If you have ever watched professional boxing on TV, you have something to see. I mean, these incredible power shots are out of this world. Not only that, but most of them are stupidly fast in combination with their power. But how is that possible? Is there something behind the scenes that people don’t know about?
Nate Diaz once said: “Everyone is on steroids”. We examined whether that’s only the case in UFC or do we have the same scenario in professional boxing.
Here is the short answer:
Some professional boxers use steroids, and others do not. Many of them have tested positive for steroid use on a long list of occasions. Many professional boxers can make use of all the advantages provided by steroids while also achieving a negative test result for the same substances due to insufficiently well-conducted tests for illegal substances.
Steroids are hormones and there are many different types of them, but when it comes to ones that are taken with exercise to help the body develop faster, they are most often anabolic steroids. They act as the male hormone testosterone and help develop muscle tissue.
That being the case, professional boxers who use steroids for the benefits they provide are a hot topic among boxing enthusiasts. Any fighter who uses them runs the risk of ruining their career and reputation. Despite the known risks, particularly to their health, fighters continue to take chances and many times pay the price.
These Professional Boxers Used Steroids
Former professional boxer Vitali Klitschko was supposed to represent Ukraine in boxing in 1996
Atlanta Olympic Games, but he tested positive for steroids and was kicked off the team.
Tyson Fury, the world heavyweight champion was also confirmed to have tested positive for “Nandrolone,” an
anabolic steroid that is prohibited by WADA.
Kid Galahad, a professional boxer from the United
Kingdom tested positive for the banned steroid “Stanozolol.”
Former welterweight champion Andre Berto tested positive for the drug “norandrosterone.” The list could go on and on…
Here are some of the other pro boxers who tested positive on PEDs:
- Brandon Rios
- Lamont Peterson
- Roy Jones Jr
- Yuriorkis Gamboa
- Alexander Povetkin
- Dillian Whyte
- Lucas Browne
How Do Professional Boxers Take Steroids?
Steroids can be taken as tablets or as injections, but can also come as a gel or cream. Dosing is usually done in weeks or months’ cycles, with a short pause in between. This is referred to as “cycling.” The term “stacking” refers to the simultaneous usage of several distinct forms of steroids. “Pyramiding” is the process of progressively raising the quantity, amount, or frequency of steroids until they reach a peak, then gradually decreasing the amount and frequency. Steroid abusers frequently take doses that are 10 to 100 times higher than what would be advised by a doctor for safe use.
Why Do Professional Boxers Take Steroids?
Steroids aid recovery, thus a boxer who uses them will be able to recover more quickly. They also make it possible to have more endurance and strength. If a fighter takes steroids and gasses after eight rounds, he will feel more invigorated. The effects of each steroid are unique. Some drugs might improve stamina and weight loss in professional boxers, allowing them to achieve their desired weight.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Steroids For Professional Boxers?
Let’s say you and I both workout extremely hard and I’m on steroids while you’re not. While you are compelled to rest and heal, the drugs I’m on enable me to recover faster and train the next day.
If I use them throughout the off-season, I’ll be able to lift more, run farther and do more work in general over a longer period. Even if I stop taking them, the ones I was taking during my training gave me a boost in general work capability.
Steroids greatly aid recuperation, allowing you to train harder and longer. The aches and pains that naturally occur after an exercise, the ones that cause you to slow down, will be scarcely noticeable. During recovery, your body also outperforms itself in terms of muscle repair, resulting in bigger and stronger muscles. Testosterone also makes you more aggressive. When you’re on steroids, you’ll hit harder and for longer.
Training camps are designed so that the fighter reaches peak performance around the time of the fight; this is a relatively short window of time, and if it is timed incorrectly, the fighter will be exhausted and underperform. Steroids dramatically increase that window, allowing fighters to fit more “work” into their training camp because they don’t have to take as much time for rest and recovery. A professional boxer who runs 100 miles in training camp, has a significant edge over one who runs 50.
Steroids of various types also allow fighters to boost strength and reduce body fat beyond what a natural fighter can achieve. Two boxers may be the same weight, but if one has significantly greater strength than the other, that is a major benefit.
What Are The Side Effects Of Professional Boxers Using Steroids?
It is never advisable to use any banned substance unless it has been prescribed by a physician, as they have both short and long-term harmful effects. In the short term, the user may experience less serious side effects such as acne or aggressive behavior, but in the long run, it might result in serious side effects such as high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke, and heart failure.
Anabolic steroid users have been linked to an increase in mental health concerns, according to research. They are also more prone than non-users to have anxiety, and some users have been known to experience hypomania, manic, or psychotic symptoms as a result of their usage. Many of them have also reported serious depressive symptoms and sleep disturbances, especially after periods of abstinence following heavy use.
Furthermore, studies in the United States have revealed that consuming steroids damages brain cells and promotes the development of brain illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, the liver is the most impacted organ. Steroids frequently contain difficult-to-digest chemicals, putting pressure on the organs, particularly the liver, to keep the body running.
Although anabolic steroids do not cause physical addiction, they can become a source of confidence and self-esteem for some people. Because of this dependence, it may be difficult to stop using them in the long run. Internal pressure to continue using can result from a fear of losing muscle size or definition.
Are Anabolic Steroids Legal?
Synthetic forms of the male hormone testosterone are known as anabolic steroids (anabolic-androgenic steroids). They are a class of drugs that are legally available only by prescription and are prescribed to treat various conditions that cause loss of muscle mass.
The use of anabolic steroids for non-medical purposes is prohibited by most major sports organizations. In January 2005, the Anabolic Steroid Control Act was altered by the Restricted Substances Act, adding anabolic steroids and prohormones (hormone precursors) to the list of controlled substances and making them a federal crime. Despite proof that it can cause major health concerns, some athletes continue to use it illegally.
Problems With Drug-testing In Boxing
The problem with current boxing drug testing is that a boxer could start using anabolic steroids or other illegal substances in between fights. Then, knowing how long it takes for a chemical to exit the body completely, they can cycle off. So when a fighter signs a consent form to be tested by VADA, he already has benefited from the usage of steroids, while not testing positive for them.
In boxing, there is no uniform drug testing. Some state athletic commissioners conduct independent testing. Many of the fighters in the WBC’s “Clean Boxer Program” claim that no tests have ever been performed on them.
The Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency tests a large number of boxers (VADA). Another problem is VADA is unable to keep track of every single substance made, so if a fighter uses a freshly created steroid, there are no tests available to detect it. Fighters can take advantage of this loophole to use the juice in a variety of ways.
In Summary
Boxing is a sport that can be extremely dangerous. Each time a professional boxer enters the ring, he takes his own and his opponent’s life into their own hands. The inherent dangers to the opponent and challenger are astronomically larger when steroid use is included, in addition to adding to unfair advantage and misrepresentation to the general public who admires and follows these athletes.
Any advantage that may be gained at the top level of professional boxing will be used. Even if the results aren’t immediately noticeable, a fighter will try to cheat the system by abusing whatever steroids or advantage they can get their hands on. Unfortunately, banned substances have been abused in sports since the dawn of time, so fighters will continue to try their luck.
Steroids aren’t everything, at the end of the day. You can’t expect to be a ten-time world champion if you’re just randomly using steroids. But, when these advantages are applied to a fighter who is already skilled, astounding results can be achieved.
