Bodybuilder warns AFL of drug threat
Date: 14-03-2010
Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamUnited States |
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THE first Australian to be crowned the Mr World of natural bodybuilding says the nation's major sporting authorities would be ignorant to believe none of their elite athletes were cheating by using human growth hormone.
Ryan Laos, a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder, says the expensive hormone known as HGH, which is available by prescription as an anti-ageing drug, is easily obtainable on the black market.
After the AFL last week became the first Australian sporting code to implement blood-testing for HGH and third generation red blood cell-producing EPOs, Laos said: ''It would be totally stupid to think that there aren't people in elite sports who have been using hGH for many years to gain an advantage.''
HGH is hard to detect because, whereas anabolic steroids are synthetic, growth hormones occur naturally in the body.
''So if you find it in a sample, the person can say it's just natural,'' said endocrinologist, associate Professor Tony O'Sullivan from University of New South Wales' St George Clinical School.
''The other big problem is that growth hormone is released in a pulsatile way, meaning it bounces up and down in your system. Even if you find a higher level, you don't know if the person's just had a pulse of it released naturally by their system or whether they've had an injection of it. It's a bit like EPO, which is also a natural hormone.''
Hard to detect, but not hard to buy. Bodybuilder Laos said that finding hormones was no harder than finding illicit drugs.
''It's not just available in gyms, it's available all over the place,'' he said. ''You can ask a few people in a pub and you'll probably get someone carrying steroids or HGH, just like they might have cocaine or ecstasy.
''There's some footy players who will say they've put on eight or 10 kilos in the off-season.
''You think to yourself, 'Bloody hell, how did you do that?' Then you see them running around with their shirt off and they're lean. They haven't put on fat.
''I don't want to accuse anyone, but the fact is that for an intermediate or advanced trainer, you can only gain up to three kilos of lean muscle per year. A beginner might put on 10 kilos quickly, but not someone who's been training for a while.
''So when a player puts on eight to 10 kilos of lean muscle over a three or four-month off-season, they're either doing something extremely good or unusual with their training, or they've gone for another option.''
NRL spokesman John Brady said the league was working with authorities, players and medical experts to understand threats posed by HGH.
HGH - THE FACTS
WHAT IS IT?
HGH is produced in the pituitary gland and is important for muscle growth and production of cartilage cells which lead to bone growth. It is illegal to use HGH in Australia without a prescription. It is banned under the WADA code.
THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS
Improved brain function, strengthened tissue, skin rejuvenation, increased energy, brightened mood, muscle growth, improved libido, improved lung function, immune system support and improved production of individual muscle cells. Some use HGH because they perceive that it is as effective as anabolic steroids with fewer side effects, and is difficult to detect in a drug test. It seems to decrease body fat and increase fat-free mass. However, there is less evidence that this translates to increased strength, endurance and sporting performance.
THE SIDE EFFECTS
Unsupervised HGH enhancement can cause irreversible acromegaly, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and arthritis. This disorder begins with an overgrown bone and connective tissue, leading to altered facial appearance, such as a protruding jaw and eyebrow bones. Acromegaly can also lead to abnormal growth of the hands and feet and a shortened life expectancy. Other reported side effects include inadequate thyroid function, heart enlargement and damage, water retention, thickening of the skin, abnormal hair growth, liver damage and impotence.
THE BLACK MARKET
There is an active blackmarket in HGH. Counterfeit HGH concoctions may have few, if any, active ingredients and carry the risk of contamination.
