Steroid Abuse

Roger Clemens Indicted Over Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Steroid Abuse on August 19th, 2010

Roger ClemensA report on ESPN shared that former Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens was indicted on federal charges on Thursday, for lying to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs. The six-count indictment stemmed from a statement that Clemens made before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Clemens had given the following statement as part of his testimony in February 2008: “Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH.”

His former trainer, former New York Yankees strength and conditioning coach Brian McNamee, gave statements that ran contrary to Clemens’ claims, and shared that he personally injected Clemens with HGH.

Clemens still stands by his initial testimony, however, and tweeted: “I never took HGH or Steroids. And I did not lie to Congress… I look forward to challenging the Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind until trial. I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am happy to finally have my day in court.”

No Comments

Erik Morales Comments on Manny Pacquiao and Drug Testing

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Testing, Steroid Abuse on August 19th, 2010

Pacquiao - MoralesAnother boxing star is joining the ranks of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Paulie Malignaggi in questioning Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao’s abilities, according to a feature on BoxingScene.com. Erik Morales has the distinction of being the last boxer to defeat Pacquiao in the ring (March 19, 2005, MGM Grand Las Vegas) – although Pacquiao is also responsible for Morales’ first knockout in his boxing career, during a re-match between the two boxers held on January 21, 2006, at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

At any rate, Examiner.com’s Michael Marley shared a conversation with “El Terrible,” who expressed that he could not understand why Pacquiao would not agree to random drug testing. Marley quoted Morales, who said: “I don’t know, I am not familiar with drugs… But I must then ask why he would object to random testing if he has nothing to hide. If you have nothing to hide, then you agree to take all the tests, all the time.”

No Comments

Is Your Teen on Performance-Enhancing Drugs?

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Steroid Abuse on August 14th, 2010

A feature on the Examiner.com shares a disheartening fact: the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PED) among high school students – both male and female – is on the rise, with about one million high school students having used anabolic steroids. Examiner’s Jack Dennis shares a few statistics: in 1993, one in 45 high school students were on anabolic steroids. That became one in 27 in 1997, and now, the number is at 1 in 16. The median age for those who try anabolic steroids for the first time is 15.

teen steroid useDr. Harrison Pope of Harvard University was quoted in the article: “the unique thing about steroids is that a trained eye can spot a user when they are walking in the door.”

So what are these things that a “trained eye” can look for? The physical manifestations of steroid use may include a sudden increase in muscle mass, resulting in weight gain, and small red or purplish acne which can break out on the shoulders and back as well.

Someone on steroids will also have unusually oily hair or skin. Boys will have an abnormally excessive development of breast tissue, while girls will have a decrease in breast size, a deepening of the voice and the appearance of facial hair. The steroid user may also suffer from bad breath and may be aggressive, irritable and hostile. Injection sites may lead to blood spots in the underwear, and a yellowing of the skin may point to possible liver damage.

No Comments

Minor League Players Face Suspension over Performance Enhancing Drugs

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Steroid Abuse on July 27th, 2010

Six Minor League players were given suspensions due to violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The announcement was made by the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball on Monday, according to a report on The Biz of Baseball.

steroidsThe players were suspended after testing positive for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. One of them is Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League outfielder Prentice Redman, who was suspended for 100 days. Redman tested positive for an amphetamine, and the 100-day suspension will go into effect after he completes his current 50-game suspension. Redman is with the Triple-A Albuquerque of the Pacific Coast League.

Three Minor League players of the Milwaukee Brewers were suspended for 50 games, effective immediately: third baseman Allixon Cequea, outfielder Erickson Salaya, and pitcher Leonard Lorenzo. All the aforementioned players belong to the Dominican Summer League team. The report said that Cequea and Salaya tested positive for metabolites of Nandrolone; Lorenzo, on the other hand, tested positive for a metabolite of Boldenone.

Two other players belonging to the roster of the Dominican Summer League Team were suspended for 50 games each, effective immediately. These are Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Jose Valdez, and Oakland Athletics’ pitcher Leudis Benzant. Valdez, like Lorenzo, tested positive for a metabolite of Boldenone, while Benzant tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.

According to the report, sixteen minor league players were suspended due to violations of its drug policy over the last week alone. A total of 60 minor league players faced suspensions that collectively added up to 3,100 games.

No Comments

Canadian University Suspends Football Program Over Doping

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Testing, Steroid Abuse on June 15th, 2010

We have heard about star players being suspended from a team or from playing in a certain number of games due to suspected illegal drug use, but a university in Canada has suspended an entire program for anti-doping violations.

According to a report on The New York Times, the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, has suspended its football program after an investigation revealed anti-doping violations by nine players. The University has cancelled football for the coming season and has placed the coaches of the team on paid leave as a review is being conducted.

drug testThe investigation was sparked by the charging of a University of Waterloo football player, Nathan Zettler, with possession and trafficking of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is described as a treatment for breast cancer that is also used to counter the undesirable effects of steroids. The university turned to the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and had the whole team tested.

University of Waterloo director of athletics Bob Copeland said: “I was surprised and disappointed at the same time. It’s really a wake-up call for people across Canada.” He said further that the fact that there was quite a number of positive results after the entire team was subjected to testing meant that the regular drug testing program being implemented in Canada for university athletes was not effective.

Samples were taken from all 62 players at the University of Waterloo as well as players in two other universities. There were no positive results found in the tests conducted in the other schools.

No Comments

David Haye — Another Drug Testing Advocate in Boxing

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Testing, Steroid Abuse on June 10th, 2010

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not alone in his random drug testing stance for boxing bouts. World heavyweight champion David Haye, through his trainer and manager Adam Booth, has expressed his intention to make mandatory Olympic-style drug testing a staple in boxing bouts. And according to a feature on the Telegraph, he has the backing of the World Boxing Association.

David HayeBooth said that Haye would like to use his being the world heavyweight champion to clean up boxing, much in the same way that Floyd Mayweather Jr. did. Booth said further: “Mayweather pulled a masterstroke. We’d like every fighter to embrace random drug-testing. There is no conceivable reason why any fighter would not agree to random drug testing. The only way to clean up the sport is to do this, and start from the top down. While David Haye has a voice in the sport and a position as world heavyweight champion, he wants to do his bit. He is going to be quite vociferous about it.”

Negotiations are reportedly under way for Haye’s next fight; the announcement as to who his opponent will be may be made next month. There are a number of options shared: there is Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko, as well as Nikolai Valuev. Haye beat Valuev in November and took the WBA belt, but Valuev has a rematch clause in his contract. Home Box Office is said to be pushing for a fight between Hayes and Tomasz Adamek, while Audley Harrison, former Olympic champion, is also looking to fight Haye in the ring.

1 Comment