Per ESPN: Braun Tests Positive, May Face 50 Game Suspension (Part 1)

[Bnowell4evr]

Would TRT amp up your testosterone levels that far?

Yes

[splitterpfj]

Bnowell, it's just not as simple as that. It depends on what form you use, for what length of time, and how your body responds to it.

 

Could a man use TRT to blast his testosterone levels sky-high? Yes, but if he did, there would be signs that he had done so....mood changes, etc.

 

If you were to do this, and then stop, odds are you'd have impaired your body's own ability to produce and regulate testosterone production....causing a crash...not a simple return to normal, but a crash to below-normal testosterone levels. This would be accompanied by a loss of energy, loss of focus, possible memory issues...some men literally become house bound.

 

The one way I could see Braun using TRT, would be if he had literally just started to do so when he was tested...only a few days. Maybe he did, but I really think either a botched test, or an oral supplement which impacts test results are far more likely.

 

My guess...not guilty, or he took some form of supplement that he didn't realize would cause a positive test....the information we have is very thin, but I don't believe this was an out and out attempt to cheat. This stuff is just too powerful, if his T levels were extraordinarily high, someone would have a clue long before they called a doctor.

[TheCouga23]

I have to admit...it would be a pretty clever move to instantly jolt your testosterone levels to absurd levels as soon as you got knowledge of a coming test...and then later use it as evidence that the testing process doesn't add up. You don't have time to clean out your system, but it probably takes little time to suddenly add a ton more.

MLB will still probably suspend you, but at least you've created doubt in the public's eyes...which is a much bigger deal from Braun's perspective.

I'm definitely not saying that this is what happened, but if you get notice of a test and you know you're not clean, trying a move like this is better than the alternative. I'm not sure how possible this would be, and what the side effects would then be as well, but it's definitely something somebody could try as a last resort.

I'm the last person to care though. If he got caught, than there's a punishment...50 days and a loss of close to $2MM in salary. He's not some sort of god in my eyes...he's just some dude doing anything he can to get ahead, and if he owns up to the fact that he tried to cheat and comes back clean and leads us to another division title after "serving his time," I'll still like him as much as I do now.

[PKBadger]

I can buy the idea that he was taking something to get over the leg injury, but that happened in early July. So why would he still be using during the playoffs? Especially with the stakes of failing a test being so high? It doesn't add up.

[splitterpfj]

The reason I don't believe this was abuse of TRT is, if the reports are true, a closer look at the T in Braun's failed test showed it to be synthetic. Honestly, this would be harder to do than using something like HGH or Chlomid. HGH and Chlomid do not introduce synthetic T into the blood...they cause increased production of natural T by the body.

 

If you blasted insane amounts of synthetic T into your body, your brain would recognize the elevated levels, and would turn off your own natural production of T. This means, you'd have to start blasting away with T, HUGE doses to get a sky-high reading...huge enough to cause the reading in the first place, and then to override the subsequent decrease in natural production.

 

To have a crazy-high reading of synthetic T, you'd have to be loading mammoth amounts of synthetic T into your body....and believe you wouldn't get caught. Now, come on, you'd have to be really stupid, or really arrogant to think you could pull that off at this point. This wouldn't even be sophisticated, this is simply piling on HUGE amounts of testosterone, knowing that sooner or later you'll be tested...while believing you won't be caught.

 

Nothing I've ever seen, heard, or read about Ryan Braun would lead me to believe he'd try something so foolish.

 

IF, Braun had blown-out levels of synthetic T in a blood test, I don't even see how that could have been caused by a supplement...unless there is some supplement out there that can somehow introduce synthetic T into the blood.

 

We don't have all of the information, who knows what the failed test actually showed, but I don't believe for one minute that Braun could have had crazy high synthetic T, and then normal T in a short period without showing outward signs of the intense changes, and I don't believe Ryan is just plain bull-headed enough to think he could pile insane amounts of synthetic T into his body without failing a test.

 

Honestly, I believe something is wrong with the initial test, or Ryan may have inadvertently discovered a supplement that screws up the testing process. This is not based on emotion, this is based on what I know about TRT...it would be hard to get to the levels he seems to have tested at without being just plain dumb.

[Bnowell4evr]

Bnowell, it's just not as simple as that. It depends on what form you use, for what length of time, and how your body responds to it.

 

Could a man use TRT to blast his testosterone levels sky-high? Yes, but if he did, there would be signs that he had done so....mood changes, etc.

 

If you were to do this, and then stop, odds are you'd have impaired your body's own ability to produce and regulate testosterone production....causing a crash...not a simple return to normal, but a crash to below-normal testosterone levels. This would be accompanied by a loss of energy, loss of focus, possible memory issues...some men literally become house bound.

 

The one way I could see Braun using TRT, would be if he had literally just started to do so when he was tested...only a few days. Maybe he did, but I really think either a botched test, or an oral supplement which impacts test results are far more likely.

 

My guess...not guilty, or he took some form of supplement that he didn't realize would cause a positive test....the information we have is very thin, but I don't believe this was an out and out attempt to cheat. This stuff is just too powerful, if his T levels were extraordinarily high, someone would have a clue long before they called a doctor.

With Braun's strong stance on his innocence I see him claiming he suffers from Hypogonadism and is prescribed the TRT by his doctor. Now if he actually suffers from it is another question but claiming he suffers from some of these symptons is enough to get a corrupt doctor in Cali to prescribe you with the treatment.

• Poor libido (Low sexual desire)
• Fatigue (medical) always tired
• Muscle loss/atrophy
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Increasing abdominal fat
• Glucose intolerance (early diabetes)
• High Cholesterol/Lipid
• Poor sleep
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory Loss-difficulty in choosing words in language
• Shyness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Psychological and relationship problems
• Gynecomastia
• Hot flashes
• Decrease in growth of, or loss of, beard and body hair
• Loss of bone mass (osteoporosis)^[3][/sup]
• Irritability
• Infertility
• Shrinking of the testicles
• Decrease in firmness of testicles
• Frequent urination (polyuria) without infection; waking at night to urinate ([nocturia])
• Achy muscles
• Liquid stools
• Night sweats
• Dry skin and/or cracking nails
• Reduced Quality of Life

There's such a fine line between cheating and taking TRT for legit medical reasons that Ryan Braun has a great chance of getting his name cleared.

[splitterpfj]

Bnowell, if Braun went with "I'm hypogonadic"...I would lose respect for him immediately, and I'd know he was lying.

 

Read through that list of symptoms and think about Ryan Braun for a second....that's not him. A hypogonadic man has a loss of energy, a loss of muscle mass, increased body fat, particularly "belly fat"...Braun is not hypogonadic, and if he was, MLB would know he was taking prescribed T, and under a doctor's supervision, the synthetic T would not blow him up to extraordinary levels in his bloodstream.

 

If Braun ever says he's using TRT to treat hypogonadism...I will never believe another word he says.

[Bnowell4evr]

Bnowell, if Braun went with "I'm hypogonadic"...I would lose respect for him immediately, and I'd know he was lying.

 

Read through that list of symptoms and think about Ryan Braun for a second....that's not him. A hypogonadic man has a loss of energy, a loss of muscle mass, increased body fat, particularly "belly fat"...Braun is not hypogonadic, and if he was, MLB would know he was taking prescribed T, and under a doctor's supervision, the synthetic T would not blow him up to extraordinary levels in his bloodstream.

 

If Braun ever says he's using TRT to treat hypogonadism...I will never believe another word he says.

No question he's not hypogonadic but we both know that doesn't matter to a corrupt doctor. All Braun has to do is rattle off a couple symptons that can't be proven otherwise and he's got the medical OK to take it.

[Bnowell4evr]

I hate to do a double post but I wanted to share these articles that do a good job explaining TRT and how easily it can be exploited.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-iole_marquardt_trt_commissions_070611

http://www.fightopinion.com/2011/11/21/victor-conte-improving-drug-testing/

[TheCrew]

"Midway through 1993", is exactly what the % numbers support, and the graph supports -- jumping almost exactly halfway to the sustained 1994 and onward numbers. The spliced graph is just a zoom in of another graph on that page, on the left sidebar. Here is how it was created.

Again, the graph is level from 1980 thru 2008, except the '87 season (which no one has shown why that is weird yet, as far as I know). So unless steroids completely propagated through the league in about a 12 month period, something else is the cause of this.

How many players hit 50 HR's pre 1990 and then after?

 

Why is it hard to believe that steroid use blew up within a 12 month period? In fact, that seems very, very likely rather than a general progression of players starting to use.

 

Not gonna get into a debate over juiced ball or juiced players. There is a ton of evidence to support the latter, not so much on the juiced ball theory.

[TheCrew]

In the same respect, 103 Major League Baseball players have a therapeutic use exemption to take an ADHD stimulant like Ritalin or Adderall. 103 is roughly 8% of all MLB players. Compare that number to the general population. Only 1 to 3.5% of adults are diagnosed with ADHD. So, why do so many MLB players receive a therapeutic use exemption so they can take banned stimulants? The answer: It gives them a competitive advantage.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/643751-adderalls-on-first-ritalins-on-second

 

How many people in the general population can hit a 98 MPH fastball?

[ninja33]

Bnowell, if Braun went with "I'm hypogonadic"...I would lose respect for him immediately, and I'd know he was lying.

 

Read through that list of symptoms and think about Ryan Braun for a second....that's not him. A hypogonadic man has a loss of energy, a loss of muscle mass, increased body fat, particularly "belly fat"...Braun is not hypogonadic, and if he was, MLB would know he was taking prescribed T, and under a doctor's supervision, the synthetic T would not blow him up to extraordinary levels in his bloodstream.

 

If Braun ever says he's using TRT to treat hypogonadism...I will never believe another word he says.

No question he's not hypogonadic but we both know that doesn't matter to a corrupt doctor. All Braun has to do is rattle off a couple symptons that can't be proven otherwise and he's got the medical OK to take it.

You're missing the point here though. If Braun WAS hypogonadic (or diagnosed with it by a corrupt doctor), he would have had to disclose his treatment and clear it with MLB. Just like you need to make sure any supplement you take is on the "blessed list" or have it cleared by MLB, I'm sure any treatments that can affect your hormone levels like this have to be disclosed as well. And I would imagine that it is very difficult to get clearance to use TRT, and it would take more than just one doctor diagnosing it. MLB would likely have you tested by a doctor of their own to verify the diagnosis. You don't get to just start taking testosterone and then be able to play the "I'm hypogonadic" card. If you do that, you're guilty. So either MLB was made aware of it, which would make this positive test kind of a non-issue (or at the very least they would now that elevated T levels were very possible)...or they were not made aware of it for some reason and Braun is suspended, no matter if the diagnosis is true or not. Or it wasn't TRT.

[jeffy]

In the same respect, 103 Major League Baseball players have a therapeutic use exemption to take an ADHD stimulant like Ritalin or Adderall. 103 is roughly 8% of all MLB players. Compare that number to the general population. Only 1 to 3.5% of adults are diagnosed with ADHD. So, why do so many MLB players receive a therapeutic use exemption so they can take banned stimulants? The answer: It gives them a competitive advantage.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/643751-adderalls-on-first-ritalins-on-second

 

How many people in the general population can hit a 98 MPH fastball?

 

 

So is your point that abusing these stimulants makes you more likely to be able to hit a 98 mph fastball?

 

Or is it that people with ADHD are more likely to be able to hit a 98 mph fastball and therefore become MLB players?

[dlk9s]

His point, whether one agrees with it or not, is that you can't compare MLB players to the general population.

[Patrick425]

dlk9s[/b]]His point, whether one agrees with it or not, is that you can't compare MLB players to the general population.

Huh? Why not? Other than their ability to play baseball at a high level, they are no different than the general population. He's not comparing the general populations ability to hit a 98 mph fastball to that of a MLB player (so I'm not even sure why that was brought up??). He's comparing the occurance of ADHD in the general public to that of MLB players. Why would MLB players happen to have a higher occurrence of ADHD among their ranks than that of the general population?

 

[TheCrew]

Huh? Why not? Other than their ability to play baseball at a high level, they are no different than the general population. He's not comparing the general populations ability to hit a 98 mph fastball to that of a MLB player (so I'm not even sure why that was brought up??). He's comparing the occurance of ADHD in the general public to that of MLB players. Why would MLB players happen to have a higher occurrence of ADHD among their ranks than that of the general population?

Why do people at certain professions have a higher level of suicide? or substance abuse? To immediately suggest that the ONLY reason MLB players have a higher % of ADHD diagnosis than that of the gen. pop. is that MLB players are using it to gain a competitive advantage is a pretty big stretch.

 

Maybe I should have phrased it this way:

How many people in the general population have access the medical care that MLB players get?

 

There are a TON of variables at play there and suggesting it is solely for performance enhancement is......... well, just flat out wrong imo.

 

Baseball is an intense game which requires a high level of commitment and focus to excel at - it would not surprise me in the least bit if the higher % was simply a natural occurrence.

[Mass Haas]

T.J. Quinn, ESPN Investigator, audio interview from this weekend

 

Part 1

Part 2

[splitterpfj]

ninja33 is right...there's just no way Braun can pull "TRT" out of his pocket after a positive test result and claim innocence. It's testosterone, of all things, you'd have to be cleared by MLB to use it before hand, and if that happened, they'd never make an issue of a positive test, because he'd have an exemption for it, and everyone would just say, "He's going to his doctor, to change his regimen, and get back within normal levels." Allowing exemptions for one stimulant or another is one thing, but flat-out allowing players to blast huge doses of testosterone would completely contradict anything they might call a "testing program."

 

I simply don't buy TRT in this instance, not for one second. If that's what Braun did, he didn't even do it well, and oh, by the way, testosterone has a CIII classification as a controlled substance...the same as a narcotic would have. If there are doctors, pharmacists, athletes, etc out there dumping this stuff...it will not end well.

[JohnBriggs12]

The reason I don't believe this was abuse of TRT is, if the reports are true, a closer look at the T in Braun's failed test showed it to be synthetic. Honestly, this would be harder to do than using something like HGH or Chlomid. HGH and Chlomid do not introduce synthetic T into the blood...they cause increased production of natural T by the body.

 

If you blasted insane amounts of synthetic T into your body, your brain would recognize the elevated levels, and would turn off your own natural production of T. This means, you'd have to start blasting away with T, HUGE doses to get a sky-high reading...huge enough to cause the reading in the first place, and then to override the subsequent decrease in natural production.

 

To have a crazy-high reading of synthetic T, you'd have to be loading mammoth amounts of synthetic T into your body....and believe you wouldn't get caught. Now, come on, you'd have to be really stupid, or really arrogant to think you could pull that off at this point. This wouldn't even be sophisticated, this is simply piling on HUGE amounts of testosterone, knowing that sooner or later you'll be tested...while believing you won't be caught.

 

Nothing I've ever seen, heard, or read about Ryan Braun would lead me to believe he'd try something so foolish.

 

IF, Braun had blown-out levels of synthetic T in a blood test, I don't even see how that could have been caused by a supplement...unless there is some supplement out there that can somehow introduce synthetic T into the blood.

 

We don't have all of the information, who knows what the failed test actually showed, but I don't believe for one minute that Braun could have had crazy high synthetic T, and then normal T in a short period without showing outward signs of the intense changes, and I don't believe Ryan is just plain bull-headed enough to think he could pile insane amounts of synthetic T into his body without failing a test.

 

Honestly, I believe something is wrong with the initial test, or Ryan may have inadvertently discovered a supplement that screws up the testing process. This is not based on emotion, this is based on what I know about TRT...it would be hard to get to the levels he seems to have tested at without being just plain dumb.

If a layman such as yourself has this much knowledge on the subject, I would think Braun's attorney could come up with an expert capable of making his case. The real shame in this is the leaking and subsequent reporting of the initial test prior to any suspension being handed down or any hearing having taken place. ESPN has already tried, convicted and sentenced Braun (Mike Greenberg suggested they retake the MVP vote).

[Mass Haas]

Mark McCarter of the Huntsville Times reminds us of Braun's former University of Miami teammate and longtime Brewer farmhand, Brendan Katin, who made a successful appeal:

 

***

 

Braun the latest in long list of former Huntsville Stars linked to banned substances

By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Four former Huntsville Stars have been selected Most Valuable Player in the major leagues.

All four have now been linked to performance-enhancing drugs.

Ryan Braun, the Brewers' outfielder and 2011 National League MVP, is facing a 50-game suspension after reportedly testing positive for a banned substance. Braun played for the Stars in 2006, leading the team to the Southern League finals.

Braun plans to appeal and, in a text message to Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, wrote "I can't wait to get that opportunity. This is all B.S. I am completely innocent."

Baseball's Steroid Era found other former American League MVP Stars in infamy - Jose Canseco (MVP in 1988), Jason Giambi (MVP in 2000) and Miguel Tejada (MVP in 2002).

One of the most high-profile players also linked to steroids was Mark McGwire, who played for the Stars in 1986 and in 1998 broke Roger Maris' season home-run record with 70. Each of those four ultimately admitted guilt.

Braun might find some hope in a case with which he also has a connection.

Former Stars' outfielder Brendan Katin, a teammate of Braun at the University of Miami, was briefly suspended in 2007 when a test revealed a higher level of testosterone than normal.

Katin entered an appeal and was allowed to play while the decision was pending. The findings were reviewed and, more than three months later, it was "determined that my high level did not constitute a positive result (for steroids)," he told The Times in September 2007.

Major League Baseball required testing at the minor league level and had jurisdiction over punishments.

As Katin said then, with the automatic 50-day suspension for a first-time-offender, "you'd have to be very, very, very stupid" to do anything illegal.

There is another University of Miami link. Braun has known Alex Rodriguez, another former Miami player, for a decade. Rodriguez admitted in 2009 to using steroids.

Interviewed by mlb.com before Rodriguez's admission, Braun said using performance-enhancing drugs was "never something that I sought" and that "the best thing he can do is come out, admit to everything and be completely honest. The situation will die a lot faster if he tells the whole truth."

Braun batted .332 with 33 homers and 111 RBIs in winning the MVP award. It was hardly a spike in power figures: he had 34, 37, 32 and 25 in his previous four years. He never had been associated with any prior controversies, on or off the field.

The Milwaukee Brewers are standing by their man. Team president Mark Attanasio said in a statement, "We are dealing with an incomplete set of facts and speculation. Before there is a rush to judgment, Ryan deserves the right to be heard. We are committed to supporting Ryan to get to the truth."

Creative Artists Agency, which represents Braun, issued a statement saying there are "highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate that there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program ... We are confident that he will ultimately be exonerated."

The former Stars didn't enjoy such exoneration.

Canseco admitted first taking steroids in 1984 in his book "Juiced." Former Times sports editor John Pruett reported in 2005 that an owner of a Huntsville gym, now deceased, said Canseco regularly purchased and used steroids while with the Stars in 1985.

Tejada was among those listed in the Mitchell Report as having used steroids, then in 2009 tearfully pleaded guilty in a federal court that he had lied to Congress in his testimony about steroid use.

Giambi admitted to a grand jury involved in the Bonds-related Balco case that he had taken steroids and McGwire, after years of speculation and reports, admitted in January 2010 he had taken steroids for health reasons, not to improve performance.

[jeffy]

Could it be DHEA?

 

http://baseballmusings.com/?p=78078

[Mass Haas]

From our Brewerfan September 2007 archives, here's Mark McCarter's article -- pretty fascinating in light of this past weekend. Must reading for the undefeated 13-0 MLB arbitration mantra repeaters:

 

***

Link is no longer active, text follows:

 

 

Lab rats wore white coats in Katin's nightmare

Contact Mark McCarter at

Huntsville Times

 

He didn't even get an apology. Not even an embarrassed "Oops!" Just a formal letter that finally tracked down Brendan Katin on a July road trip and told him what he already knew, what he had told people ad infinitum:

 

Not guilty.

 

As if some letter would restore all the shininess on the Huntsville Stars outfielder's reputation. As if a letter would make up for the gnawing feeling in his belly every day that impacted his play and concentration, that had him shrugging an answer every day when somebody would ask, "Have you heard anything about the steroids test?"

 

An early season drug test threw up a red flag. Something was out of the ordinary. Katin was suspended, then immediately unsuspended until the lab-coat guys could review his test again. "There was a lot of weight on my mind," Katin said.

 

A couple of weeks for the review turned into a month. Into a month and a half. "Absolutely ridiculous," he said.

 

Must have been a busy summer down in the labs. What's the rush? Just because a 24-year-old guy's career is twisting in the wind? What? Too busy dealing with beakers and test tubes and shopping for pocket protectors to realize it's a human, not a white rat, you've got running on your treadmill?

 

Ridiculous, indeed.

 

Meanwhile, despite professing his innocence, Katin is employed in a business that has created a guilty-until-prove-innocent culture when it comes to steroids. He's also employed with a minor-league franchise that provided the poster children for performance-enhancing drugs: Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi.

 

Katin's initial test showed a higher level of testosterone than normal. Upon further review, the lab guys "determined that my high level did not constitute a positive result (for steroids)," he said.

 

Brendan Katin was and is clean.

 

Despite the angst, despite a strikeout total he recognizes as "too much," despite a season that he said "had its ups and downs," Katin emerged as a Southern League All-Star outfielder. He led the league in homers (24) and RBIs (94), the first Star to lead both categories in the same year since the late Mike Coolbaugh in 1997.

 

At Wednesday morning's batting practice, he was treating the scoreboard like it was a target. A few minutes later, he was asked to explain what the sensation of a home run was like. You know, for us mortals to understand.

 

"It feels like nothing, I guess. When you really get a hold of one, it feels like you didn't really hit it," Katin said. "It's kind of like you don't hear it, you don't really feel it. It's just perfect."

 

Tonight, Katin can begin to write the ending to the up-and-down season perfectly. He'll be making his Southern League playoff encore, albeit in a considerably different role. He has gone from passenger to pilot, from a cameo actor to the star, from a role player a year ago after his Aug. 19 promotion, to the team's primary run-producer.

 

"It's easier to show up at the ballpark, knowing you're going to be in the lineup."

 

Easier to show up, too, knowing that everybody else knows what you knew all along.

[brettac1]

Could it be DHEA?

 

http://baseballmusings.com/?p=78078

That's quite interesting.

[monty57]

Thanks for the article Mass Haas, and thanks to all the posters who have supplied some really good working knowledge of how this all works. This is pretty interesting and I never would've known a lot of this stuff if I had just listened to the media (which seems to be pretty common thread no matter what they're reporting).

 

In regards to Mass' linked article, on one hand, it proves there has been at least one successful defense. The "13-0 record" doesn't seem in mean no failed test has ever been overturned. Rather, it seems to mean that normally baseball does a good job of keeping things under wraps until they are absolutely sure the player is guilty, and anything they overturn never gets out. That's good, as I wish this Braun leak had never happened.

 

On the other, having a friend and former teammate with very similar circumstances may not look good for Braun's claim of innocence. It would be easy to see how one would (rightly or wrongly) come to the conclusion that they have been using since college and Katin found a loophole which Braun is going to try.

[brettac1]

Isn't it possible that Braun's camp could have leaked the info to get out ahead on it and portray him as the little athlete against the big bad testing system?

 

I'm not saying I think that is the case, just that it's an angle that is possible.