Steroids, HGH, PH etc.

[Mablung]

How prevalent would you guys say the use is among pros, both NH and SH. Use in the NFL is understood to be extremely widespread. Even considering they're different sports with different positions requiring different levels of muscle mass for advantages, to me rugby union physiques still look pretty natural by comparison. Your thoughts?

[big ginger 8]

There's been a few threads about this I firmly believe the likelihood of steroid use in rugby is very low if non-existent at the top level.

[TRF_Olyy]

As above.
I don't think it's 100% non-existent, but the amount of drugs tests they undergo will keep everyone clean, and I don't think many would risk it as that'd be their careers over.
At lower levels? Who knows. You often hear of lower league Rugby League players getting caught juicing, but not that much from Union.

[racingmetrofan]

How prevalent would you guys say the use is among pros, both NH and SH. Use in the NFL is understood to be extremely widespread. Even considering they're different sports with different positions requiring different levels of muscle mass for advantages, to me rugby union physiques still look pretty natural by comparison. Your thoughts?

Physiques have nothing to do with it, as everyone knows cyclists historically have been the biggest users of steroids and the don't look like bodybuilders.

They are probably used to varying degrees by a few players but really one needs: a longish offseason to be able to take them, doping testers that can be avoided, and a load of money to pay the best in the PED game to get them the gear and dose them etc. Which most players dont have.

Also rugby is one of a few sports that doesn't push its players into athletic tests at really early stages. There is no combine where you're meant to be able to bench press 225lb 30 times or whatever. You just have to be a skilled player.

[Mablung]

Physiques have nothing to do with it, as everyone knows cyclists historically have been the biggest users of steroids and the don't look like bodybuilders.

They are probably used to varying degrees by a few players but really one needs: a longish offseason to be able to take them, doping testers that can be avoided, and a load of money to pay the best in the PED game to get them the gear and dose them etc. Which most players dont have.

Also rugby is one of a few sports that doesn't push its players into athletic tests at really early stages. There is no combine where you're meant to be able to bench press 225lb 30 times or whatever. You just have to be a skilled player.

Yes I'm aware steroids and the like does not equate to huge muscles. I was talking in comparison to plenty of NFL players where its close to undeniable that many are not natural simply by looking at them, players who use for mass gains. Of course if a player is using simply for recovery purposes spectators cannot tell by eyeballing.

[racingmetrofan]

Yes I'm aware steroids and the like does not equate to huge muscles. I was talking in comparison to plenty of NFL players where its close to undeniable that many are not natural simply by looking at them, players who use for mass gains. Of course if a player is using simply for recovery purposes spectators cannot tell by eyeballing.

I don't really think you can tell by looking either way, plenty of genetic freaks about if you think of the playing pool the NFL has.

Apparently quite a few people use it in league: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/may/30/terry-newton-hgh-league-drugs

and I guess this suggests against it (no massive jumps in hormones/strength): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19620903

[welshglory]

I'm pretty sure in the lower leagues where there is less testing, it is used by some/many. I know that when i was at school (not that long ago) i heard lot's of "rumours" of guys my age looking to get into academies taking them.