Legalize Dud Drugs
According to Engber[‘s article], Human Growth Hormone (HGH or GH) has little to no performance enhancing-benefits. … I have the benefit of working down the hall from several exercise physiologists. I forwarded [his] article to my colleague, John McLester. … “Oh yeah, I agree with [Engber]. This isn’t even controversial in exercise physiology. … There is no evidence of [benefit from bigger muscles]. It seems that the muscle that is developed is abnormal and not mature. I’ll point you to some studies (see below). …
With [Major League Baseball]’s adoption of mandatory testing for steroids, many thought that home run rates would drop dramatically. They didn’t, and many felt that the lack of a test for HGH could be part of the explanation. Well, it’s time for the scientists working on such a test to start something else more important.
That is John Bradbury. He interprets:
The illegality of growth hormone actually promotes its use in sports. … The banning of a drug by anti-doping authorities sends a loud and incorrect signal that it works. … Therefore, I believe that legalizing growth hormone is needed to send the signal that it doesn’t work, largely to undo the widespread common belief that growth hormone does improve performance. … Think of the powerful effect it would have if MLB pulled growth hormone off its banned list. I can’t imagine a more powerful signal of a drug’s lack of potency as a performance enhancer. If we are going to be paternalists, let’s be effective paternalists.
I think practitioners understand that more granularly than do researchers.
Is your conclusion based on first-hand knowledge re trainers, or economic deduction (from the fact of a highly competitive market)?
In bringing up steroids, I think you're missing part of the point. If you asked an exercise physiologist about anabolic steroids, surely he or she would not then deny effect (both favorable and adverse).
Yeah, sure, the primary gain Barry Bonds reaped by growing from 190 to 240 lbs was mental.
Same with roided-up race horses- all placebo I'm sure.
Look, I could easily envision steroids helping some struggling baseball player's confidence and amplifying the physical gains.
And I can point to careers ruined by steroids: NFL receiver David Boston ballooned from 210 to 260 lbs of pure muscle, ruining his speed, durability and career. The guy overdid it big time, probably due to some mental quirk similar to what motivates anorexics.
So it's complicated, and I think practitioners understand that more granularly than do researchers.