Athletic Performance Enhancing Stem Cells?.... Really?

CLEARWATER, Fla. - June 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Athletic Performance Enhancing Stem Cells?.... Really?

Press Release Tampa, Florida

Dennis Lox M.D. www.drlox.com

    In the age of performance enhancing drugs (PED's) the question of whether stem cells might be considered performance enhancing has been bantered about. Even the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) got involved. So what is the fuss all about?

According to Dr. Dennis Lox a Sports Medicine and Regenerative Medicine expert, in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, tis much ado about nothing.

    Dr. Lox points out that stem cells are natural parts of our body. They have inherent functions. Stem cells make blood cells, skin, muscle and bone. Fortunately and in some cases, unfortunately they also make adipocytes (fat cells) that store excess body fat.

These very stem cells a precursors to these cells and when needed, become the desired cell. This occurs by a process of differentiation. The stem cells also possess unique signaling pathways which direct repair of injured tissue. This can be by anti-inflammatory effect or immunomodulation, or trophic responses that exert healing by complicated pathways. Dr. Lox states that these same stem cells are not bionic.

The stem cells are not exerting any different effect upon the body beyond one of repair. The repair that occurs with stem cell therapy, cannot be greater than 100%. Healing can only reach 100% to achieve normal. www.drlox.com Frequently healing of sports injuries is less than 100%. It is desirable for an athlete to be as close to 100% as possible, not only for optimal performance, but to prevent further injury. When nature cannot heal completely or expediently, athletes have turned to Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Stem Cell Therapy. Both procedures fall under the category of Regenerative Medicine therapies notes Dr. Lox, and scientific sense would render healing injured tissue to be considered as a spectrum of 0-100%. Anything that approaches the ideal of 100%, is ideal for most people, and in the case of elite professional athletes would obviously be beneficial to their careers. At which point healing an injured area with something (stem cells) could be considered performance enhancing, is not scientifically grounded, states Dr. Lox.

You are helping to heal tissue, not to make tissue faster or stronger than when they were normal. This is not what stem cells do. Since they are in our own body they repair and regenerate. They do not take normal tissue and impose abnormal qualities of strength and endurance.

    Dr. Lox ads, when it comes to stem cells let nature do what it intended, we are only assisting the body. Dr. Lox views stem cell therapy as a method to help the body help itself. Most injuries persist because the body is unable to heal it directly. The only way to misconstrue the medical and scientific facts, would be to say after successful stem cell therapy that yes, their performance was enhanced as the result of stem cell therapy.

That accordingly to Dr. Lox is not what performance enhancing drugs (PED's), are all about. For more information or to make an appointment to see Dr. Lox please contact our office at (727) 462-5582 or visit www.drlox.com