# Ritalin and cubing?



## chinesed00d (Oct 9, 2010)

You guys probably know what ritalin is. You guys probably know that people in University abuse it to become BEASTS AT STUDYING. Now, Ritalin is basically a drug that makes you focus. like a boss. 
No, but seriously, If ritalin really helps you focus a lot, wouldn't taking some before cubing like drastically increase your times? As in look ahead, execution, etc?


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## Joker (Oct 9, 2010)

I think using drugs takes away the fun of the hobby.


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## aronpm (Oct 9, 2010)

chinesed00d said:


> wouldn't taking some before cubing like drastically increase your times? As in look ahead, execution, etc?


 
Lol.


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## stinkocheeze (Oct 9, 2010)

If it was all theoretical, wouldn't it?


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## Edward (Oct 9, 2010)

Cubing steroids D:


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## musicninja17 (Oct 9, 2010)

I'm thinking its possible.
Then again, why do I even bother replying to threads like this >_>


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## FatBoyXPC (Oct 9, 2010)

If you want to do that, just snort a bunch of coke. The faster you move, the slower time moves (in relation to you). Snort enough coke, and you should be doing sub5 averages all day! I suggest starting at snorting half a kilo


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## jiggy (Oct 9, 2010)

Oh, no...we're going to have to give urine samples at competitions now, aren't we?


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## Ethan Rosen (Oct 9, 2010)

Joker said:


> I think using drugs takes away the fun of the hobby.


 
I don't think you've ever tried it


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## a small kitten (Oct 9, 2010)

> wouldn't taking some before cubing like drastically increase your times? As in look ahead, execution, etc?



You don't want to increase your times.

I'm going to assume you meant decrease your times.

Practice does the same thing.


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## AngeL (Oct 9, 2010)

You'd be better off with Adderall for the purposes you're thinking of.


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## theace (Oct 9, 2010)

I doubt it. Even if it helps you focus, if your basics aren't firm, it wouldn't really do much. I'm talking optimal moves, best execution sequence, etc. I guess it might help you learn algs though.


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## Whyusosrs? (Oct 9, 2010)

Ethan Rosen said:


> I don't think you've ever tried it


 
I'm definitely guessing he hasn't. Cubesmith bright stickers+turning really fast = so intense.


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## Zonda (Oct 9, 2010)

Any bowel cleanser does it for me. You'd be amazed at how fast you'll solve when that "need" appears right before a solve.

Legal and healthy, oh yes!:fp


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## Joker (Oct 9, 2010)

No, I'm never drugged when I cube...and I don't plan to be either.


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## hawkmp4 (Oct 10, 2010)

So none of you have cubed on a caffeine buzz?

Performance enhancing drug, no joke.


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## number1failure (Oct 10, 2010)

jiggy said:


> Oh, no...we're going to have to give urine samples at competitions now, aren't we?


 
I can see that happening when cubing gets popular enough, we all know it will.


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## Escher (Oct 10, 2010)

Pfft, I don't think cubing will ever get to the stage where it's felt to be necessary to test people for performance enhancing drugs.

Besides, it's hard enough to prove a causal link between taking performance enhancing drugs and cubing performance, since a placebo may be just as effective (remember cubing is still mostly a massive mindgame and affected by confidence and experience as much as turning ability), plus the variance in cubing would mean sample sizes would have to be very large, and since people are always improving over two sessions of testing improvement could still just be attributed to 'generally getting better'.

And everybody knows drugs are great.


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## Whyusosrs? (Oct 10, 2010)

hawkmp4 said:


> So none of you have cubed on a caffeine buzz?
> 
> Performance enhancing drug, no joke.


 
Very true. I've tried a few cups of coffee before I typed in keyboarding class, and the results were great. Before caffeine, about 95 wpm, after caffeine about 106... Highest I got was 111 on caffeine. 

So yea, caffeine does help quite a bit.


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## flan (Oct 10, 2010)

haha I'm actually tempted to become a pioneer of performance enhancing drugs for cubing.


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## Kenneth (Oct 10, 2010)

jiggy said:


> Oh, no...we're going to have to give urine samples at competitions now, aren't we?



Who is willing to pay for that?

It is not cheap you know, you need a lab to do the testings...


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## Escher (Oct 10, 2010)

flan said:


> haha I'm actually tempted to become a pioneer of performance enhancing drugs for cubing.



How do you know that others haven't already done it?


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## StachuK1992 (Oct 10, 2010)

Escher said:


> How do you know that others haven't already done it?


 
Haha, people have definitely done it.
Oh, #...


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## Joker (Oct 10, 2010)

Won't caffeine make you twitchy?
I thought that would make you less accurate in typing....and in cubing it depends on your style (for instance, Faz looks pretty twitchy when he cubes)


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## ChrisBird (Oct 10, 2010)

Joker said:


> Won't caffeine make you twitchy?
> I thought that would make you less accurate in typing....and in cubing it depends on your style (for instance, *Faz looks pretty twitchy when he cubes*)


 
You didn't know that Faz is on all sorts of illegal and legal drugs while he cubes?


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## Escher (Oct 10, 2010)

StachuK1992 said:


> Haha, people have definitely done it.
> Oh, #...


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## oprah62 (Oct 10, 2010)

ChrisBird said:


> You didn't know that Faz is on all sorts of illegal and legal drugs while he cubes?


 
He's on nutella :O


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## endless_akatsuki (Oct 10, 2010)

If I had ritalin, I wouldn't waste it on cubing.


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## nitrocan (Oct 10, 2010)

You think some guy who doesn't know how to play chess that well could take Ritalin and start beasting grand masters because he has "focus"?


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## endless_akatsuki (Oct 10, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> You think some guy who doesn't know how to play chess that well could take Ritalin and start beasting grand masters because he has "focus"?


 
if the guy who didn't know how to play chess had the mental capability to beast a grand master if he focused, then yes.


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## nitrocan (Oct 10, 2010)

endless_akatsuki said:


> if the guy who didn't know how to play chess had the mental capability to beast a grand master if he focused, then yes.



If the chess example didn't work, think of it this way. Can someone who doesn't know full OLL or PLL and does LBL F2L, beat one of the best cubers for 3x3 average? Even if he has the capacity to beat them after all, no drug can help him right now. Experience and knowledge plays a big part in cubing and chess.


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## ChrisBird (Oct 10, 2010)

nitrocan: I don't think you understand the point this thread is trying to make.
I may be completely wrong, in which case I'll eat a bug, but I believe the thread is saying that you can get _a little_ better if you have one of these drugs to help you focus. Not saying if you have one then you automatically be world record material. So for example, I average 18, they are saying on ritalin or a similar drug *I may* be able to average 16-17 or so. Which is a significant drop, but nothing crazy.


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## nitrocan (Oct 10, 2010)

ChrisBird said:


> nitrocan: I don't think you understand the point this thread is trying to make.
> I may be completely wrong, in which case I'll eat a bug, but I believe the thread is saying that you can get _a little_ better if you have one of these drugs to help you focus. Not saying if you have one then you automatically be world record material. So for example, I average 18, they are saying on ritalin or a similar drug *I may* be able to average 16-17 or so. Which is a significant drop, but nothing crazy.



I agree with that. All I'm saying is that just because people took Ritalin, they won't start solving the cube in like half the time they normally would. And if it doesn't even help that much, what's the point?


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## oprah62 (Oct 10, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> I agree with that. All I'm saying is that just because people took Ritalin, they won't start solving the cube in like half the time they normally would. And if it doesn't even help that much, what's the point?


 
When are as good as someone at the top, every little bit counts.


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## waffle=ijm (Oct 10, 2010)

swim.


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## Stefan (Oct 10, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> they won't start solving the cube in like half the time they normally would



Did anybody say that?



nitrocan said:


> And if it doesn't even help that much, what's the point?



Yeah, 7.07... 7.09... what's the difference?


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## Rpotts (Oct 10, 2010)

^^^LOL

what about k2 pink and cubing? woner? got anything to say about that? 
I find drinking and getting high increases my times about 1-2 seconds, but increases my variance twofold at least. I get some great solves, but way to many 23+ solves n stuff. Never taken adderall/ritalin. Cubing on mushrooms can be kinda fun too. Anyone got experience with PKs + cubing? Like vicodin, oxy etc


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## nitrocan (Oct 10, 2010)

Stefan said:


> Did anybody say that?



Common sense. I don't think a medicine can decrease someone's solving times by that much. I would like to hear some results if anyone's up to it.



Stefan said:


> Yeah, 7.07... 7.09... what's the difference?



I wouldn't want to risk having the side effects of such a drug for differences like this. Especially when we're talking about cubing, a non-profit hobby/sport. I hear that Ritalin can even cause addiction.



> *Less common or rare side effects may include:
> *Abdominal pain, abnormal heartbeat, abnormal muscular movements, blood pressure changes, chest pain, dizziness, drowsiness, fever, hair loss, headache, hives, jerking, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea, palpitations (fluttery or throbbing heartbeat), pulse changes, rapid heartbeat, reddish or purplish skin spots, skin reddening, skin inflammation with peeling, skin rash, Tourette's syndrome (severe twitching), weight loss during long-term treatment


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## ChrisBird (Oct 10, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> Side Effects blah blah blah



I herd it also causes irregular bowel movements, raptor claws, and pancake brain. So I better not even bother, even though the risks of any of those happening is less than .000001%.


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## oprah62 (Oct 10, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> I wouldn't want to risk having the side effects of such a drug for differences like this. Especially when we're talking about cubing, a non-profit hobby/sport. I hear that Ritalin can even cause addiction.


 
Stop changing the subject. You claimed that little changes in time have no significance, but honestly, anything can cause that; all factors are important.
Also, many things in life have side effects, but people ignore them.


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## nitrocan (Oct 10, 2010)

ChrisBird said:


> I herd it also causes irregular bowel movements, raptor claws, and pancake brain. So I better not even bother, even though the risks of any of those happening is less than .000001%.



Even the more common side effects like inability to fall or stay asleep, nervousness, are good enough reasons not to use it for cubing.



> Excessive doses of this drug over a long period of time can produce addiction. It is also possible to develop tolerance to the drug, so that larger doses are needed to produce the original effect.


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## oprah62 (Oct 11, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> Even the more common side effects like inability to fall or stay asleep, nervousness, are good enough reasons not to use it for cubing.


 
Do you realize most side effects take a long time of use to build up? A person who smokes once in their life will not get emphasema.


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## nitrocan (Oct 11, 2010)

oprah62 said:


> Do you realize most side effects take a long time of use to build up? A person who smokes once in their life will not get emphasema.



Be sure to have read all my post.



oprah62 said:


> Stop changing the subject. You claimed that little changes in time have no significance, but honestly, anything can cause that; all factors are important.
> Also, many things in life have side effects, but people ignore them.


 
When?


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## cincyaviation (Oct 11, 2010)

oprah62 said:


> Do you realize most side effects take a long time of use to build up? A person who smokes once in their life will not get emphasema.


 
But they may get addicted, which will cause them to smoke more, and get emphysema.


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## oprah62 (Oct 11, 2010)

cincyaviation said:


> But they may get addicted, which will cause them to smoke more, and get emphysema.


 
That has nothing to do with the topic at hand of side effects, not addiction.


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## cincyaviation (Oct 11, 2010)

oprah62 said:


> That has nothing to do with the topic at hand of side effects, not addiction.


 
Addiction leads to side effects.


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## nitrocan (Oct 11, 2010)

oprah62 said:


> That has nothing to do with the topic at hand of side effects, not addiction.



Being addicted to a drug will obviously increase the chances of having a side effect over a long period of time. And keep in mind that this drug is being given to a normal, focused person, not someone with a disorder of some sort.


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## oprah62 (Oct 11, 2010)

You were referring the use while cubing to get an advantage, which personally I think would only be useful in competitions. If you only used it at comps., you probably wouldn't get addicted, or have side effects. But you could get addicted over some time.


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## Andrew Ricci (Oct 11, 2010)

ChrisBird said:


> I herd it also causes *irregular bowel movements*, raptor claws, and *pancake brain*. So I better not even bother, even though the risks of any of those happening is less than .000001%.


 
I lol'd. 

Silliness aside, I don't believe cubing would ever be something I'd use drugs to have an advantage against the competition. It's like cheating in sports. All that comes from it is an asterisk next to your name in the record books and a whole lot of hate.


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## endless_akatsuki (Oct 11, 2010)

Seriously....the only way to get addicted to ritalin is to try to get addicted. Or snorting it (like cocaine). lmao.


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## MW1990 (Oct 11, 2010)

I've cubed while high (weed), on ecstasy, on adderall, salvia, and acid. Mostly I just smoke occasionally and drop some acid every once in awhile.
anyway... cubing while high is fun, it's like holding the cube in molasses hehe. 

Cubing after taking ecstasy (only done it once) was typical: the colors were quite interesting, and that's pretty much it cubing related, but the week after was horrible and I got super depressed (only done ecstasy 3 times, that's the only time it happened D: )

here we go: Adderall!!!!  Adderall made cubing extremely easy and made me feel like I was moving much faster than before. 

Salvia, although the high is short lived, is fun, I tried to cube, but I ended up becoming "part" of the floor with my cube just sitting there next to me for like 20 minutes lol. 

Cubing on acid, I must admit, was my favorite. I saw the cube melt in my hands and through the floor.

All in all: Haven't tried Ritalin+Cubing, but Adderall is better than Ritalin (at least for me) anyway, and other drugs + cubing can be quite enjoyable.

I sometimes drop acid and do mathematics, and WOW it is like opening up a new gate of creativity in the mathematical world


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## MW1990 (Oct 11, 2010)

I've cubed while high (weed), on ecstasy, on adderall, salvia, and acid. Mostly I just smoke occasionally and drop some acid every once in awhile.
anyway... cubing while high is fun, it's like holding the cube in molasses hehe. 

Cubing after taking ecstasy (only done it once) was typical: the colors were quite interesting, and that's pretty much it cubing related, but the week after was horrible and I got super depressed (only done ecstasy 3 times, that's the only time it happened D: )

here we go: Adderall!!!!  Adderall made cubing extremely easy and made me feel like I was moving much faster than before. 

Salvia, although the high is short lived, is fun, I tried to cube, but I ended up becoming "part" of the floor with my cube just sitting there next to me for like 20 minutes lol. 

Cubing on acid, I must admit, was my favorite. I saw the cube melt in my hands and through the floor.

All in all: Haven't tried Ritalin+Cubing, but Adderall is better than Ritalin (at least for me) anyway, and other drugs + cubing can be quite enjoyable.

I sometimes drop acid and do mathematics, and WOW it is like opening up a new gate of creativity in the mathematical world


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## Stefan (Oct 11, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> Common sense. I don't think a medicine can decrease someone's solving times by that much. I would like to hear some results if anyone's up to it.


 
Apparently I need to be more clear:



nitrocan said:


> they won't start solving the cube in like half the time they normally would



Did anybody say people would start solving the cube in like half the time they normally would?


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## freshcuber (Oct 11, 2010)

I feel as though using a drug like Ritalin or Adderal would be best used when memorizing algs and not really to helpful when timing.


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## oprah62 (Oct 11, 2010)

If you get a pop while high... My mind would freak out.


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## Andrew Ricci (Oct 11, 2010)

MW1990 said:


> I've cubed while high (weed), on ecstasy, on adderall, salvia, and acid. Mostly I just smoke occasionally and drop some acid every once in awhile.
> anyway... cubing while high is fun, it's like holding the cube in molasses hehe.
> 
> Cubing after taking ecstasy (only done it once) was typical: the colors were quite interesting, and that's pretty much it cubing related, but the week after was horrible and I got super depressed (only done ecstasy 3 times, that's the only time it happened D: )
> ...


 
This is why you don't do drugs, kids.


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## hawkmp4 (Oct 11, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> Common sense. I don't think a medicine can decrease someone's solving times by that much. I would like to hear some results if anyone's up to it.
> 
> 
> 
> I wouldn't want to risk having the side effects of such a drug for differences like this. Especially when we're talking about cubing, a non-profit hobby/sport. I hear that Ritalin can even cause addiction.





> Common adverse effects include: nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulceration/bleeding, raised liver enzymes, diarrhea, constipation, epistaxis, headache, dizziness, priapism, rash, salt and fluid retention, and hypertension.[18] A study from 2010 has shown that regular use of NSAIDs was associated with an increase in hearing loss.[19]
> Infrequent adverse effects include: esophageal ulceration, heart failure, hyperkalemia, renal impairment, confusion, and bronchospasm


Ibuprofen.


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## Daniel Wu (Oct 11, 2010)

MW1990 said:


> Salvia, although the high is short lived, is fun, I tried to cube, but I ended up becoming "part" of the floor with my cube just sitting there next to me for like 20 minutes lol.


Sorry, but lol.


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## Whyusosrs? (Oct 11, 2010)

nitrocan said:


> I hear that Ritalin can even cause addiction.



I hear syrup, pancakes, 4chan, waffles, cereal, milk, orange juice, french fries, dietary supplements, taking a dump, women, pepsi, staring into a spoon, TV, computer, WoW, and your mother are all addictive. What's your point? Anything in life is addictive.



nitrocan said:


> Being addicted to a drug will obviously increase the chances of having a side effect over a long period of time.


I'm addicted to tobacco, but I've only taken it 5 times. However, I cannot afford tobacco anymore. I obviously become 50x more likely to get a horrible looking lung because I'm addicted to something. WRONG.

Your posts your posts your posts is my lulz.


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## Joker (Oct 11, 2010)

ChrisBird said:


> You didn't know that Faz is on all sorts of illegal and legal drugs while he cubes?


 
Yea like Nutella


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## PhillipEspinoza (Oct 11, 2010)

To the people who think you're cool cuz you do drugs:

You're not.

There's no need for pee tests but if it's ever known that a really fast cuber uses ritalin/adderall or equivalent to help his/her times, they will be looked down upon. Ritalin is essentially a watered down version of Crystal Meth which makes you pay close attention to small details and keeps you up at night making you wanna clean things and take apart VCR's so you can put em back together again. 

I'm torn about the issue though because I know I use caffeine to help with times sometime so I'm wondering what's the difference between that and ritalin? What counts as a "performance-enhancing drug"?


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## ChrisBird (Oct 11, 2010)

Phillip: The question is, will it make enough difference for us to care?

If anything is used and will make the person 1 second faster (caffine for ex) do we care?
If anything is used and will make the person 3 seconds faster (maybe Ritalin?) do we care?
If anything is used and will make the person 5 seconds faster (steroids?) do we care?
If anything is used and will make the person 10 seconds faster (jesus) do we care?

The items/objects in parenthesis are purely hypothetical and none are assumed truths.

My point is, when should we start to care enough to test?


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## Joker (Oct 11, 2010)

oprah62 said:


> If you get a pop while high... My mind would freak out.


 
Lol
"OMG WTF HOW DUH HECK"
-gets a heart attack-


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## goatseforever (Oct 11, 2010)

Oh the drugs I would have to take in order to understand what point some of you ITT are trying to get across :confused:


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## Kenneth (Oct 11, 2010)

PhillipEspinoza said:


> To the people who think you're cool cuz you do drugs:
> 
> You're not.
> 
> There's no need for pee tests but if it's ever known that a really fast cuber uses ritalin/adderall or equivalent to help his/her times, they will be looked down upon. Ritalin is essentially a watered down version of Crystal Meth which makes you *pay close attention to small details and keeps you up at night making you wanna clean things and take apart VCR's so you can put em back together again*.


 
Yep, so true, and all the time you will think you are doing good 

Speed does not increase perfomance, it only make you think it is like so when you are messing things up.


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## Escher (Oct 11, 2010)

ChrisBird said:


> My point is, when should we start to care enough to test?



When the community as a whole does. It's not about quantitative size of advantage - it's about percieved 'unfairness'.


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## hawkmp4 (Oct 11, 2010)

Escher said:


> When the community as a whole does. It's not about quantitative size of advantage - it's about percieved 'unfairness'.


 
Realistically, though, the best we'll ever be able to do is say, "competing in a WCA competition while under the influence of substance x is illegal." We'll never have the ability to test everyone, and it would be unfair to only test the best.


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## hawkmp4 (Oct 11, 2010)

Escher said:


> When the community as a whole does. It's not about quantitative size of advantage - it's about percieved 'unfairness'.


 
Realistically, though, the best we'll ever be able to do is say, "competing in a WCA competition while under the influence of substance x is illegal." We'll never have the ability to test everyone, and it would be unfair to only test the best.


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