field sure appreciate the plug, Jeremy!

Jeremy Shockey is one of many professional athletes that receive acupuncture as part of their training regimen. Here is a quick list I found in 5 minutes on the web:


"Friday afternoon, that's the massage and then on my way home. Sometimes if something's ailing me I'll do acupuncture and that's a different stop on my way home. Just to loosen up, you know. There [are] a lot of muscles that are hard to stretch -- acupuncture hits those and releases them and makes you feel a lot better."
Patrick Kerney, Atlanta Falcons


Romanowski always took care of himself, though not in a conventional way. He ingested Chinese herbs while swallowing 250 supplements a day. At one point in his NFL career, he employed five chiropractors, four acupuncturists, three nutritionists, and two massage therapists. He underwent so much acupuncture that he eventually learned to handle the job himself.
NFL.com story on Bill Romanowski, former NFL tough guy


Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselback returned to practice and is expected to play in Week 12 against Buffalo. Hasselbeck had acupuncture treatments for a deep bruise just above his knee. He was hurt on the first play Nov. 14 at St. Louis and missed nine days of practice, as well as the Week 11 24-17 win over Miami.
2004 NFL.com story on Matt Hasselback, Seattle Seahawks quaterback


McMahon was notorious for head-first baseball-style slides when running the football, despite being coached to slide feet-first to protect his body. In the playoffs McMahon heeded this coaching advice and was speared by a defender's helmet squarely in his buttocks, causing a painful deep bruise that McMahon sought acupuncture treatment for.
Wikipedia citation on Jim McMahon, former Chicago Bears quarterback


1999 was perhaps the most gratifying season of David Cone's career. A pitcher with the New York Yankees, Cone led the club in earned run average and strikeouts and finished fourth on the team with 12 wins. He was also named to the American League's All-Star team, and played a vital role in the Yankees winning their third World Series title in the past four years.
One reason for Cone's success could be the acupuncture treatment he received last season. After undergoing surgery to repair an aneurysm in 1996 and shoulder surgery in 1997, he began looking for other ways to stay healthy and turned to acupuncture during spring training.
"Last spring, I did it almost every day," Cone said. "This year I've felt great, but I just wanted to get into the routine again and keep it going because I'm sure I will need it somewhere down the line here." Cone is not the only high-profile athlete to begin using acupuncture. St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire and Pittsburgh Penguins hockey star Jaromir Jagr have also utilized it for back pain, and a number of track and field athletes have employed acupuncture for chronic hamstring problems. Although he has pitched without pain so far, Cone plans on continuing treatment throughout the season. "It's something I plan on maintaining throughout the year," he said. "Once a week, twice a month, unless I get in trouble and something on my body starts to hurt."
Acupuncture Today article on former New York Yankees pitcher, David Cone


Although the Padres aren't big on magnets, they have turned to acupuncture. The Chiba Lotte Marines, Irabu's former team in Japan, attended spring training this season with the Padres. The Marines' trainers, observing the big-league operation and trainers, introduced the Padres to acupuncture. General manager Kevin Towers became a convert when acupuncture helped alleviate his back pain, and he had an acupuncturist travel with the team earlier this year. The team credits the therapy with helping second baseman Quilvio Veras get over hamstring problems. ``I think it's great,'' Towers says. ``I know it worked on me. It blocks the nerve endings and takes the pain away. It's very relaxing. I'd go back.''
BioFlex Medical Magnets story of the San Diego Padres baseball club

He said recent acupuncture treatments have brought some relief and that he'll receive cortisone shots if necessary.
San Diego Union Tribune Feb. 2006 article on first baseman Ryan Kelsko

Red Sox pitcher David Cone said Saturday he is receiving care from an acupuncturist in his bid to recover from shoulder pain. "I'll try anything from Eastern to Western philosophies," Cone said. "Acupuncture to cortisone." Cone traveled from Fort Myers, Fla., to Tampa to see an acupuncturist who treated him following his shoulder surgery in 1998, with positive results. "I'm still a little reluctant to talk about anything I do to try and heal myself," Cone said. "Not everyone accepts acupuncture and different types of treatments and remedies."
2001 article on David Cone again, then with the Red Sox

Do Athletes Realize Sports Acupuncture Can Help Them?

When I first began my training in sports acupuncture, I had a pretty good idea that I primarily wanted to use it to help pro athletes. I have been a life-long sports fan, participated in organized football, jogged, lifted weights and even won a college fencing tournament. I had spent several years prior to acupuncture school involved in martial and healing arts, so I had real life training in how people get hurt and how to help them.

I thought that most high level athletes would already know about acupuncture. Their bodies' performance is their livelihood. Any modality or treatment that could help them get over pain or injury, increase flexibility, reduce anxiety or benefit overall health would be a part of their regimen. I was wrong.

After being in the field of sports acupuncture for several years now, I have come to realize that most pro athletes know little about acupuncture. They are like most of the general public in that they don't know about the medicine or how it can benefit them. That's our responsibility as acupuncturists; to inform the public. But, I was surprised about how little most pros know. Part of that is that many of them rely upon the advice of team doctors and trainers, most of them knowing little or nothing about acupuncture either. Many orthopedists are very reluctant to suggest acupuncture to their patients which is too bad because we can really benefit their patients and compliment the work the ortho has done. So, the athlete may try an alternative therapy, only to quickly head back to more conventional treatments if they aren't "cured" in 2 treatments. Again, the burden is on us, the practitioners to be honest about what we can do for the patient and the number of treatments it will take.

I find that triathletes and marathoners are often some of the best athletes to work with. Their sports are measured in seconds and half-seconds and their nutritional requirements are measured in grams and ounces. The result is they are often very in tune with their bodies and can tell when something is working for them or not. They usually are very aware of the acupuncture stimulus and can sense its movement in the body. Without a doubt, they get the best results.

International athletes end to be more exposed to alternative therapies and are much more experienced with acupuncture than the Americans. Several countries have acupuncturists as part of their Olympic team training staffs. I treat a couple of world-class marathoners from Africa that have acupuncturists in many cities around the globe.

And, of course, female athletes are always a little more open to alternative therapies than their male counterparts. They come more often, come before injuries degenerate too badly and actually listen to my advice. Doesn't mean they take it, but at least they listen.