I really think the NHL should allow players with certain injuries to utilize HGH -- and perhaps even some of the less anabolic, pro-healing steroid hormones -- during at least the early phases of rehab/recovery from serious injuries.
The sports science is there, and known medical regimens can unequivocally help a player not only heal from their injury faster... but also heal more thoroughly or completely [in less time].
Obviously i am not suggesting the use of such substances be mandatory, and i am not talking about certain long-acting anabolic steroids that produce intense androgenic changes to the players body when using.
I am talking about those "PED's" that focus more on healing and recovery time. HGH is the perfect one to allow for recuperation programs because the half-life of the hormone is so short, and it is a natural hormone in the body anyhow that does not have the negative effects that some steroids do.
If a player wants to heal quicker/better... i say why not?? Not to dehumanize hockey players, but in the NHL they are human capital and being cleared for return to play sooner can literally be the difference between a team making the playoffs or not making the playoffs. If sports science can help ensure a speedier and more complete recovery (
meaning less chance of experiencing the same injury again) i just don't see why it shouldn't be an option.
It's not just for the league, the dedicated fans (paying customers), but it's also for the well-being of the players themselves. Sports science can play a big role in making potentially career-ending or career-altering injuries
not nearly as serious in the long-term as they would be without the best remedies science has to offer.
Besides, these players hate being injured and the rehab process. They'd rather be on the ice. So i think most players would embrace HGH therapy (and/or steroids primarily used for healing), if they were allowed to.
HGH -- with the very short half-life i alluded to -- is very difficult to test for anyhow. Everything i just said about this topic, to be clear, i am only suggesting for
badly injured players.
Hockey, much like basketball... is less of a "steroids = better performance" sport than American football or baseball. Too many other skills are required to be a good hockey player, skills that don't involve brute strength.
Which isn't to say hockey players would not or could not benefit from illegally taking PED's... it's just that the risk of taking steroids (compared to the ultimate reward) is not nearly as worth taking as it is in football and baseball, where PED's pay more reliable dividends (better reward for the risk).
There's my two cents. I'm off the soapbox now.
Thanks. That made me smile.
