If PED use were moderated to a safe level....

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

If the commission provided them and were responsible for regulating/monitoring the use...idk maybe? I don't see the issue as long as it is purely for recovery and not fight night benefits. Just don't let them fight unless neither and both have it in their system.

 

[boyer]

Whats the point? Fighters wouldnt stay within the regulated level and would always try to gain an advantage, just like they're doing now.

 

[Steven_Universe]

If PED's were better regulated and administered by doctors, would you still be opposed?

I mean, some peds are good for recovery so guys can train harder and longer and rest less. If everyone was dosing at a safe level, would you still be opposed?

I'm thinking of mostly older fighters who naturally lose muscle mass and bone density. If their levels are equal to everyone else's, is that wrong? Is it even possible to safely administer PED's?

Honest questions. I'm on the fence.

People would still cheat

 

[burningspear]

You are missing the point of cheating.

 

[dirtroller]

Either it's fully allowed and unregulated or it's prohibited. I'm okay with ether option. Regulated to "safe" levels is the worst possible option.

 

[Zaar]

Because each fighter will have more fitness, easier weight cuts, less injuries, more endurance, more training recovery allowing more focus on new techniques.


The benefit goes to us fans basically.

Alright, I admit I haven't thought about injuries. If that's true, then that's a plus as well.

Weight cut, I guess I'm being subjective cause I'd rather have everyone fight at their normal weight, as in you have to weigh certain max on the night of the fight.

The rest, yeah, for us fans only, so to speak. Not sure if that's enough to justify. I guess it depends how you look at it.
There's a certain "beauty" in watching humans do stuff (in this case fight), knowing they are pushing their limits without enhancement, but maybe that's just me

 

[MayhemMonkey]

just fight naturally or dont fight. Thats my stance on it

so to answer your question, yes I would still be opposed

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

I dont think you understand what "supervised" means...

Fighters would have to stay within a threshold. Nobody would "over cheat" if thats what you mean, otherwise they would be forced to move up due to the weight gain or it would be detrimental. Too much muscle isnt always better in fighting, etc...

Medical dosages of steroids (safe dosages given for cancer, MS, acute trauma etc) are typically significantly lower than the levels used in sports. Doctors aren't going to prescribe at the levels many athletes want (because they're considered unsafe), and so fighters will ignore the limits.

 

[Verace]

Medical dosages of steroids (safe dosages given for cancer, MS, acute trauma etc) are typically significantly lower than the levels used in sports. Doctors aren't going to prescribe at the levels many athletes want (because they're considered unsafe), and so fighters will ignore the limits.

Thats not exactly true in two different counts.

First, the doctor is there to analyse your blood panel and tell if theres any abnormality. Not to prescribe you a cycle.

Second, many actually do advise on dosages. Yes, its illegal, but its done anyway behind closed doors. Doctors arent this sanctimonious entity who wont ever do anything out of line.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Because each fighter will have more fitness, easier weight cuts, less injuries, more endurance, more training recovery allowing more focus on new techniques.


The benefit goes to us fans basically.

Unfortunately the fighters will also hit harder without gaining a corresponding increase in the ability to take a strike to the head, resulting in more concussions compared to fights between fighters not on steroids. Given current concerns about CTE's (which go far beyond MMA and even beyond sport -- they're coming into play with play ground equipment) I'm not holding my breath on this going through.

But if society does decide that fighter safety isn't a factor, then I suspect mechanical enhancements (surgery to harden bones etc) will quickly join chemical enhancements. There have already been court cases about it in running (Google Oscar Pistorius), and robotic hands etc are now being developed for handicapped people (just as artificial steroids were first developed to treat illnesses). If chemical enhancement is allowed its unlikely they'll be able to ban mechanical enhancement.

 

[vgff]

Yup... let them juice under medical supervision.

juicing under medial supervision doesn't make anything better, there's no evidence it will
they already tried it in Cycling in the 90s...people still died from complications.
doctors will be more obsessed with making their clients/athletes better than their competitors,
than making safety the main priority

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Thats not exactly true in two different counts.

First, the doctor is there to analyse your blood panel and tell if theres any abnormality. Not to prescribe you a cycle.

Second, many actually do advise on dosages. Yes, its illegal, but its done anyway behind closed doors. Doctors arent this sanctimonious entity who wont ever do anything out of line.

Sure, but the doctors see the same blood results as testers do, so the technology used to hide from tests will also be used to hide from what the doctor sees.

And there's a big difference between giving advice behind closed doors (that leave no paper trail) and giving official advice which might come back in the form of a lawsuit a decade down the road. My understanding is that what's being asked for is official doctor's supervision, including prescriptions (many classes of steroids are only officially available with a prescription in many countries), and that means a paper trail.

 

[Verace]

Sure, but the doctors see the same blood results as testers do, so the technology used to hide from tests will also be used to hide from what the doctor sees.

And there's a big difference between giving advice behind closed doors (that leave no paper trail) and giving official advice which might come back in the form of a lawsuit a decade down the road. My understanding is that what's being asked for is official doctor's supervision, including prescriptions (many classes of steroids are only officially available with a prescription in many countries), and that means a paper trail.

When i said abonormality i was talking health wise. Not in the sense of keeping them from over juicing.

Not many people are going to over juice, otherwise they would have to be forced a weight class above due to the weight gain. Also, muscle in fighting isnt always better. There is a point of diminishing returns. So let them juice to it.

As regarding to legal issues, im sure the UFC would be smart enough to cover their asses on that. But still... im not suggesting that having the UFC doctors prescribe them cycles is the way to go.

 

[TheOneAboveAll3]

Let them all juice.

 

[Deleted member 290675]

Then guys would find a way to to take more than safe amounts to get an advantage

 

[NicholasJBasile]

I would 100% support such a measure -- so long as it's safe, I think it would be for the better. I can see why people would be opposed, but I would like that.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

When i said abonormality i was talking health wise. Not in the sense of keeping them from over juicing.

Not many people are going to over juice, otherwise they would have to be forced a weight class above due to the weight gain. Also, muscle in fighting isnt always better. There is a point of diminishing returns. So let them juice to it.

As regarding to legal issues, im sure the UFC would be smart enough to cover their asses on that. But still... im not suggesting that having the UFC doctors prescribe them cycles is the way to go.

I'm not sure how that differs from just not testing at all. What the medical community thinks is safe levels of steroid use is lower than what athletes currently take. Which means athletes are going to ignore doctor's recommendations (and beat the tests doctors take to get their blood readings) just as they're currently doing with testing bodies acceptable levels.

And if the doctors aren't prescribing the steroids, then its going to the athletes through some illegal route, and I just can't see many doctors wanting to officially get involved with an illegal activity. I suppose it could be done via some country with lax laws on the matter, though I'm not sure how that works legally if they're training and fighting in a country with tighter prescription laws.

I don't see any gain for having official medical supervision, because few athletes will actually allow the doctors to see un-masked results, and few doctors will officially okay the typical athletic levels because of fear of lawsuits.