Interesting article on HGH

[photoguy9883]

This report was the featured story on slate.com today. I found it interesting.

 

So far, no one has been able to connect the increase in lean body tissue caused by HGH with enhancement of athletic performance. Unlike steroids, growth hormone hasn't been shown to increase weight-lifting ability; in the lab, it has a greater effect on muscle definition than muscle strength. And it doesn't seem to help much with cardiovascular fitness, either.

[treebird]

This report was the featured story on slate.com today. I found it interesting.

 

So far, no one has been able to connect the increase in lean body tissue caused by HGH with enhancement of athletic performance. Unlike steroids, growth hormone hasn't been shown to increase weight-lifting ability; in the lab, it has a greater effect on muscle definition than muscle strength. And it doesn't seem to help much with cardiovascular fitness, either.

 

very nice. will carroll has been mentioning some stuff like this, but not in such a straightforward article that it'd be easy to quote and show to others.

[Abe Frohman]

Yeah, because SO MANY people hit 60-70 home runs in a season. Really, there is no conclusive evidence.

[seanimal]

Yeah, because SO MANY people hit 60-70 home runs in a season. Really, there is no conclusive evidence.

 

I think that is more connected with anabolic steroids rather than human growth hormone. And homerun totals aren't necessarily indicative of performance enhancing drugs anyway.

[cheapseats]

Yeah, because SO MANY people hit 60-70 home runs in a season. Really, there is no conclusive evidence.

 

As stated in the article, steroids do help increase strength. There's no evidence that HGH does so. The point is that the media tends to conflate steroids with HGH.

[Wheelimus]

I think, in the longrun, HGH is probably more useful to someone such as a pro wrestler, who is going for the look of a muscle head without the work, not so much the actual strength.

 

This is great though, because if HGH is the only thing they can't really test for and it's of little help, then that means the game is relatively clean at this point. Until the next designer drug comes along.

 

However, I would LOVE for an HGH test to go into effect and better yet (though impossible) the players not even be told, so that all the stupid HGH users could be caught and laughed at. Not only are you harming your body, not only are you cheating...you're doing it for nothing!

[Abe Frohman]

Even if HGH cuts you up, but doesn't increase your strength (which I seriously doubt), your increase in mass alone is going to affect the impact of hitting a baseball.

 

That is simple physics.

[cheapseats]

Even if HGH cuts you up, but doesn't increase your strength (which I seriously doubt), your increase in mass alone is going to affect the impact of hitting a baseball.

 

That is simple physics.

 

But most clinical studies suggest that HGH won't help an athlete at all.

[photoguy9883]

This is great though, because if HGH is the only thing they can't really test for and it's of little help, then that means the game is relatively clean at this point.

 

Is it really? I tend to agree with the World Anti-Doping Agency on this point that believing you are taking something that will enhance your performance is "clearly contradictory to the spirit of sport" which would make it cheating. It might be that they aren't actually helping themselves but by doing something they believe will give them an (unfair) advantage they tainting the sport.

[Wheelimus]

This is great though, because if HGH is the only thing they can't really test for and it's of little help, then that means the game is relatively clean at this point.

 

Is it really? I tend to agree with the World Anti-Doping Agency on this point that believing you are taking something that will enhance your performance is "clearly contradictory to the spirit of sport" which would make it cheating. It might be that they aren't actually helping themselves but by doing something they believe will give them an (unfair) advantage they tainting the sport.

 

Maybe "level playing field" is a better term than "clean", but what I was getting at is if HGH is basically useless to them, and if there aren't any designer untestable drugs we haven't heard about, then players don't really have any available means to artificially enhance themselves IF we can trust that the testing is catching most of the cheaters of typical anabolic steroids.

[cubweiser03]

"At the very least, treatment with HGH does seem to reduce body fat and increase muscle mass."

 

Thus HGH is best when used in combo with steroids. The combo gets you big and strong without getting all fatty like Giambi.

 

True, HGH alone wont make you 'immediately' stronger 'on the bench' like anabolic steroids but over time with muscle mass buidup you will become bigger/stronger faster than without it.

 

"So far, no one has been able to connect the increase in lean body tissue caused by HGH with enhancement of athletic performance."

 

Okay so tell me how not being 295lbs DT isnt any better than being a 260lbs. If i needed those extra 35lbs how is that not good. Sure i guess i could be the new version of Keith Traylor and eat my way to 35lbs of blubber or i could be more athetic DT and gain 30lbs of muscle and 5 of fat.

 

Being 'big' in baseball is good. You have more mass and leverage to be behind the ball. Maybe im strange for thinking that.

[Careless]

"At the very least, treatment with HGH does seem to reduce body fat and increase muscle mass."

 

Thus HGH is best when used in combo with steroids. The combo gets you big and strong without getting all fatty like Giambi.

 

True, HGH alone wont make you 'immediately' stronger 'on the bench' like anabolic steroids but over time with muscle mass buidup you will become bigger/stronger faster than without it.

 

"So far, no one has been able to connect the increase in lean body tissue caused by HGH with enhancement of athletic performance."

 

Okay so tell me how not being 295lbs DT isnt any better than being a 260lbs. If i needed those extra 35lbs how is that not good. Sure i guess i could be the new version of Keith Traylor and eat my way to 35lbs of blubber or i could be more athetic DT and gain 30lbs of muscle and 5 of fat.

 

Being 'big' in baseball is good. You have more mass and leverage to be behind the ball. Maybe im strange for thinking that.

Depends on if it's actually making you stronger. Gain 35 lbs and accelerate 15% more slowly? Not a great idea. Stick weights in your pads if that's what you want (is that against the rules? no idea) Slowing your swing by bulking up without increasing strength is the same thing, that would do horrible things to your ability to hit

[Abe Frohman]

Bulking up definately will affect your swing, like you say. Not always good. Having size definately helps you drive the ball, but you have to be quick on your feet in baseball in so many ways.

 

That combo thing HGH/steroids makes a lot of sense. I had a friend who did a few cycles and he has a beautiful set of man boobs.

 

I've got nothing.

[cubweiser03]

Wasnt the arguement in the 70's and early 80's to not lift weights and bulk up because it would ruin your swing put to rest?

 

Alfonso Soriano is a freak. Guys his size are not supposed to jack homers like he does. There are a lot of guys who dont have bulk and are equally strong but they lose power because they dont have the mass behind the swing. Its not just about strength.

 

Id put good money that over the years Bonds really hasnt gotten 'stronger'. He was definetly lifting weights pre 1998. When he takes his shirt off now, then you see why hes over 700 HRs.