Things You May Wish to Know About HGH Use in the NFL

Every other time we hear of football players breaking one record or another, including some that had stood for a long time. You may not be able to keep yourself from been amazed at how tough, strong, and agile these athletes are. But, at the same time, people have long suspected that they do take special substances that enable them do what they do. One such substance that has come under increasing focus in recent years is human growth hormone (HGH). Many players are thought to use this polypeptide, even though its use is banned. But the NFL hasn't achieved significant success in catching such persons. Why is this so? Read on to learn more.

Why do athletes use HGH?

It may not really be out of place to talk about growth hormone and reasons for use by athletes before going any further. This is a substance naturally secreted by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain in humans. It helps with cell repair and regeneration and facilitates physical growth. The hormone stimulates the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a vital protein for muscle, bone and organ growth. HGH is also available in recombinant or synthetic form for dealing with low levels in the body. It is this latter option that athletes and people interested in other off-label benefits of growth hormone sometimes use.

Athletes, including NFL players, typically use HGH of rDNA origin for the following reasons:

Muscle mass building – The usual sights you see in a football game are hefty, intimidating men. Growth hormone may help to achieve such look. It is said to help build lean muscle mass, which is also why professional bodybuilders take it. The substance is especially useful in that it burns body fat to produce an attractive, ripped body.

Performance enhancement – Boost in athletic performance has been reported from the use of HGH. It is said to improve strength, endurance and energy levels. This way, it helps an athlete to exercise or compete without tiring easily. Add these benefits to muscle mass building and you will understand why some NFL players go down that road.

Faster recovery – Injuries are part of the game. Whenever they happen, they could prevent a player or an athlete from achieving their goals for a season. It is suggested that growth hormone can promote faster recovery. For instance, former NFL running back Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar reportedly resorted to HGH after having multiple surgeries to reconstruct a bad knee. The hormone therapy seemed to help in repairing the damaged knee.

However, findings in research on the special benefits of growth hormone for athletes are conflicting. Some studies conclude there are no benefits, while some others reckon that the observed benefits are insignificant. This may be because studies are typically done using doses lower than what these athletes are rumored to use.

HGH in the NFL

The highly physical nature of the NFL makes growth hormone appeal to many players. The idea of going up against a hulking opponent while you look smaller doesn't appear good at all. So players just have to "prepare" themselves adequately for all the pounding that takes place. The fact that HGH may also speed up healing and recovery time makes it all the more appealing.

While most outsiders suspect use of traditional steroids, many NFL players are said to actually use growth hormone. In a report by Bleacher Report, a veteran in the league was quoted as saying that "HGH is the big problem," not even regular steroids. As much as 50 percent of current players in the NFL are said to use growth hormone for performance enhancement. Yet, the league has not really been able to catch significant number of people.

An Al Jazeera documentary titled "The Dark Side" raised some dust in December 2015, linking Peyton Manning to HGH. A pharmacist, Charles Sly, revealed on camera that an anti-aging clinic in Indianapolis delivered growth hormone to the former NFL player through his wife when he was still with the Colts. The respected quarterback denied using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), including growth hormone.

NFL's policy on HGH

The NFL forbids its players from using anabolic steroids and other PEDs. It started testing for the use of steroids during the 1987 seasons, with suspensions for violations starting two seasons later. However, testing for growth hormone did not start until towards the end of 2014. The players' union were reluctant about agreeing to the testing.

The NFL has special software that helps to randomly select players for testing. League policy states that five players will be selected from eight randomly selected clubs for urine and serum testing during preseason and regular season. That gives a total of about 40. Five of 10 players picked from each team in the playoffs have to submit urine and blood samples for testing. Six players are randomly selected each week to be tested. The league informs players for testing two days ahead for them to be available at an approved facility.

A player found to be guilty of using banned substances for the first time gets a six-game ban, according to NFL rules. Such will also forfeit his pay while the ban is in effect. Any individual that tests positive for a performance enhancing substance, such as HGH, a second time is banned for 10 games without pay. A two-year ban is the penalty for a player that fails a PED test for a third time.

Effectiveness of testing technique

So how many players has the NFL been able to bust since the start of HGH testing? To be precise, none. The isoform approach that the process follows leaves a wide gap for players to exploit. Why? It is only useful for busting those who use growth hormone within the previous 24 hours. This fact has essentially reduced the test to something like a toothless bulldog or the act of locking the stable when the horse had already bolted. With the two-day notice, players can easily prepare themselves appropriately for testing. There are also masking agents and techniques that make these banned substances hard to be detected.

Little wonder then that the NFL has not really achieved notable success with its HGH testing program. In fact, virtually everyone that has been identified to have used growth hormone at some point came forth to confess. For instance, former Oakland Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski admitted on the TV show 60 Minutes that he used HGH in the early 2000s. The league also only became aware of the use of the hormone by former Patriot Rodney Harrison after the safety confessed to law enforcement in 2007.

The seeming ineffectiveness of the current system of testing has led to increased call for a better approach. Some experts have suggested adoption of a biomarker test. Bleacher Report quoted an NFL official in a report as saying this alternative technique was being considered. Unlike an isoform test, the biomarker test is not able to detect HGH use that takes place in the previous two days. But its window of detection is wider, extending as far back as at least a week. This makes it more ideal for catching HGH and steroid cheats. If the two tests are combined, it sounds reasonable that players will find it considerably harder to cheat with PEDs.

For now, it does not appear like the proposed new testing technique is in use yet. The NFL players are practically free to continue experimenting with growth hormone and some other PEDs for the time being. Some people, including ex-players, suggested the use of these substances may not be unconnected to the rise in the occurrence of season-ending injuries in the professional league. It is a bit of concern to know that younger people playing college and even high school football are said to also use PEDs, possibly including HGH.