Everyone's on steroids

[kingghidrah]

A lot more people are on steroids than most people think. And in sports where people don't think about it, like the NBA and pro tennis. Hollywood actors who "put on 20 lbs of muscle" for a role lol.

But USADA really did something to the UFC fighters, and now it's the cleanest org by far. Just look at the physiques compared to 10 years ago. Back then everyone looked like Paulo Costa only more muscular. And in the 90s everyone was Frank Shamrock or bigger.

Doesn't mean the UFC is clean, but there was a huge cutback in usage that's for sure. And it doesn't help when they just decide to let Conor drop out of the testing pool, and only test Jon Jones once every 3 months.

 

[pandaJr]

Ive been off and on the mats in either bjj or muay thai for the last 15 some years. I never had any intention of going pro, I just enjoyed the training. but the guys that did come up in my gym that were putting in the extra hours. I had a feeling they were on something, its impossible not too. the pure wear on your body from this sport is brutal. at 41 I am considering going on TRT/HGH to recover from what Ive done to my body. I dont see how these guys at the very top can train as hard as they do with other killers and not be on something. its not human.

 

[Cartiac]

There are so many misconceptions about steroids. They are extremely common but don't actually do what most people think.

IMO a zero tolerance policy is fairly irresponsible of organizations promoting very violent, contact sports like UFC and NFL. It is not possible to ignore the facts that training and competing in these sports requires these people to push their bodies to extremes that have very damaging impact on their physical and mental health. Prohibiting therapeutic level use of medications that aid their body to recover from the natural impact of just doing their job seems wrong. NFL legally allows players to take pain killing injections to play and team doctors pass out prescription pain killers even opiates like candy. The least UFC could do is allow a little var to protect their athletes.

 

[Cartiac]

A lot more people are on steroids than most people think. And in sports where people don't think about it, like the NBA and pro tennis. Hollywood actors who "put on 20 lbs of muscle" for a role lol.

But USADA really did something to the UFC fighters, and now it's the cleanest org by far. Just look at the physiques compared to 10 years ago. Back then everyone looked like Paulo Costa only more muscular. And in the 90s everyone was Frank Shamrock or bigger.

Doesn't mean the UFC is clean, but there was a huge cutback in usage that's for sure. And it doesn't help when they just decide to let Conor drop out of the testing pool, and only test Jon Jones once every 3 months.

Very good points. I believe Zac Effron has recently openly talked about using gear to get his physique since he was a teenager and is clearly on a heavy cycle for his current role. Steroids are not the devil they are made out to be if used responsibly and are widely used for many different purposes including very legitimate medical reasons.

I also agree USADA has made the sport cleaner than is it has been, definitely a huge difference from the untested Pride guys and UFC "TRT" days where fighters were juiced to the gills, but as OP stated there are very highly paid doctors and scientists hired by these top MMA teams whose job is to stay one step ahead of the testing protocols to instruct athletes what and how to use without getting caught.

 

[GBJohn]

Some people are good at not getting caught and have whole teams dedicated to helping them not get caught. You think steroids are like a personal decision a fighter makes and keeps secret from his team? No man. If a fighter gets popped, I guarantee steroids are part of the culture at that gym and all his teammates are on them.

So, Jones, who has probably made more than 99% of UFC fighters and has two brothers who played in the NFL can't manage to beat the tests, but Tecia Torres can? I use her as an example because, at least at one point, she was in the top ten most tested fighters of all time, one of only two who had never fought for a title. The idea that all fighters are on steroids, yet many "big fish" are caught, while so many undercard fighters are somehow able to beat the tests fails Occam's Razor.

 

[Lee_]

Posts like this I feel are just naive, but seem like with good intention.

I was around boxing/mma semi inside for years and would estimate as high as 95 and as low as maaaybe 80% who make it to the big leagues use or have used steroids/sarms/epo.

Most of the outliers become users themselves once they become aware of how prevalent it is.

What proof would you accept?

I would accept a larger sample size and not an anecdote based mostly on hearsay at a gym. One person's experience at hangin' out at gyms over the years I'm afraid doesn't define actual percentages for the entire sport. That might be a general impression you get from what people say, but its actual accuracy is suspect to say the least.

No one is denying it has been prevalent in the sport in terms of overall percentage of fighters who have used it at one time or another. However, that is a separate issue from whether that use means we can minimize or justify any particular fighter's illegal use. We don't know for sure that any particular fighter's opponent was also on it, and I think there are fighters out there that respect their career and their own health enough to avoid it. I don't buy that it is 100% all the time. If one fighter had it and the other didn't, we have a problem we can't logically justify by alluding to the fact that "everyone is on it."

 

[George Carlin]

Ev

I would accept a larger sample size and not an anecdote based mostly on hearsay at a gym. One person's experience at hangin' out at gyms over the years I'm afraid doesn't define actual percentages for the entire sport. That might be a general impression you get from what people say, but its actual accuracy is suspect to say the least.

No one is denying it has been prevalent in the sport in terms of overall percentage of fighters who have used it at one time or another. However, that is a separate issue from whether that use means we can minimize or justify any particular fighter's illegal use. We don't know for sure that any particular fighter's opponent was also on it, and I think there are fighters out there that respect their career and their own health enough to avoid it. I don't buy that it is 100% all the time. If one fighter had it and the other didn't, we have a problem we can't logically justify by alluding to the fact that "everyone is on it."

Everyone's on steroids bro

 

[George Carlin]

So, Jones, who has probably made more than 99% of UFC fighters and has two brothers who played in the NFL can't manage to beat the tests, but Tecia Torres can? I use her as an example because, at least at one point, she was in the top ten most tested fighters of all time, one of only two who had never fought for a title. The idea that all fighters are on steroids, yet many "big fish" are caught, while so many undercard fighters are somehow able to beat the tests fails Occam's Razor.

The way the war between steroid users and usada works is almost on a weekly basis. Constantly updated. Evolutionary warfare between the two. Testing gets better, so avoidance gets better. Back and forth. Usada will never win. Legalize steroids

 

[GBJohn]

The way the war between steroid users and usada works is almost on a weekly basis. Constantly updated. Evolutionary warfare between the two. Testing gets better, so avoidance gets better. Back and forth. Usada will never win. Legalize steroids

If your theory is true, the fighters with less resources should be caught at significantly higher rate than the champion/contender level fighters, yet that seems not to be the case. How does your theory account for this? Joe 12k/12k isn't likely on the bleeding edge of how to beat tests.

 

[Lee_]

Ev

Everyone's on steroids bro

Even my fucking gramma? Jeez. Didn't know it was that bad.

 

[George Carlin]

If your theory is true, the fighters with less resources should be caught at significantly higher rate than the champion/contender level fighters, yet that seems not to be the case. How does your theory account for this? Joe 12k/12k isn't likely on the bleeding edge of how to beat tests.

Higher level fighters are tested waaaay harder and much more often. Also when methods are developed at the top, they become available to everyone. This shit is an open secret in most gyms. I'm over trying to convince you guys the sky is blue. Just enjoy your sport I guess. You don't need to know how the sausage is made

 

[George Carlin]

Even my fucking gramma? Jeez. Didn't know it was that bad.

Old people typically get put on some form of steroid to combat their oldness illnesses. So probably gramma also. Everyones on steroids