Steroids and hGH in Baseball
From the Seats, December 3, 2004
MINNEAPOLIS - On Thursday ESPN and the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi admitted to using steroids and human growth hormone (hGH) during the 2003 season.
Giambi testified to a grand jury in San Francisco last December he told the jury the truth so he would be granted immunity. If he lied he would face perjury charges.
Steroids in baseball has been baseballs biggest issue that continually get very little attention from MLB. For starters, they are not banned from the game. And second, the issue of steroids has not been addressed in a way to get it out of the game, it has hardly been addressed.
Anabolic steroids are used to enhance performance by athletes. Hazards include extreme moods swings and can lead to violence, depression often is seen when the drugs are stopped.
Human growth hormone (hGH) that Giambi also admitted to using is hormone that the human body loses naturally with age. By the age of 60 most people have lost 80% of the growth hormone in their system they had when they were 20. GH has amazing age reversing affects by reducing wrinkles by rejuvenating the skin, reduces the probability of injury, incredible weight loss without any loss in lean mass, raises energy levels, brightens moods, promotes muscle growth, improves functions of the lungs, and has the ability to produce more muscle cells, which is something no steroid can do.
Wow, why doesn't everyone take this stuff? It sounds like the wonder drug everyone is looking for! Well it could have to do with the cost and side effects. GH can cost around $20-$30 per I.U, and 200 lbs. person would need about 60 I.U. per week. That adds up to about $1800 a week for the use of GH. This can very though since dosages are difficult to figure out to have the greatest effect.
Side effects are not the same as anabolic steroids, the most common side effects are low blood sugar levels. Other side effects include diabetes, heart enlargement, high blood pressure, and enlargement of the kidneys.
If this is not enough GH needs to be handled with great care as it needs to be stored at cool temperatures and it is possible to not be handled properly before purchase. It is also imitated and resembles GH.
It amazes me that after knowing the dangers why any player would want to go down this road. The San Francisco Chronicle has a poll about the punishment to Giambi for steroid use. The options were A) Long suspension. B) Lightly, lots of players did it. C) His health problems may be punishment enough.
I find A and C to be interesting choices. If Giambi and others do in fact get the health problems listed one might think that will be enough. That what these players will suffer though could be enough of a punishment. A suspension might not mean much to players.
To get these problems out of baseball serious consequences need to be put in place for their use. They would not only help the image of baseball but help keep players as safe. I am talking about banning players from baseball.
I think a fine or consequences should be put in place after a random drug testing program is put in place for all players. What has been done is done, we need to stop this kind of thing from happening in the future.
www.sfgate.com, http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/steroids.html, http://www.hgh-research.org/injectable.html