What role are steroids playing in the longevity of today's pro athletes?

[Equator]

Aaron Rodgers is set to return from a torn Achilles tendon this fall as a 40 year old quarterback going into his 20th season. A few decades ago, returning from this injury was seen as unlikely for an athlete of any age, let alone a 40 year old man. This got me thinking about the nature of modern athletic careers.

• Tom Brady had two of his best seasons ever at the age of 43 and 44 in 2020 and 2021.
• LeBron James is nearing his 40th birthday and has been in the NBA since 2003. Still playing at a high level.
• Lionel Messi has been a pro footballer since 2005 and is widely considered the best ever. Yet he's still performing at a high level after a 20 year career and achieving everything.
• Alex Ovechkin has been playing in the NHL since 2005 and is still among the best players in the league.
• Serena Williams, Steph Curry and James Harden are other examples.

We are told by mainstream media that better training, nutrition and recovery techniques are to thank for these long careers. But what role do steroids and other PEDs play behind the scenes? What are the likes of Messi, LeBron and Ovechkin taking to remain on top so long?

 

[Thrawn]

Imo alot, they probably Use the hell out of peptides, stem cells, sarms, designer steroids and chemically altered shit we never heard of because we can't afford it.

 

[CJ]

Aaron Rodgers is set to return from a torn Achilles tendon this fall as a 40 year old quarterback going into his 20th season. A few decades ago, returning from this injury was seen as unlikely for an athlete of any age, let alone a 40 year old man. This got me thinking about the nature of modern athletic careers.

• Tom Brady had two of his best seasons ever at the age of 43 and 44 in 2020 and 2021.
• LeBron James is nearing his 40th birthday and has been in the NBA since 2003. Still playing at a high level.
• Lionel Messi has been a pro footballer since 2005 and is widely considered the best ever. Yet he's still performing at a high level after a 20 year career and achieving everything.
• Alex Ovechkin has been playing in the NHL since 2005 and is still among the best players in the league.
• Serena Williams, Steph Curry and James Harden are other examples.

We are told by mainstream media that better training, nutrition and recovery techniques are to thank for these long careers. But what role do steroids and other PEDs play behind the scenes? What are the likes of Messi, LeBron and Ovechkin taking to remain on top so long?

All of the above.

I don't think "steroids" per se, are involved as much as some think. But GH, stem cell therapy, peptides, etc... I feel are.

 

[Wizbang]

Aaron Rodgers is set to return from a torn Achilles tendon this fall as a 40 year old quarterback going into his 20th season. A few decades ago, returning from this injury was seen as unlikely for an athlete of any age, let alone a 40 year old man. This got me thinking about the nature of modern athletic careers.

• Tom Brady had two of his best seasons ever at the age of 43 and 44 in 2020 and 2021.
• LeBron James is nearing his 40th birthday and has been in the NBA since 2003. Still playing at a high level.
• Lionel Messi has been a pro footballer since 2005 and is widely considered the best ever. Yet he's still performing at a high level after a 20 year career and achieving everything.
• Alex Ovechkin has been playing in the NHL since 2005 and is still among the best players in the league.
• Serena Williams, Steph Curry and James Harden are other examples.

We are told by mainstream media that better training, nutrition and recovery techniques are to thank for these long careers. But what role do steroids and other PEDs play behind the scenes? What are the likes of Messi, LeBron and Ovechkin taking to remain on top so long?

I am sure the mainstream medias contentions are also valid, we have learned ALOT about training, nutrition and recovery in the last decade alone, but add on the fact our understanding of PEDs and bleeding edge medicine has also come a very long way in that same amount of time that likely factors in much heavier.

 

[Equator]

chemically altered shit we never heard of because we can't afford it.

This could be the most interesting part of the equation.

I am sure the mainstream medias contentions are also valid, we have learned ALOT about training, nutrition and recovery in the last decade alone, but add on the fact our understanding of PEDs and bleeding edge medicine has also come a very long way in that same amount of time that likely factors in much heavier.

That's true. I should not discount it entirely.

Steve Young mentioned that he regularly ate dinner at Wendy's during his playing career. I can't imagine today's athletes doing that.

 

[Wizbang]

This could be the most interesting part of the equation.



That's true. I should not discount it entirely.

Steve Young mentioned that he regularly ate dinner at Wendy's during his playing career. I can't imagine today's athletes doing that.

I think this era (or more recent era) athletes have largely become teams of people, they hire out food (personal chef/nutritionist) that make food daily and even travel, they have a high end trainer or two (as well as massage/recovery specific), and they have concierge physician or team of physicians. When you have that level of monitoring you're able to course correct any situation pretty quickly.

 

[CJ]

I think this era (or more recent era) athletes have largely become teams of people, they hire out food (personal chef/nutritionist) that make food daily and even travel, they have a high end trainer or two (as well as massage/recovery specific), and they have concierge physician or team of physicians. When you have that level of monitoring you're able to course correct any situation pretty quickly.

And teams are more willing to hire nutritionists, massage therapists, the best doctors, to protect their 100+ million dollar investments, I mean players.

 

[Bump]

They all say their prayers and eat their vitamins, just like Hulk Hogan told them. Ah, the wisdom.

 

[Santa]

And teams are more willing to hire nutritionists, massage therapists, the best doctors, to protect their 100+ million dollar investments, I mean players.

Add in rule changes to protect players (specifically skill players) along with rest management (looking at you NBA) and you have guys playing longer and staying ‘healthy’ into their 40’s.

 

[j2048b]

Aaron Rodgers is set to return from a torn Achilles tendon this fall as a 40 year old quarterback going into his 20th season. A few decades ago, returning from this injury was seen as unlikely for an athlete of any age, let alone a 40 year old man. This got me thinking about the nature of modern athletic careers.

• Tom Brady had two of his best seasons ever at the age of 43 and 44 in 2020 and 2021.
• LeBron James is nearing his 40th birthday and has been in the NBA since 2003. Still playing at a high level.
• Lionel Messi has been a pro footballer since 2005 and is widely considered the best ever. Yet he's still performing at a high level after a 20 year career and achieving everything.
• Alex Ovechkin has been playing in the NHL since 2005 and is still among the best players in the league.
• Serena Williams, Steph Curry and James Harden are other examples.

We are told by mainstream media that better training, nutrition and recovery techniques are to thank for these long careers. But what role do steroids and other PEDs play behind the scenes? What are the likes of Messi, LeBron and Ovechkin taking to remain on top so long?

Its all drugs… undetectable… the clear… does that ring a bell? Im sure that chemical ingredients list found its way to the other sports… gh, and all sorts of other stuff as well… u look at mma…
They can use up to a certain point and have doctors monitoring them… its all over the place

 

[j2048b]

Especially when they can go to Europe and do stem cell implants and all sorts of other stuff, look at kobe… he went and had all sorts of stuff done… they cant stop u i guess?

 

[Equator]

Add in rule changes to protect players (specifically skill players) along with rest management (looking at you NBA) and you have guys playing longer and staying ‘healthy’ into their 40’s.

This is a great point and I think it especially applies to NFL quarterbacks who essentially have their own set of rules at this point. At least for QBs like Brady (before he retired), Mahomes, Rodgers, Burrow, etc.

But even with those rule changes, the torn Achilles still happened to Rodgers.

 

[notsoswoleCPA]

They all say their prayers and eat their vitamins, just like Hulk Hogan told them. Ah, the wisdom.

In his defense, he never said exactly what his vitamins were. Testosterone and Deca count as supplements, right?

 

[Bump]

In his defense, he never said exactly what his vitamins were. Testosterone and Deca count as supplements, right?

Vague by design perhaps, but I would rather think he was misleading youngsters than secretly telling them to hop on a cycle.
PED's aside, science and nutrition have come a long way. People are much younger looking, acting and performing into their later years.

 

[RISE]

I personally don't think steroids or peds have anything to do with longevity in the certain sports and positions you mentioned. Look at society in general, 30 years ago a 40 yr old was half dead, now most people who take care of themselves are very youthful in their 40's, I would say even up to their 60's compared to just a few decades ago. These are people who haven't touched a PED in their life.

Now if we are talking about recovery, I think there has been a substantial increase in therapy like hot/cold, stem cell, red light, hyperbaric, etc that has had a very positive effect in recovery. But traditional steroids only help in muscular recovery, not tendon, ligament or bone, That would be GH. Yet I consider that approach alone, basic or an old school route of going about recovery from those injuries.

The positions you would traditionally see use PEDS like steroids or GH in a heavier, for more of a performance enhancing specific outcome (line backers, safeties, running backs, etc) are not seeing the same effects in longevity. You might have an Adrian Peterson type player every now and then, but he's an anomaly and not a trend.

 

[andy]

pro athletes I believe go to a more or less xtreme dosages and xtreme drugs to get the best out of what they are capable of.

 

[Bro Bundy]

You never hear about aas in hockey . I’m sure they have them u just almost never hear about it . If I had to bet I would say ovi is clean

 

[Diesel59]

The positions you would traditionally see use PEDS like steroids or GH in a heavier, for more of a performance enhancing specific outcome (line backers, safeties, running backs, etc) are not seeing the same effects in longevity. You might have an Adrian Peterson type player every now and then, but he's an anomaly and not a trend.

Yes it's very positional. At least in the NFL. That would go back to the rule changes @Santa mentioned. Running backs are still looked at as "old" by the time they're 29.

It I had to bet I would say ovi is clean

Because he has Russian genetics?

 

[Bro Bundy]

Yes it's very positional. At least in the NFL. That would go back to the rule changes @Santa mentioned. Running backs are still looked at as "old" by the time they're 29.



Because he has Russian genetics?

Exactly

 

[Bro Bundy]

Yes it's very positional. At least in the NFL. That would go back to the rule changes @Santa mentioned. Running backs are still looked at as "old" by the time they're 29.



Because he has Russian genetics?

Look at my natty core that’s Russian genetics