That's Fit

There's more talk than ever these days about performance-enhancing substances, chief among them being HGH and steroids (aka "juice"). Veteran pitcher Roger Clemens just returned from a trip to the hill of a different kind to testify before a Congressional committee, and it seems as though the case against slugger Barry Bonds may again be opened. But, aside from aging sports figures, fading Hollywood stars, and every single contestant in the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest, who else uses these drugs?

As for HGH, an estimated 30,000 people in the U.S. have visited so-called "anti-aging" clinics to be administered HGH. The associated health risks are incredibly high, yet vanity appears to win out over better judgment in many of these cases. Steroids, which have been linked to a number of health risks of their own, are used by far more people, most of which are neither old nor seemingly in possession of poor judgment.

Based on the results of a new study, the vast majority of steroid users are educated men in their 30s with an average annual income of close to six figures. Without an athletic career on the line, a movie legacy to cling to, or a bodybuilding title to defend, thousands upon thousands of people put their health at risk in order to broaden their shoulders. And, because steroids are a psychologically addictive drug, many users have great difficulty stopping once they have witnessed results.

Last week, Roger Clemens told a congressional committee that he never used human growth hormone, also known as HGH. He is one of many athletes who have come under scrutiny as of late for their admitted or alleged use of this performance-enhancing substance. Still, one salient question remains: What exactly is HGH?

First of all, HGH is not the same as steroids. Natural HGH is created in the pituitary gland. It's primary function is to stimulate the production of bone, muscle, and cartilage in kids as they grow. But, somewhere around the age of 20, the amount of HGH produced goes into decline, dropping precipitously once we reach old age. This, ostensibly, is why an estimated 30,000 Americans have tried synthetic HGH.

Proponents of HGH -- including aging action star Sylvester Stallone, who was stopped by Australian authorities last year for attempting to bring the substance with into the country him during a press tour -- claim that it can help build muscle, reduce body fat, and dramatically slow the aging process.

But at what cost?

HGH works by stimulating the liver to increase production of the natural Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). However, there is a great deal of research showing that elevated IGF-1 levels are strongly associated with an increased risk of colon, prostate, and breast cancers.

The risks associated with HGH are clearly not worth the unsubstantiated anti-aging properties it supposedly has. Best I can tell, the only way HGH can help prevent people from getting any older is to increase their chances of dying early.

Unless you live under a rock, or if you're just not all that concerned with sports, you've undoubtedly heard about the already infamous Mitchell Report. This report is the result of former U.S. Senator George Mitchell's investigation into steroid use in major league baseball. And let me tell you ... bobble-heads are already rolling.

Named in the investigation were a total of 89 big league stars, including Barry Bonds (no surprise there), Miguel Tejada and veteran ace Roger Clemens. Bonds had already come under fire for steroid use, but Tejada and Clemens had managed to stay under the radar until the release of this report. Sports writers around the country publicly lambasted these athletes, particularly Clemens, for their use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Baseball is supposed to be a pure game; a ball, a wooden bat, and some good hand-eye coordination. It's the only sport that has its own theme song, and going to a ballpark to see a game has long been a family affair. Will this report be the ruination of the game? Or, perhaps the better question is: Will these players, and their use of illegal steroids, bring the sport to its knees? Or will the wrongdoings of these playrs be forgotten and forgiven by future generations, as was the case with the Black Sox scandal. I suppose time will only tell. But, inasmuch as the future of baseball is in question, the pure image it once maintained is certainly now a thing of the past.