VO2 and the Low-But-Normal Thyroid  Speculation is swirling
about the use of thyroid medication by athletes.  April 11, 2013
I posted a couple of weeks ago about whether and how endurance
training affects thyroid function -- concluding with more
questions than answers. Since then, the topic has lit up, first
with a blog entry by steepler Anthony Famiglietti, and then with
an excellent and well-reported article in the Wall Street
Journal on Jeffrey Brown, the Houston doctor who has diagnosed
many top athletes with thyroid problems.  I think the resulting
debate and discussion is excellent. I've heard diverse views,
and have been forced to think carefully about my own views. I
don't have any firm conclusions at this point -- because there's
a lot of information I don't have. What, precisely, are the test
values that Dr. Brown considers worthy of adjusting? What is the
effect of hard training on thyroid function? What is the effect
of "subclinical" hypothyroidism on performance? What is the
effect of thyroid me