MLB's Drugs Behind the Scenes: HGH, Winstrol, Deca-Durabolin and More

There is nothing like doing a survey around town about the steroid issues in major league baseball. I conducted one recently around my local area with a non-chalant demeanor asking people what they thought about the whole situation. "I can't believe I've taken my family down to the ballpark for the last 15-20 years to watch a bunch of cheaters play" one man in his fifties said to me as he and his wife passed by in Aisle #7 at the local grocery store. Another occasion I looked over at this couple probably in their late 30s early 40s who had two boys with them and when I asked their opinion on the matter one of the boys replied, " I thought Alex Rodriguez was the best player in baseball".

After that I realized this Mitchell Report hadn't just hurt the players that were named in it, but it had tainted everyone who played major league baseball. Not to mention many even believe it has tainted all professional sports as a whole, period. Which I can see that thought process, although with playoffs and bowl games in other sports going on, I don't imagine people will give up the chance to go to those games because of what is happening in baseball. Just like the 2008-2009 mlb season will have filled stadiums all around the country.

I accumulated over 25 responses from people of all different ages complaining about the steriod use in baseball (then of course how Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame if any of these players are) only to be searching for a bigger picture on the back end. Of the 25 people I surveyed, only 3 of them knew anything about what the steroids listed in the Mitchell Report actually do. Which prompted me to write this article and give you a little taste of the big three steroids (in a knowledgeable sense of course) that were listed in the report (HGH, Winstrol, and Deca-Durabolin). You will find that everytime each steroid is mentioned a link will be provided which will give you several different sites to form your own opinions on the matter from the research given.

HGH: Or also known as Human Growth Hormone has been scrutinized in the Mitchell Report for players using this injectable substance to combat major league baseball's performance enhanced substance and drug policies. While the report itself states that HGH is nearly undetectable, what exactly is it?

Our brains actually produce HGH in the pituitary gland sector. It has been well noted in continuous documentation from different medical discussions online that Human Growth Hormone can reverse aging symptoms such as wrinkles, weight gain, and bone density. Some sites even suggest it can help in the bedroom with deeper sleep and sexual drive. HGH can be obtained either by prescription, over-the-counter, or through the mail.

One of my personal favorite questions and responses is about whether or not Human Growth Hormone (click the link to the left here) actually helps a player's performance on the field. The link in this paragraph provides one opinion from an article written by Tom Fordyce that states; "Not at all. There are many factors that make up sporting performance - physical strength is only one. And HGH has different effects on different people".

This article was not written to mislead you into thinking that using HGH is all peaches n' cream. There are potential side effects that come along with taking this product such as acromegaly, enlarged organs, cardiomyopathy, and cancer (due to overgrowing cells).

Winstrol: is as stated in Bob Howard's article (click link to left) "a very safe and effective steroid - provided it is used correctly". Others know this steroid as Stanozolol which is used greatly by bodybuilders. Winstrol is weak at preserving muscle mass therefore when taken it is usually "stacked" with Deca-Durabolin which we will discuss shortly. One interesting fact is that Winstrol has been FDA approved (so says the article that is linked to the left here but I have not found supporting truth).

If a woman is to take Winstrol it is said the steroid can cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Or medical wise known as: The FDA pregnancy category X. Other side effects of Winstrol include but are not limited to; liver problems, difficulty breathing, swelling around the facial and neck area, acne, difficulty sleeping and many more.

The most known benefit of using Winstrol is for the intent to reconstruct weak tissues due to serious injury. Most importantly according to the linked article in this paragraph, Winstrol is not a banned substance.

Deca Durabolin: Is also known as Nandrolone which is a natural element in our bodies. The substance is used by many to combat issues such as osteoporosis, red blood cell deficiency, anaemia, and others. One of the main reasons Deca-Durabolin was FDA approved in the early 1980s.

One of the best articles found on the do's and dont's of Deca Durabolin (link here to the left) suggests a variety of cautions to be used if you are taking it which is too long to list here.

For whatever reason major league baseball players decided to start using any one of these products in the past 20 years may be something that is never truly answered. We can only speculate as to how many have tried any of these steroids over their careers and wonder if the usage seemingly reflects on the integrity of baseball.

Living in a propogandish society looking throughout history I remember a time when another era was born; the "hippies era" when marijuana was passed around like a stick of gum for all to try, yet still illegal. Today there is still debate over whether or not it should be legalized at all due to findings in research that as Jim Rome calls it, "the hippie lettuce" helps people medically. Even celebrities such as Drew Carey (Price is Right, Power of 10) is a supporter of legalizing marijuana and has a video circulating around the internet. Which could be evidence that the debate of certain steroids and how they are used by sports athletes may continue to be discussed fifty years down the road.