The biggest controversy in sports and athletic competition over the last 10 years has been the use of steroids. How much, if any, do they improve an athlete’s performance?
The drug of choice, with the most question marks surrounding it, is HGH (Human Growth Hormone). HGH is a protein-based poly-peptide hormone which stimulates growth and cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals.
Of course steroids help athletes, otherwise why would they take them. If sex didn’t give gratification men wouldn’t want to hump everything that moves.
Does HGH actually improve performance enough to be a concern-able difference?
Seconds Could Mean a Lifetime
Since no athlete from any major sport in their right mind would agree to be tested and have their results published, tests were conducted on Olympic style recreational athletes.
Australian researchers who conducted a study showing improvements in time for both sprinters and swimmers. According to the article on BioscienceTechnology.com, “the Australian researchers who conducted the study said the work shows HGH…might shave 0.4 seconds off a 10-second time in a 100-metre sprint or 1.2 seconds off a 30-second time in a 50-metre swimming event.”
Now this may not seem like a lot of time, but when gold medals are determined in some cases by .001 seconds, this can drastically change the outcome of someone’s life. With evidence provided by this study, a person’s status and financial well-being could be changed for their entire lives.
The researchers said they chose to do the tests on recreational athletes due to the fact that it would not be ethical to perform these studies on elite athletes.
If it can improve an Average Joe’s time, imagine what it could do to the most athletically gifted people in the world.
Impact in Major Sports
HGH
- HGH is clinically used to treat growth disorders and hormone deficiencies.
- There was no ban on HGH until the 2000s since blood tests that could distinguish between natural and artificial HGH were not available until then.
“They” Said
- Growth Hormone Gives Boost, Firsty Study Proves
- Study Shows Human Growth Hormone Can Aid Performance
- Study: Growth Hormone Can Aid Athletic Performance
Former team physician of the Toronto Raptors Dr. Doug Richards, gives us some insight on what may really be happening with his comments on the findings.
“Obviously they used dosages that might be a little bit tame compared to some of the insanity that may go on in the meathead locker room.”
The saying “Speed Kills” in the NFL led me to believe this would be the perfect drug for its players. Not only does it increase body mass, but it could make a player one step quicker than another guy not using it. This is a sport where a young man’s financial life can change forever by running a sub 4.2-forty yard dash.
If it can make your legs and feet quicker, how fast can it improve your hands and bat speed in MLB. During Mark McGwire’s off-season steroids admission he gave us this bullshit quote.
“There’s no way a pill or an injection will give you hand-eye coordination or the ability or the great mind that I’ve had as baseball player. I was always the last one to leave. I was always hitting by myself. I took care of myself.”
In every major sport you can find a good reason why an amateur or professional athlete would want to do HGH. What is it that makes HGH the best choice on the market?
Can’t Punish if You Can’t Prove
The reason HGH has become the product of choice is because the tests have proved to be ineffective. You can only test positive for HGH a few days after injection.
WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has been pushing to have all major U.S. sports to starting testing, especially MLB.
Last November was the first ever positive test for HGH, a British rugby player Terry Newton was caught. This finding should help persuade other major sports to start testing for HGH.
As for Newton, assuming this drug is as rampant as believed, how big of an asshole must he feel like for getting caught? It’s not easy to get caught; a person would almost have to show up at a game with the needle sticking out of their ass.
I suggest that major sports start running experiments on their athletes. They can do so by taking athletes who are willing from their minor league organizations and giving them access to HGH. Document all the statistics they can compile over one season and see if those players spike in improvement and in which areas their performance was enhanced.
My guess is that they have already done that secretively and don’t want to publish the results informing us just how tainted sports have become. Either everyone takes them, or no one takes them, I’m in favor of the best possible product on the field.
