The LA Dodgers slugger, Manny Ramirez, has been handed over a suspension by the MLB for fifty games for the use of a performance enhancing drug.

Ramirez was quick to say that it was not a steroid but a drug prescribed to him by a physician after no details were provided by the league on the nature of the substance.

From Espnstar.com:

“Recently, I saw a physician for a personal health issue,” said the statement, which was issued through the MLB Players’ Association.

“He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought it was okay to give me.

“Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility.

“I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I’ve taken and passed about 15 drugs tests over the past five seasons.”

Ramirez went on to apologise to the Dodgers and their ownership.

He continued: “I want to apologise to Mr McCourt, Mrs McCourt, (manager Joe) Torre, my team-mates, the Dodger organisation, and to the Dodger fans.

“LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I am sorry about this whole situation.”

It was confirmed by the Players Association that Ramirez will not be appealing against the ban.

Tags: LA Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, performance-enhancing drug, steroid

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Raids were conducted on several companies suspected of making bodybuilding products that illegally contain steroids and are sold as over-the-counter dietary supplements by the federal agents.

The FDA has, meanwhile, issued a warning to consumers not to make use of products marketed as bodybuilding products and containing steroids or that claims to enhance testosterone.

From NYTimes.com:

Now Congress is investigating whether laws, health agency resources and manufacturing guidelines are adequate to protect the public from products that illegally contain steroids but masquerade as dietary supplements.

Under the law, dietary supplements are generally defined as products that contain or are derived from natural foodstuffs like minerals or herbs and do not claim to prevent, mitigate or cure specific illnesses.

But when products marketed as supplements are found to contain pharmaceutical ingredients like steroids, the federal government considers them misbranded — and unapproved illegal drugs.

Travis T. Tygart, chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, said many companies are exploiting the lack of premarket regulation to sell magic powders and pills while using reputation of the health food industry to cloak themselves with the appearance of respectability and safety.

Tags: bodybuilding, dietary supplements, steroids, testosterone

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A professional rugby player with a thick chest and a tattoo of a star on his left knee, Terry Newton, has played on three teams over the last years and is finding him in the middle of a row surrounded by charges of HGH use.

No one knew much about Newton or his team till now but a recent disclosure that the 31-year-old Newton had become the first athlete to be suspended for testing positive for human growth hormone quickly ricocheted around the NFL and the MLB.

From NYTimes.com:

When Newton tested positive for H.G.H., United Kingdom Anti-Doping immediately suspended him for two years and he was then cut by his team. Newton admitted that he had been using the substance, which is believed to help build muscle and allow for quicker recovery from injury.

Unlike the United States, where professional leagues are essentially in charge of policing themselves, many countries leave drug supervision of their athletes to their respective national antidoping authorities. In England, that means United Kingdom Anti-Doping has jurisdiction over everything from Rugby Football League, which oversees the Super League, to the high-profile Premier League, whose soccer teams are among the most popular in the world.

United Kingdom Anti-Doping singled out the rugby league because it believed that there was a strong chance that H.G.H. was being used. On Nov. 24, several weeks before his season was to begin, Newton had his blood taken by the antidoping authorities as part of a no-notice, out-of-competition test. Usually, two tubes of blood are taken in such a test, each containing five milliliters.

That Newton was tested before the season, rather than in the middle of it, was something of an exception in terms of WADA policies.

Tags: HGH use, human growth hormone, Terry Newton

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Paulie Malignaggi was recently quoted as saying that he had “suspicions” that Amir Khan may be on steroids since he trains with Manny Pacquiao at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym.

Khan has now promised to make Malignaggi pay for making such false claims and said he could indulge in trash talk about him but there will only be the two of them in the ring.

From Guardian.co.uk:

“I train with Manny and whatever he does I do,” said Khan. “I keep up with him and everything he does, I do as much or more. Does that mean I’m on drugs? To talk about drugs is rubbish. The guy just wants to build publicity for himself.

“We love working hard and only a few fighters work hard like we do. We put ourselves in the uncomfortable zone and a lot of fighters don’t like to go there. We push ourselves right to the limit.

“You’ve got Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza, who spend so much time working on the fighters and then you’ve got people turning round saying we are on drugs. Any time they want to do a drugs test on me I’ll put my hand up to prove to them [I am not on drugs]. I’ve never taken anything. I’m a natural athlete – like Manny Pacquiao.

When asked if he thought Malignaggi should apologise to him, Khan said: “I don’t want him to say sorry to me because I’ll make him feel sorry when I’m in the ring with him on 15 May.

Malignaggi told the Boxing Truth audio show that he thinks that Khan may be on steroids, which were vehemently denied by Khan and passed off as an attempt to seek publicity.

Tags: Amir Khan, Manny Pacquiao, Paulie Malignaggi, steroids

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According to a paper read out before The Chemical Society of London by Robert B. Woodward, professor of Chemistry, the road for a possible complete synthesis of the drug used in treating arthritis, cortisone has been cleared.

Woodward made an announcement that he and a research team have completed the first-ever complete synthesis of a complete steroid.

From Thecrimson.com:

Steroids are a large group of natural organic substances which have in common a nucleus which includes four rings of carbon atoms. Among the complete steroids are androsterone and testosterone (the male sex hormones) and cortisone, which has recently been used very effectively in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatic fever, and burns.

Many ways have been worked out already for converting one steroid into another.

The starting materials in such interconversions are frequently in limited supply.

Now, with Woodward’s total laboratory synthesis of a steroid from coal tar, it is felt that the starting materials in the interconversions and consequently the desired steroids, will be more available.

It was cautioned by Woodward that none of the medically-active steroids have been synthesized as of now and the already formulated process may not be viable in commercial terms.

Tags: androsterone, cortisone, steroid, steroids, testosterone

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Consumers were recently warned by the Federal drug regulators to stop making the use of the Hydroxycut line of weight loss products, citing reports of a death due to liver failure and other instances of serious health problems.

In all, the FDA said it had received 23 reports of significant adverse health effects such as heart problems, muscle damage, and kidney damage in people using Hydroxycut.

From NYTimes.com:

The Hydroxycut brand, which has been widely sold at national chain stores including GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe, includes pills, drinks and powders marketed to increase energy, burn calories  and fat, and control appetite. The maker reported selling more than nine million units of the brand last year, according to the F.D.A.

That company, Iovate Health Sciences of Oakville, Ontario, and its American distributor are voluntarily recalling 14 of the products. Two other products, Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia, with different ingredients, are not affected by the recall. Calls to the company’s Canadian headquarters reached a recorded message that directed callers to the Hydroxycut Web site.

The recall of one of the best-known weight-loss brands is the latest in a series of incidents that raise the question of whether the Food and Drug Administration has adequate authority to regulate the dietary supplement industry and provide consumer protection.

At issue is the difference in the way the agency oversees drugs — defined as products that prevent or cure disease — and dietary supplements, which can offer general health benefits but cannot claim to treat specific diseases or symptoms.

Dr. Linda Katz, interim chief medical officer of the agency’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said part of the problem is the fact that FDA looks at dietary supplements from a postmarket perspective and a single incident is often difficult to follow.

Tags: dietary supplement, dietary supplements, Hydroxycut, weight loss

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Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees captain, is avoiding questions about A-Rod until the start of spring training.

Jeter did not answer questions concerning his high-profile teammate a day after Alex Rodriguez admitted to using performance enhancing drugs over a period of three years ending in 2003.

From Espnstar.com:

“I’m not addressing Alex’s situation until everybody’s here,” Jeter told reporters Tuesday at the Yankees’ training complex. “If you’ve got baseball questions, I’ll do that. You know where I’m coming from. I don’t want to talk to you guys today and have three more people show up tomorrow. It’s better to get everyone together.

“Are things a distraction? It’s a distraction when you talk about it every single day.”

New York’s position players must report to spring training by next Tuesday.

In an exclusive interview conducted Monday with ESPN, Rodriguez acknowledged using performance-enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003, when he was a member of the Texas Rangers.

The interview came two days after Sports Illustrated reported that Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids in 2003. The report stated that Rodriguez’s name appeared on a list of 104 players who tested positive during a survey conducted by Major League Baseball.

The Yankees offered their support for A-Rod in a statement by saying that they respect his decision of taking accountability for his actions.

Tags: A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, anabolic steroids, Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, Performance enhancing drugs, Texas Rangers

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The admission of steroid use by Alex Rodriguez was termed as “depressing news” by President Barack Obama.

Rodriguez admitted to and apologized for using performance enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003 when he was a part of the Texan Rangers in an exclusive interview with ESPN.

From Espnstar.com:

Speaking on prime-time US Television, President Obama said: “I think it’s depressing news on top of what’s been a flurry of depressing items when it comes to major league baseball.

“And if you’re a fan of Major League Baseball, I think it tarnishes an entire era, to some degree. And it’s unfortunate, because I think there are a lot of ballplayers who played it straight.”

The ESPN interview, which was broadcast shortly after it was recorded, came two days after Sports Illustrated reported that Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids in 2003.

The report stated that Rodriguez’s name appeared on a list of 104 players who tested positive during a survey conducted by Major League Baseball.

Obama expressed his hope that the furore surrounding the incident will serve as a good deterrent from drugs to youngsters in the game.

Obama said it is good to see that problems have been and will be sorted out by the MLB so that kids can learn from such mistakes without committing them.

Tags: Alex Rodriguez, anabolic steroids, Major League Baseball, Performance enhancing drugs, steroid use

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Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have been able to identify a potential treatment for the death of bone tissue or osteonecrosis.

The health complication is noticed among people administered with steroids to treat different medical conditions; there is no treatment option, at present, to provide relief to patients afflicted with this complication.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Glucocorticoids cause reduced blood flow to bone cells in the hip, resulting in cell death, and ACTH reduces these devastating side effects. However, research indicates that osteonecrosis is not significant in people in which steroid levels are high in the blood. Dr. Zaidi’s team knew that these tumors produce excess ACTH, and this spurred the team to evaluate the ACTH’s potential therapeutic effect.

The researchers injected one group of rabbits with depomedrol, a type of steroid, and another group with depomedrol plus ACTH. Osteonecrosis was dramatically reduced in the rabbits that were treated with ACTH. Dr. Zaidi’s team found that ACTH stimulates the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that signals for the growth of new blood vessels. The stimulation of VEGF results in increased blood flow to the bone cells, preventing cell death.

“The results confirm that ACTH may be of value as a drug to prevent osteonecrosis,” said Dr. Zaidi. “While more research is required, we hope to someday evaluate the efficacy of ACTH in treating osteoporosis as well.”

The research was published in the April 27 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Tags: glucocorticoids, osteonecrosis, steroid, steroids, VEGF

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Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw has admitted to making use of steroids during his playing days during a radio interview.

Bradshaw, who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s, said that he only made use of steroids for helping himself deal with injuries.

From Espnstar.com:

“We did steroids to get away the aches and the speed of healing,” Bradshaw said.

“My use of steroids from a doctor was to speed up injury, and (I) thought nothing of it. It was to speed up the healing process, that was it. It wasn’t to get bigger and stronger and faster.”

The No. 1 overall pick in the draft in 1970, Bradshaw also said he took the steroids with a doctor’s prescription. Steroids were not illegal when Bradshaw played.

Now a television studio analyst for FOX, Bradshaw played for the Steelers from 1970-83. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989 – in his first year of eligibility.

Bradshaw was twice named as the Most Valuable Player in the Super Bowl and was also the NFL MVP in 1978.

Tags: Pittsburgh Steelers, steroids, Terry Bradshaw, use of steroids

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