Week 4: Steroids, HGH, and Baseball

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Week 4 Steroids, HGH, and Baseball

• By Dennis, Eun Kyu, and Han

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Background on Mitchell Report

• Senator George Mitchell
• Former Senator from Maine
• Commissioner of Baseball (Bud Selig) asked Sen.
  Mitchell to investigate allegations of abuse of
  performance enhancing drugs in baseball on March
  30, 2006
• The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an
  Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of
  Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing
  Substances by Players in Major League Baseball
• December 13, 2007

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Controlled Substance

• A drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession,
  and use are regulated by the government
• Controlled Substance Act (CSA) of 1970 created 5
  schedules or classifications of controlled
  substances
• Based on potential of abuse and extent of medical
  use
• Schedule 1
• Heroin, pot, LSD
• Schedule 2
• Cocaine, Meth, morphine
• Schedule 3
• Anabolic steroids, HGH, vicodin
• Schedule 4
• Valium
• Schedule 5
• Cough suppressants with small amounts of codeine

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Questions

• Estimate the number of CURRENT major league
  baseball players who are still doping? Explain
  your reasoning.
• Summarize the recommendations of the Mitchell
  Report.
• 3) Summarize some salient facts about Human
  Growth Hormone (HGH) and how it helps baseball
  players.

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Question 1 Estimate number of CURRENT major
league players who are still doping?

• The current number of major league baseball
  players still doping is between 30-40. Although
  there has been more strict testing since in 2004.
  I still believe that steroids ,HGH, and other
  forms of performance enhancing drug use is still
  prevalent. There will always be athletes looking
  to get ahead and performance enhancing drugs can
  be very effective. Even with potential side
  effects, pro baseball players might consider the
  risk if they could perform significantly better
  and earn millions of dollars in the process.

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Question 1 continued

• There is also the fact that there is not a
  perfect drug testing method as stated in the
  article. There are drugs that cannot be detected
  by the test and new drugs are continuously being
  created to escape detection. For example, the
  Olympics have had drug testing for many years. In
  the 2000 Summer Olympics Marion Jones won 5
  medals, a tremendous feat. She was drug tested
  multiple times but it wasnt until recently that
  it was discovered she cheated. This highlights
  that drug testing is not perfect and that
  athletes can escape detection.

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Question 2 Summarize the recommendations of the
Mitchell Report.

• 3 Principle Areas
• 1) Investigation based upon non-testing evidence
• 2) Player Education
• 3) Further improvements in the testing program
• Reasons for Investigation based on non-testing
  evidence
• - Certain illegal substances are difficult or
  virtually impossible to detect
• - Players can continue to use performance
  enhancing substances while avoiding detection.
• - Drug testing, alone, is not enough

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Question 2 continued

• Recommendations for investigation based on
  non-testing evidence
• The Commissioner should create a Department of
  Investigations that can directly report to the
  president of MLB.
• The Commissioner should strengthen efforts to
  keep illegal substances out of clubhouses.
• Clubs, given evidence that many illegal
  substances have been delivered to players at
  ballparks, log and track packages.
• Also, Clubs should report promptly about
  allegations of a players use/possession of
  performance enhancing substances to the
  Department of Investigations

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Question 2 continued

• Reasons Recommendations for Player Education
• Discussions of health risks alone are not enough
• Should educate how to achieve the same results
  through legal and safe ways
• Because of the unknown nature and origin of the
  substances, players need to be aware of the risks
  of illegal drugs.
• Should be reminded of their responsibilities as
  role models to young athletes.
• Further improvements in drug testing
• Drug testing remains an important element
• The Commissioner does not have the authority to
  act on drug testing.
• Every program should be updated regularly.
• Should be administered by a truly independent
  authority
• The program should be transparent to the public.

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Question 3 Summarize some salient facts about
HGH and how it helps baseball players.

• Facts about Human Growth Hormone
• -increases risk of cancer
• -harms the reproductive health
• -causes cardiac and thyroid problems
• -causes overgrowth of bone and connective tissue

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Question 3 continued

• How it helps baseball players
• Assists their ability to recover from injuries
  and fatigue
• Enhances their energy and strength
• - Improves bone density

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Is HGH a Steroid?
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Steroid

• Lipid that is characterized by a carbon skeleton
  of four fused rings arranged in a 6-6-6-5
  fashion.
• Compound that chemically resembles cholesterol

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Proteins are Polymers of Amino Acids
amino (N) terminus
carboxyl (C) terminus
Polypeptide chains are synthesize from N to C
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Hormone

• Chemical messengers released from endocrine cells
  or glands where they diffuse into the blood and
  travel to target cells

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IS BARRYS HEAD GETTING BIGGER?

• Since joining the Giants, Bonds had gone froma
  size 7 1/8 to size 7 1/2 cap, even though he had
  taken to shaving his head.
• Perhaps it was her imagination, but the head
  itself seemed to be getting larger, and the
  plates of his skull bones stood out in bold
  relief-Testimony from Bonds Ex-Girlfriend
  Kimberly Bell.
• Well known sportscasters, including Keith
  Olbermann and Dan Patrick, have used their
  respective media outlets to highlight Bonds
  growing head.

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WHY MIGHT IT BE GETTING BIGGER?

• The most likely cause of Barry Bonds increased
  head circumference would be his alleged overuse
  of Human Growth Hormone (hGH) for body-building
  purposes.
• HGH can stimulate bone growth in the body by
  promoting division of cells involved in bone
  growth and production of growth factors.
• In adults, increased levels of hGH can result in
  symptoms of Acromegaly, a glandular disease that
  can result in abnormal protrusion of extremities.