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QUESTION:
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I heard that Lance Armstrong sleeps on a special bed that somehow is connected to the earth. Is this true? If so what is the name of this type of bed and where can I get more information about it?

I have been researching this for about a week and have not had any luck.

Thanks for taking the time.

Charlie


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ANSWER:
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Well, Charlie, I'm not sure what exactly you're referring to as far as "connected to the earth" means. I haven't heard anything specifically regarding this - however, I guess you might be referring to a "hypoxic tent" also referred to as a "hypobaric chamber". I believe I've heard of Lance utilizing one of these tents in preparation for big events.

Basically, a hypoxic tent is a bed that is designed to simulate the atmosphere at altitude (ie. less oxygen). Here's an interesting article about the tents that was published on Wired News in 2001: click here. Remember Fabian Cancellera? The 2004 tour prologue winner? Check out this article.

So there you have it. This makes me wonder - is hypoxic supplementation responsible for some of the "positive" hemtocrit tests recently? You've really got to wonder. It's goal is pretty similar to taking the banned substance EPO, isn't it? I suppose if you already had a high hematocrit marker of say, 47 (naturally) and you slept in one of these tents, it could easily push you over the 50 threshold. Now, don't ask me what these numbers mean, because I have no idea, I'm just guessing.

Hope that helped answer your question! If I was way off-base, let me know and I'll try to find out what being "connected to the earth" really means!

Train hard, drink Guinness.

- The Bike Messenger