Robert
Mathis of the Indianapolis Colts was recently suspended for four games for
testing positive for a banned substance.
He admitted to taking the fertility drug clomid, which is on the NFL’s
banned substance list and considered a performance enhancing drug (PED). Dr.
Steven Morganstern, the urologist who prescribed the drug to Mathis, also
backed up Mathis' claim he took the drug only for fertility purposes. Regardless of the unique circumstances the NFL was unforgiving
suspending him, especially since he did not follow the proper protocol before
taking the drug.
Mathis' agent on Monday
accused the NFL of misleading the public with its statements on the drug his
client used that resulted in the Colts linebacker's four-game suspension and questioned the league's unwillingness to
adjust the penalty.
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| Indianapolis Colts LB Robert Mathis |
Those
serious about their health and wellness take supplements that have been proven
to be beneficial. Many of these
athletes who have tested positive for banned substances start with pre-workout energy drinks, protein shakes, glutamine
(recovery), and creatine (strength and power). These are all taken for health benefits and to assist for
intense training sessions.
Caffeine is most commonly used to improve mental alertness,
but it has many other uses.
It is also used with painkillers for simple headaches and preventing and
treating headaches after epidural anesthesia. Some people use caffeine for asthma, gallbladder disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), shortness of breath
in newborns, and low blood pressure.
Caffeine is also used for weight and type 2 diabetes.
Very high doses are used, often in combination with ephedrine,
as an alternative to illegal stimulants.
USA Today reported in 2013 that about 83 percent
of adults drink coffee in the U.S., the world's biggest consumer of the
beverage, up from 78 percent a
year earlier, according to the National Coffee Association's 2013 online
survey.
I
was recently in the locker room at my local gym and an older gentleman was
discussing how he could only exercise for 30 minutes before he became
fatigued. At his yearly physical
his physician checked his testosterone levels, which were low. After taking testosterone, which his
doctor prescribed he mentioned how he can workout for an hour and feels so much
better.
When
it comes to performance enhancing drugs it is a very thin line between what is
actually enhancing performance and speaks how we all look for an edge mentally
and or physically, not just elite athletes.
Adderall has been an issue in the NFL
during recent years. In the last two years, more than a dozen players have been
suspended for using Adderall or Ritalin, which are regularly prescribed for
ADHD.
Adderall is known as a popular study
drug among college students, and that trend has leaked into the realm of
professional sports. It is classified by the NFL as a performance-enhancing
drug and as a drug of abuse.
After
feeling and seeing the benefits of these products athletes’ fall into the temptation
knowing that there is another level and can only imagine what can be
accomplished if they take the next step.
In other circumstances it
is because of an attempt expedite the recovery from an injury. A college student with pressure to
perform well in the classroom will take a drug such as Adderall. The professional with long work
hours will drink sodas and energy drinks with high levels of caffeine to stay
alert while performing their task.
Dr.
Jay Granat, renowned sports psychologist mentioned 10 reasons he feels athletes
turn to steroids. One of the
reasons he mentioned is that there is a widespread and prevalent
culture of cheating which is prevalent in sports, business and relationships. In some instances these athletes turn
to banned substances to help manage feelings, problems, and stress.
The gentleman from the gym use of testosterone was for medical purposes. Athletes have abused testosterone to gain the same benefits as
the gentleman at my gym. In return,
with more intense training athletes can before better in their respective
sports and are less prone to injury.
Testosterone is a naturally occurring
hormone that helps regulate bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength,
red blood cell production and sex drive, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is found in both men and women.
In
professional bodybuilding it is not a secret that steroid use is prevalent. Prominent bodybuilding
competitors from legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, and Jay
Cutler have admitted to steroid use in their bodybuilding careers. A
seven-week cycle and improve your muscle gains by up to 20%. Certain competitions distinguish themselves
by being labeled “Natural” because they test for steroids and other drugs at
their competitions.
Track and Field has a long history of
PED use. At the Olympics in
1988 when Ben Johnson upset Carl Lewis in the 100m final, six of the eight
finalist at some point in their careers were implicated in doping scandals, including Lewis, who it was later revealed
had tested positive for stimulants at the US Olympic trials that today would
not result in a suspension.
Seven-time Tour De France winner Lance
Armstrong finally admitted to his elaborate use of PEDs in 2013. Armstrong admitted to Oprah Winfrey in
an interview in January 2013 of using
EPO, testosterone, cortisone, human growth hormone, illegal blood transfusions
and other blood doping.
Cyclists and other athletes use EPO to raise their red blood cell
counts, which increases the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to muscles,
improving recovery and endurance.
The public has been harder on the Lance
Armstrong and other athletes because of their constant denials and the mounting
evidence against them for years.
We have been forgiving of baseball player Jason Giambi and Olympic gold
medalist Marion Jones because of how they handled their respective situations even
with Jones serving a six-month prison sentence for lying to federal authorities
regarding her steroid use.
Those developing the supplement
programs for athletes are several steps ahead of the tests even with stricter
drug testing in all of professional sports. It is difficult to quantify who is taking banned substances
and who is not.
Studies have shown an increase in
teenager boys steroid use to become bulkier and for self esteem issues. Researchers
believe that media, as well as peers, particularly older adolescents, are major
influences on dangerous behavior among young teens.
These studies highlight the often underreported issue of
distorted body image among adolescent boys,” said Aaron Blashill, PhD, staff
psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and faculty member at Harvard
Medical School. “Teenage girls tend to internalize and strive for a thin
appearance, whereas teenage boys tend to emphasize a more muscular body type.
We found that some of these boys who feel they are unable to achieve that often
unattainable image are suffering and may be taking drastic measures.”
Sports are a microcosm of society. Cheating takes place in business, politics, relationships,
and just about everywhere else you look.
A survey by CFO Magazine
found that 20 percent of financial executives feel more pressure since 2001 to
“make results appear more favorable.” In a recent survey of students at the
nation’s top business schools, two-thirds of women and more than half the men
said they do not believe that most companies are “run honestly or ethically.”
Without realizing it many of
us turn to some form of drug or stimulant for improved performance mentally and
physically. Excessive use of many of these drugs can
lead to psychological and physical damage. Drugs or supplements prescribed by a doctor are under close
monitoring to address a medical issue. Before taking any supplement over the counter ask a
professional the purpose of the supplement and proper dosage, many of those drugs
and supplements are not regulated by the FDA. Taking some of them responsibly can be beneficial for your
health. Whether we realize it or
not most of are taking something!
Jamaal Piper
Personal Trainer and Health and Wellness Consultant
www.piperpersonaltraining.com
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