All those old guys at pro level were high as fuck. Bill Starr in his book, "Defying Gravity" threw this out. Really good book by the way, well worth the read, covers mostly old school meet prep -
"The late sixties saw an explosion of the drug culture across the nation, and the influx of all types of pharmaceuticals into the sport of weightlifting closely coincided with the national trend. The use of drugs in weightlifting became a Pandora's box. Once it was opened, there was no stopping the rampant use.
Step one was usually the steroids. Next the lifters became acquainted with amphetamines to increase performance on platform, barbiturates to insure adequate rest before a contest, muscle relaxants following a hard workout or contest. This often gravitated to the "recreational drugs": marijuana, acid, THC, mescaline, and on and on through the PDR and even a few not listed. Doctor Zeigler was the first medical person in the country to publically condemn this drug overdosing. But it was too late. Once a lifter had used steroids to get stronger and uppers to lift better, there was little chance of turning back.
Overdosing became the order of the day. If 20 mgs. of D-bol a day put 5% on a total, then wouldn't 50 or 100 mgs. produce 10 or 15% gains? Such was the logic. Instead of one upper for a meet, an unsure athlete would drop three, or four, or would you believe 30?"
"Goon Juice - The uppers were abused most often, or at least the overdosing was the most visible. In 1966, there was a liquid form of amphetamine available called syndrox. It was nicknamed "Goon juice" and aptly so. The recommended dosage was one capful of the
fluid (which tasted much like cough medicine). This was the equivalent of 20-30 mgs. of amphetamines and that's a lot of cups of coffee. No one ever settled for one capful, however. After 45 minutes to an hour the initial rush had worn off and the lifter would feel a let-down. Back to the bottle for more juice.
Another hour, another letdown (relatively speaking of course), another hit and it was off to Loo-Loo Land. Lifters would stalk the warm-up area shouting, cursing, screaming. Some would appear deranged, their pupils the size of quarters, their mouths so dry they couldn't spit on a bet. Some formerly mild-mannered types would Jekyll-and-Hyde-out and become complete, raving idiots both on and off platform. Super Circus. Some lifters stayed awake for days following a contest. My first introduction to goon juice was a nightmare. I used it at the Philly Open in 1967, my first big Eastern competition. I lifted better than I had ever done, placing second behind Frank Capsouras. I was very pleased with myself until I got half way back to York. While sitting in the back seat I began cramping. These were not everyday, garden variety-type cramps as I usually experienced, but severe ones that took my breath away. Not only did every major muscle group lock up, such as my lumbars, quads, and traps, but every minor group got in the act. My abs, fingers, toes, behind my ears, even small muscles in my face began to cramp. I stayed in a painful sweat for over an hour. I had shot my potassium level all to hell and threw my electrolyte balance out of wack. I had put my body in an extremely dangerous position. I wasn't too far from having my heart muscle cramp, and that would have been bye-bye Billy.
What really amazes me when I look back at some of the severe drug abuse by so many top lifters in those days is that someone did
not get killed. I can say that some gave it their best shot."
