HGH Testing Part of the New CBA

[mission]

Not sure Im a fan of this... can't take awayball the Steelers '70s SB victories so we might as well roll with it.

[Lurker64]

Well, color my interpretation of the number of tests dead wrong: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...f-hgh-testing/



My prediction has gone from the testing being basically ineffective to basically ludicrous. But ludicrous enough that using will be hard to accomplish if the offseason tests are truly random.

I still think that the system is super-easy to beat, especially during the offseason. The window for a positive test result is at most 48 hours, and players don't have to make themselves available for drug tests every waking hour of the offseason, do they? I mean, you could go away for the weekend, take HGH on Friday night and if they wanted to test you on Monday Morning, you wouldn't test positive.

I think this is more for show than anything else, at least not until we get a better test.

[Guiness]

Well, color my interpretation of the number of tests dead wrong: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...f-hgh-testing/



My prediction has gone from the testing being basically ineffective to basically ludicrous. But ludicrous enough that using will be hard to accomplish if the offseason tests are truly random.

Indeed. The logistics of such a program are mind boggling. 2000 players, 6 tests during the offseason = 12,000 tests need to be completed. If the offseason is 7 months long, that's 57 tests/day, seven day a week.

How would the tests be conducted? Are you going to have people running around administering the tests? If that's the case, you'd be lucky if one person got 3-4 tests done per day. Some tests would take a whole day to get done (isending someone to Hattiesburg, for instance). You're looking at what, 15-20 guys full time just to get the samples??? If the nature of the drug is as Bobble said, and it clears the system in a few hours, you can't tell the player to report for a test...

[bobblehead]

The problem with trying to test for HgH is that its bioIdentical to your bodies hormone. You have to determine there is too much in the bloodstream and if an athlete is taking it for healing purposes he takes it before bed and its almost undetectable by morning. If he is popping 5IU a day and splitting it morning and night you probably get him, but the only reason to do that is to gain SERIOUS size.

[mission]

The problem with trying to test for HgH is that its bioIdentical to your bodies hormone. You have to determine there is too much in the bloodstream and if an athlete is taking it for healing purposes he takes it before bed and its almost undetectable by morning. If he is popping 5IU a day and splitting it morning and night you probably get him, but the only reason to do that is to gain SERIOUS size.

Good info... seems like a lot of guys would use it to some extent if you can just dose smaller for recovery.

I'm thinking back to some "miraculous" recoveries and ya gotta wonder...

[Guiness]

Good info... seems like a lot of guys would use it to some extent if you can just dose smaller for recovery.

I'm thinking back to some "miraculous" recoveries and ya gotta wonder...

Yup. A guy like TO is supposed to be back to near 100% - and being an FA, probably doesn't fall under the rules right now.

[mission]

And really, I don't think I have a problem with that. Feel like I should -- as I did with baseball -- but controlled usage seems logical for the sport if it's deemed safe enough. Not sure if it is.

And from what I know, it doesn't skew much from a historical perspective because some form of PEDs have been around in the game since they started getting serious about getting big.

I love the fact that the NFL is the biggest, strongest, fastest. Hmm. Doubt many will agree.

[sharpe1027]

And really, I don't think I have a problem with that. Feel like I should -- as I did with baseball -- but controlled usage seems logical for the sport if it's deemed safe enough. Not sure if it is.

And from what I know, it doesn't skew much from a historical perspective because some form of PEDs have been around in the game since they started getting serious about getting big.

I love the fact that the NFL is the biggest, strongest, fastest. Hmm. Doubt many will agree.

It is always a bit of a grey area as to what is OK and what is not OK. I think that one measure that could be used is whether the advantage is significant enough that if enough other players are using the PED it is very difficult to compete unless you use the PED. If that is the case and you allow the PED to be used, then you are basically telling players that the MUST use the PED if they want to be in the NFL.

I would rather error on the side of forcing players not to use a PED than have the possibility of forcing players to use a PED.

[Smidgeon]

Yup. A guy like TO is supposed to be back to near 100% - and being an FA, probably doesn't fall under the rules right now.

Some people are fast healers naturally. I know that because I am, and I've never taken anything more than codeine in my life (except muscle relaxers and morphine once in the ER). I can easily imagine that some athletes who are exceptionally gifted are also fast healers (not all, but some). For example, someone in peak physical condition would have fewer obstacles to recovery as someone out of shape and overweight. The body would have less to overcome. And probably someone who naturally heals fast has a slight advantage as an athlete since they're injured less frequently and are available more. Maybe TO is gifted such a way. I don't like him, but maybe.

[Guiness]

Some people are fast healers naturally. I know that because I am, and I've never taken anything more than codeine in my life (except muscle relaxers and morphine once in the ER). I can easily imagine that some athletes who are exceptionally gifted are also fast healers (not all, but some). For example, someone in peak physical condition would have fewer obstacles to recovery as someone out of shape and overweight. The body would have less to overcome. And probably someone who naturally heals fast has a slight advantage as an athlete since they're injured less frequently and are available more. Maybe TO is gifted such a way. I don't like him, but maybe.

You're absolutely correct. Healing and getting into shape is their job.

I rolled my ankle this spring. The dreaded 'high ankle sprain'. It's better, I'd put it at 90%. I can do most non-court sport activities. Why not 100? Because I don't go to physio, get weekly MRI's to check progress, work out twice a day and sleep in a hypobaric chamber. TO can do all of these things, plus the point you make about being a fast healer.

But there's a limit to all of those things. From sportsline

We'd be shocked if Owens was back on the field playing at a high level come Week 1 or even Week 8. That would mean a full recovery from a torn ACL in just four months -- unheard of.

If, at 37yrs old, he does come back week 1...my belief of 'quick healing' goes about as far as Dennis Mitchell's excuse that his testosterone levels were off the chart because he'd had 'beer and sex with his wife at least four times the night before!'

[Smidgeon]

You're absolutely correct. Healing and getting into shape is their job.

I rolled my ankle this spring. The dreaded 'high ankle sprain'. It's better, I'd put it at 90%. I can do most non-court sport activities. Why not 100? Because I don't go to physio, get weekly MRI's to check progress, work out twice a day and sleep in a hypobaric chamber. TO can do all of these things, plus the point you make about being a fast healer.

But there's a limit to all of those things. From sportsline



If, at 37yrs old, he does come back week 1...my belief of 'quick healing' goes about as far as Dennis Mitchell's excuse that his testosterone levels were off the chart because he'd had 'beer and sex with his wife at least four times the night before!'

What about his recovery from a broken foot with the Eagles? That was unheard of too. And he was surrounded by doctors for that healing, presumably without a chance of additional "juicing".