PEDs in football

[fortworthspur]

What is the consensus on performance enhancing drugs in the EPL? You dont seem to ever see anything about it. In the States, the incidence of PED use in pro sports correlates directly to frequency of testing. I assume they all do it in the NFL, NBA and Major Leagues.

Is it the same in the prem and they just dont test for it, or has football somehow managed to avoid this scourge?

 

[punky]

Our testing is pretty rigorous as are the punishments. After every game several players are randomly chosen for urine tests. Missing a test. Missing a test is a bannable offence (usually over several months)

TBH if there are any worries about drugs in the game it would be recreation rather than performancing enhancing.

 

[vavaboom]

Kolo toure got a hefty ban a few seasons ago after being found guilty of taking weight loss pills. He said they were dietary or some such, but was still found guilty and banned forthwith.

They do test for it as I believe the Kolo case was found out after urine screening. I don't know how often they take place though.

There are rumours that the Spanish (Madrid, Barca) engage in doping to gain an advantage but who knows? My housemate at university was convinced the Spanish dope all their atheletes and that it correlated to all Spanish sporting success lol.

 

[animalmom]

The fact that no one is being caught does not mean no one is doing anything. American sports fans, to our infinite sadness, will tell you how it is.

Football doesn't yet care, if they ever do you will have to deal with what we have had to go through in baseball and football.

PEDs dont just improve performance, they allow you to come back faster from nagging injury, huge in EPL. The fact that you don't hear about any failed tests just tells me they aren't trying to catch anyone.

Give it a few years. Theres too much money for it to just not be happening, anywher, by anyone

 

[moomin]

I cant really think of what PED's would help a footballer... in American sports they're almost all strength based (baseball and american football especially where there's the highest incidence rates of PED's). I'm sure there are some that use PED's but not necessarily ones we're used to seeing in american sports like steroids or HGH's

 

[fortworthspur]

The fact that no one is being caught does not mean no one is doing anything. American sports fans, to our infinite sadness, will tell you how it is.

Football doesn't yet care, if they ever do you will have to deal with what we have had to go through in baseball and football.

PEDs dont just improve performance, they allow you to come back faster from nagging injury, huge in EPL. The fact that you don't hear about any failed tests just tells me they aren't trying to catch anyone.

Give it a few years. Theres too much money for it to just not be happening, anywher, by anyone

this is my assumption, too. if they will help Lance Armstrong on the last 10 miles of a climb in the mountains, they'll help a player in the last 15 minutes of a tight game. the fact that they have corrupted every other sport I can think of means they are almost certainly used in the top echelons of football.

 

[C-oops]

I'm sure that teams used to use creatinine supplements to help enhance performance. Not sure if it's banned now or not.

 

[cwy21]

I cant really think of what PED's would help a footballer... in American sports they're almost all strength based (baseball and american football especially where there's the highest incidence rates of PED's). I'm sure there are some that use PED's but not necessarily ones we're used to seeing in american sports like steroids or HGH's

Thats a common misconception. PEDs help much more then with pure strength. As mentioned above you, they can dramatically improve recovery time from injuries as well as increase the bodies ability to use oxygen both which would be very useful to a footballer.

 

[sweyid]

I cant really think of what PED's would help a footballer... in American sports they're almost all strength based (baseball and american football especially where there's the highest incidence rates of PED's). I'm sure there are some that use PED's but not necessarily ones we're used to seeing in american sports like steroids or HGH's

You need explosive muscles to take hard shots, do quick runs etc. A solid musculature will also prevent injuries and anabolic steroids will drastically reduce recovery time from injures. PEDs will also let you train more, which will make a players all-round physique better.

I despise PEDs, doping and all that and reckon that anyone caught with doping shouldn't be allowed to play ever again. Studies show that certain doping preparates can give the user positive effects up to twenty years after they've been used. It's cheating and it should never be accepted.

As much as I loved Edgar Davids as a player, I just couldn't respect him after he was caught using PEDs.

 

[absolute bobbins]

Our testing is pretty rigorous as are the punishments. After every game several players are randomly chosen for urine tests. Missing a test. Missing a test is a bannable offence (usually over several months)

TBH if there are any worries about drugs in the game it would be recreation rather than performancing enhancing.

We are not intergrated with WADA though, are we?

 

[nidge]

The use of PED's and recreational drugs in the EPL in my some what cynical opinion is covered up by mysterious injuries that go on for months without so much of a mention.

 

[nidge]

We are not intergrated with WADA though, are we?

Of course not if football was intergrated into WADA a really tangible drug testing program would need to be put in place and the powers that be don't appear to want it.

 

[peter_the_yid]

I'm sure that teams used to use creatinine supplements to help enhance performance. Not sure if it's banned now or not.

Creatine, Creatinine is a waste product!
It isn't banned, never will be.

There is PED use in football, I can tell you this as 100% straight up fact as someone who has been fortunate enough to meet some strength coaches and medics at top football teams.
It isn't rife like it is in Rugby, combat sports, cycling etc but it happens.

Being affiliated with WADA would make no difference, those guys are so behind the curve their existence isn't even worthwhile.

 

[C-oops]

Creatine, Creatinine is a waste product!
It isn't banned, never will be.

There is PED use in football, I can tell you this as 100% straight up fact as someone who has been fortunate enough to meet some strength coaches and medics at top football teams.
It isn't rife like it is in Rugby, combat sports, cycling etc but it happens.

Being affiliated with WADA would make no difference, those guys are so behind the curve their existence isn't even worthwhile.

That's what I meant

 

[Misfit]

Puh-lease. The clubs and authorities regularly cover up the use of class-A drugs (unless said player is a massive dud and costing a club a fortune, then they get all "oooh this is rully rully not good un stuff" about it). All to protect the product and investments. With that in mind, the only fuck they'll give about PEDs is if an outsider ever has the balls to do some real digging.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Football has, along with quite a few other things in life, risen above certain "laws" - the vast size of investment and interest from fans means that it is essential to the country for many reasons but mainly financial. This means that the government will be willing to bend the odd rule, and will fully encourage the governing bodies to do the same, lest they risk a scandal that could have an impact on the national "game".

The Rio thing was ideal for them - they could punish a guy who, technically, had done nothing wrong with regards to being found guilty of PED use, so it gave them a chance to make a rather poor example of a high profile player, but regardless of the punishment for potential non-offenders, they were basically just demonstrating to FIFA that they do at least pay attention.

If there is widespread use going on then i would wager it's not so much game time that is influenced by it, it'd be more the preparation, training, workouts, weights etc - this i sort of consider category B doping; using drugs to help you get fit to achieve more, as opposed to using drugs to directly achieve a greater competitiveness or advantage on the day.

 

[nailsy]

PEDS are a huge problem in football in my opinion. ..there's one in charge of Arsenal for a start.