Ryan Braun Tests Positive For PEDs

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What exactly is the basis of the claim that HGH is some super recovery-time PED for adults?

[TJ Wrangler]

What exactly is the basis of the claim that HGH is some super recovery-time PED for adults?

I really don't know that much about HGH, but from what I've heard, the only performance enhancing effect that it has in athletes is that it keeps the body in an anabolic, that is, muscle building state. This is opposed to a catabolic state, where the body burns muscle and holds on to fat. Essentially, it allows athletes to over train without having to worry about their body breaking down its own muscle.

Scientifically, the basis for recovery is that it promotes growth and cell regeneration and reproduction.

[weams]

Highly Unusual

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-passan_10_degrees_ryan_braun_ped_suspension_121111

[weams]

As far as cycling goes, I've actually discovered that it is more common to front load a cycle with short estered testosterones or orals in order to sort of kick start the cycle while the longer estered steroids take their time to kick in. My thought is that he was kick starting a cycle towards the end of the season hat he could end it during the offseason with enough time for it to clear his system by spring. That scenario makes the most sense to me, as he probably thought there was very little chance he would be tested by the time the season ended.

If my hypothesis is correct, Braun and most athletes are beating the system by playing the time game during the offseason. Manny's positive test for clomid last spring could farther support this, as Clomid is a common post cycle drug used to restore ones natural testosterone production.

I obviously defer to your extensive knowledge of the process of cycling. Thanks.

[TJ Wrangler]

I obviously defer to your extensive knowledge of the process of cycling. Thanks.

Don't get me wrong, at this point, the only thing any of us could do is speculate. Who knows what exactly he was doing?

[El Gordo]

Don't get me wrong, at this point, the only thing any of us could do is speculate. Who knows what exactly he was doing?[/QUOTE]Exactly. Per that, a good article: http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/12053/what-do-we-really-know-about-ryan-braun And a question. Are there substances no classified as PED's, that can cause that level of synthetic testosterone?

[El Gordo]

This is amazing logic...really. And what is this 9 years stuff?

""Our minor league testing program is in its ninth year, and that means all the great young players in baseball, from Ryan Howard to Ryan Braun, have all been tested for nine years. There's a system in place, and it's working. We know we have the toughest testing program in major league sports." Bud Selig.

[TJ Wrangler]

Don't get me wrong, at this point, the only thing any of us could do is speculate. Who knows what exactly he was doing?[/QUOTE]Exactly. Per that, a good article: http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/12053/what-do-we-really-know-about-ryan-braun And a question. Are there substances no classified as PED's, that can cause that level of synthetic testosterone?

There are natural supplements that are designed to help your body increase your natural testosterone levels, but like many products in the supplement industry (which is largely unregulated), the effectiveness of these products is debatable.

There are also cases where manufacturers of supplements have knowingly added banned substances and pro-hormones to their products in order to develop a reputation for having a supplement that works, only to the removed the banned substance before getting caught. I remember reading about a big case in the 80's that involved methyltestosterone being added to a supplement and subsequently removed for this reason, but I can't remember the name.

As for testing positive for a synthetic source, it's not unheard of for supplements to contain illegal substances as part of their "proprietary blend," but I wouldn't bet on that being the case.

[Can_of_corn]

Evidently they are going to attack the chain of custody.

Passan:

For the record: A good lawyer can do wonders establishing chain-of-custody issues. And David Cornwell is a very good lawyer.

[ledzepp8]

""Our minor league testing program is in its ninth year, and that means all the great young players in baseball, from Ryan Howard to Ryan Braun, have all been tested for nine years. There's a system in place, and it's working. We know we have the toughest testing program in major league sports." Bud Selig.

Well Ryan Braun was drafted in 2005, so Bud Selig misspoke. You should perhaps stop parroting the information from the quote. The main point was that, just because Braun tested positive for PEDs, doesn't automatically mean he's been using them for as long as he was a professional. It's unfair to make that argument.

[El Gordo]

Well Ryan Braun was drafted in 2005, so Bud Selig misspoke. You should perhaps stop parroting the information from the quote. The main point was that, just because Braun tested positive for PEDs, doesn't automatically mean he's been using them for as long as he was a professional. It's unfair to make that argument.

You're gonna go all pompous on me for the difference of 2 years? I don't think you uderstand my point. Selig is patting himself on the back for the effectiveness of his testing program. If Braun was indeed using PED's(and I am reserving judgement on that) it doesn't make sense that he just started using them, because he has gotten to the point where he has established himself and making the big bucks. More likely PED's have been a part of his regular regimen, and the testing program which has been in effect for his entire pro career, hasn't caught him till now

[byrdz]

At this point I'm inclined to believe the "chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS)" test over yet another lying millionaire ballplayer. He's also not using a very original defense to this point. If the test stands as positive then he should be stripped of his MVP award. The rules are now crystal clear! This is an award given on the basis of individual excellence. There's nothing all that special about a player taking drugs and overproducing. Give it to the next guy in line that didn't use PED's.

[SammyBirdland]

Give it to the next guy in line who hasn't gotten caught using PED's yet.

Fixed that for ya

[TradeAngelos]

I thought testosterone testing was measured as a ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone, and in normal males it should be a ratio of 1:1. The testing doesn't flag until it reaches 4:1, which seems like a very high level (probably deliberately so) to claim it's "natural variation." Like, if your body naturally produced that much testosterone, there would be other visible side effects, like early puberty or hirsutism or something.

And MLB is full of genetically gifted, young male athletes who train hard. Why aren't they testing positive for elevated testosterone, too, if that's an explanation? Matt Kemp didn't. Justin Verlander and Jacoby Ellsbury didn't. Why just Braun?

I'd like to believe he didn't cheat and this is some big misunderstanding, but it seems like every time this happens, the person mounts the same vigorous defense only for it to come out later that they did exactly what they were accused of (see Landis, Floyd). I'm all done giving the benefit of the doubt.

You answered your own question.

While the levels of anyone who works out regularly are going to be slightly higher than normal(1-1 is a average), a level of more than 4-1 is virtually impossible in someone who is not using steroids. That is why none of the other athletes could have tested that high and used the "natural variation" argument. All the sports also do it because they really don't care and it is all a dog and pony show, but that is beside the point.

If you know what you are doing and have unlimited resources like a MLB player does, those positive test level are so high you can do a cycle and keep it under that 4-1 range. All you have to do is test your blood levels a couple times a week and adjust the dose accordingly. You have to be a complete idiot, lazy, or both to get caught with those levels MLB set.

I happen to think that Braun just got extremely unlucky when he got tested, and probably had recently injected causing his very high ratio. What the other poster said about the long and short acting steroids is correct, but again if he was mid cycle it wouldn't matter. Test levels will stay stable in your blood for weeks.

It makes sense if you are in the playoffs and chasing a World Title after a long grueling 162 game season to try to get a little edge come playoff time.

Oh and TJ Wrangler is owning this thread, he knows what he is talking about. I only read to page 5 when I posted this but I see now he is providing great information all the way through, when most people including reporters have no idea what they are talking about.

Listen to him.

[weams]

Scott Miller

Braun's test is causing a good number of people to mock baseball's belief that the Steroid Era is over. Well, guess what? Sorry to poke holes in your predictable kick-baseball-when-it's-down arguments, but guys like Braun and Manny Ramirez getting nailed actually proves the opposite. That the Steroid Era is over. That the old Wild West Days of the open frontier are history.

Here is the important distinction: Declaring the Steroid Era over does not equate with a 100 percent clean game. Anyone who believed it would is more na?ve than Mister Rogers. Sorry to pull you off of Santa's lap, bub, but even with testing, there always will be cheats.

Not only is the institution of PED testing in 2004 to baseball's credit -- yes, years too late, but finally -- but, in its new Collective Bargaining Agreement, baseball will become the first major professional sport to test for Human Growth Hormone. Yes, there are loopholes that still need to be closed. But HGH testing is way more than anyone else is doing.

Which brings me to those savaging the sport because a quarter of a billion Arte Moreno dollars pried Pujols out of St. Louis while the reigning NL MVP failed his drug test.

Really? The owners and players agree on a new deal that guarantees 21 consecutive years of play uninterrupted by strikes or lockouts, and now Pujols and Braun are what's wrong with baseball? Show me any business in the United States today that hasn't been corrupted by money and greed. Yes, Pujols belonged in St. Louis the way Cal Ripken belonged in Baltimore and Alan Trammell belonged in Detroit. I get it.

But the NFL spends the spring and summer gyrating through a labor dispute when the league prints money? The NBA cancels part of its season, and baseball has issues? Give me a break.