Stallone and Holyfield: Two Over-the-Hill Boxers Linked To HGH
Published March 17, 2007
After this past week there should no longer be any doubt in anyone’s mind that performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) are being used at every level of our society. For example:
• The high school drug ring in New Jersey that includes a high school football coach and a player on the team.
• Another steroid/HGH scandal involving a Florida high school’s championship wrestling program.
• The Internet-based drug distribution ring that allegedly catered to athletes like Evander Holyfield and Sylvester Stallone getting charged with illegally bringing 48 vials of HGH into Australia.
These scandals involve people from all walks of life.
By getting pinched for trying to sneak almost 50 vials of HGH into Australia last month, Stallone has opened up a whole can of worms. For an actor like Stallone whose legend and fortune was made by developing and playing characters with superhuman physiques, it is no wonder that he would be tempted to use growth hormone and/or other PEDs. There are a ton of benefits that athletes and average Joes think that they can get from using these drugs.
Keep in mind that there are HGH detractors out there warning people that HGH isn’t a panacea and that there are some real, nasty side effects that can come from messing with this hormone. And they may be right.
But the voice of the dissenters doesn’t matter, regardless of how correct that they might be. The word has been on the street that human growth hormone can – or may – deliver all of these fantastic benefits, and that’s enough for people who are willing to do anything to get an edge. At this point the facts don’t matter, as far as the users are concerned.
For years there have been stories that HGH has become the drug of choice among the motion picture crowd, as growth hormone can deliver some of the same benefits as can plastic surgery without the surgery part. When you consider the “Fountain of Youth” hype that has accompanied the promotion of hgh, it’s not surprising that the Hollywood types would be willing to try it.
Some folks may not like to put faith in rumors, or refuse to acknowledge that people would mess with such a powerful substance, but the truth is growth hormone has been around – and has been used illicitly – by people for over 20 years. I know for a fact that low-level, local professional bodybuilders in New Jersey were using black market “growth” - mined from the pituitary glands of the dead - at least as early as 1984.
In 1986 Eli Lilly created the first synthetic hormone that was identical to the HGH produced by the pituitary gland, and the use of this hormone became “safer” and more widespread. But it took more than 20 years for the word to reach the mainstream that human growth hormone was being used by athletes and citizens alike for myriad reasons.
Which brings me back to one of my points; given how good Sly Stallone looks for a guy his age, and given how much money is at stake, is it that surprising that he would have access to and use human growth hormone? And not just recently.
Sal Marinello is a National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer, a U.S.A. Weightlifting Certified Coach, a full-time, private Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach, an assistant football coach and a Head Strength Coach for a suburban New Jersey High School. He writes a lot and has no free time. 
- Stallone and Holyfield: Two Over-the-Hill Boxers Linked To HGH
- Published: March 17, 2007
- Type: News
- Section: Sports
- Filed Under: Sci/Tech: Health/Fitness, Culture: Crime and Court, Culture: Celebrity, Sports: Other
- Writer: Sal Marinello
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Comments on this articleComments
I'm sorry, but who do you think you are to say that free people shouldn't be allowed to ingest whatever substance they please?
I own my body, not you, not the Govt., just ME!
If I choose to use a substance that I believe benefits me that is my choice as a free person.
However, if you're arguing that we're all slaves, and the govt. owns us, and they know what's best then I pity you, and I hope you stay out of the way when the day comes, and it will come, that we are forced to defend ourselves from a Govt that grew out of control with your permission and endorsement.
jeff:
spare us the sanctimonius claptrap.
during a sporting contest if someone on growth hormone or steroids hits somoeone who is NOT on growth hormone, the person NOT on growth hormone is A) at a competitive disadvantage and B)in danger of being injured by the person on growth hormone or steroids.
there are some doubts regarding hgh's safety for use in humans, and plenty of doubts as to the safety of steroids. so your position that people can ignore the regulations that prevent the use of steroids and hgh because people "are allowed to ingest whatever substance they please," means that those who don't want to take this kind of risk and injest experimental substances should be at a disadvantage.
this kind of moral relativity is laughable, and i pity anyone who is so selfish as to not see that there are rules and regulations that govern behavior in competition that must be honored.
if people want to use growth hormone and steroids so that they can go to the beach and to bars and impress people, i say mazel, mazel, good things. if you want to "bone up," listen to some tunes and hang out and not bother anyone, i'm with you.
but to take the position that athletes can do whatever they want is to not understand the nature of athletics, and that not everyone wants to cheat or risk their lives.
and what i will say is that if an athlete really thinks he should be allowed to use hgh he should come out and say it, and not be a coward about it.
with regard to stallone, if he wants to look good until he's 80 and take hgh, that's fine, just tell us. my problem is that he's selling supplements to people and trading on his looks as an endorsement of his products, when it's the drugs not the pudding.
I think that it'svery possible that he took steroids. Since Holyfield was on the come back trail, steroids would help him win his matches. How he was able to get past the test that are conducted before boxing matches was a puzzle to me though.l I thought strict test are administered before every boxing bout.
Greetings everyone! Funny how steroids are an issue, when they have been around, for so long. Even funnier, how the goverment is cracking down on steroids, however, ignoring, how many people die, of alcohol abuse, drunk driving etc. Smoking? Now lets see, how many people have died from that? How many times, have you gone outside and see someone driving erratic and say look, I think he is on steroids.
So, as an adult, as long as we do not drive, when we drink, we can drink until we drown, which is a personal choice, right? We can smoke, as long as it is not in a non smoking area. Hmm? Second hand smoking, anyone?
The goverment, is full of it. Just pissed, because they are not getting their share of the undergound$$$$$$.
Peace.
Yes, many people look up to these guys, who are known users of anabolic steroids & human growth hormone, just like many others, who look up to certain athletes, who are allegedly natural, who have beaten drug tests, in sports.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/61176)
And so many people look up to these guys.