Doping in American football
The use of anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs in American football is officially prohibited by virtually every sanctioning body.
[5] The NCAA will usually take approximately 20 percent of the players on a football team to test on a specific day.
[6] Other data shows that only 4 percent of high schools have some form of drug testing program in place for their football teams.
[6] The use of performance-enhancing drugs and anabolic steroids dates back to the late 1960s in the National Football League (NFL).
The case of Denver Broncos defensive lineman Lyle Alzado notably exposed early use among NFL players.
In the last years of his life, as he battled against the brain tumor that eventually caused his death at the age of 43, Alzado asserted that his steroid abuse directly led to his fatal illness, but his physician stated it could not possibly be true.
One of the players from the Super Bowl winning 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers team who had earlier confessed to using steroids (in a 1985 Sports Illustrated article) was offensive lineman Steve Courson.
The scandal followed a US Federal government investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) into accusations of its supplying anabolic steroids to professional athletes.
[9] U.S. sprint coach Trevor Graham had given an anonymous phone call to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in June 2003 accusing a number of athletes being involved in doping with a steroid that was not detectable at the time.
Shortly after, then-director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory Don Catlin, developed a testing process for The Clear (tetrahydrogestrinone (THG)).
[11] A number of players from the Oakland Raiders were implicated in this scandal, including Bill Romanowski, Tyrone Wheatley, Barrett Robbins, Chris Cooper and Dana Stubblefield.
[13] He stated that these were supplied by former NFL player and former head of BALCO Victor Conte, saying: I took [human growth hormone] for a brief period and ...
When an athlete is selected for a drug test, they must have it completed within 4 hours of notice, or else the league will start to impose fines and suspensions for not complying.
[18] Players are notified usually after practice via a note on their chair next to their locker that they are required to complete a drug test.
The most noticeable appeal that has been won in recent years was Richard Sherman in 2012 when he avoided a 4-game suspension because of wrongful practices when he was being tested.
[22] Critics argue that the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, set by the NFL and by the players' union (National Football League Players Association) instead of an independent agency like USADA, bans a specific list of stimulants rather than a "catchall" approach like the World Anti-Doping Agency, and uses random testing instead of the globally accepted intelligence-driven testing.
If a player was caught using steroids during training camp or some other off-season workout, they were suspended for 30 days for a first-time offense.
Despite these efforts, several players have been suspended even though their positive test result may have been due to the use of nutritional supplements.
This means that, even if they are bought over-the-counter from a known establishment, there is simply no way to be sure that they: (a) contain the ingredients listed on the packaging; (b) have not been tainted with prohibited substances; or (c) have the properties or effects claimed by the manufacturer or salesperson.
For your own health and success in the League, we strongly encourage you to avoid the use of supplements altogether, or at the very least to be extremely careful about what you choose to take.
[5] Scukanec, who is the co-host of a sports talk radio show "Primetime With Isaac and Big Suke" on KFXX-AM (AM 1080 "The Fan") in Portland, Oregon, made these statements: Over the course of my five years at BYU, I have concrete proof of 13 to 15 guys (using steroids), and I would suspect five others...And BYU is more temperate than most programs.
[5]Portland State University coach Tim Walsh commented on the situation, declining the remarks: That’s a bold statement.
In NCAA drug testing, the athlete is required to provide a concentrated specimen that passes a specific gravity cutoff.
[30][31] Acne is fairly common among anabolic steroid users, mostly due to stimulation of the sebaceous glands by increased testosterone levels.
[32][33] Conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can accelerate the rate of premature baldness for those who are genetically predisposed.
Other side effects can include alterations in the structure of the heart, such as enlargement and thickening of the left ventricle, which impairs its contraction and relaxation.
Female-specific side effects include increases in body hair, deepening of the voice, enlarged clitoris, temporary decreases in menstrual cycles, and male pattern baldness.
People may continue to use steroids despite going through physical problems, and can cause family issues just like any other addictive drug.
