The clamor for the need to conduct blood testing for HGH is increasing in the NFL. This is also heightened by the reports that several NFL players were treated with HGH by Dr. Anthony Galea, the Canadian doctor charged for illegal possession of HGH and Actovegin. HGH is not illegal if prescribed legally. However, most sports organizations ban its use because of claims that it can improve performance.

If all stakeholders in the league agree for this kind of testing, the accusations that they are not really sincere in cleaning the sports will stop. Football players who may be subject to HGH testing will reach 1,600. A big number that will require huge budget from the league. According to some experts, blood test for HGH will only be effective if it will be conducted randomly and anytime of the year.

Implementation for HGH testing should be similar to the current steroid testing by the league. The only difference is the sample taken from the players. The steroid testing requires the players to provide urine samples while for HGH, the sample required is by giving blood. Other players of the league have some apprehension on this procedure since there are still some flaws in the HGH blood testing. They said that it could lead to a false positive. Thus the reliability of the test is one of the main concerns that should be tackled by the league.

The NFL Players Association is using this issue. Although they are in favor of catching those players who cheat in the game, the reliability of the blood test for HGH is still their primary concern. This will definitely cause a debate in the collective bargaining.

In an interview of the Daily News to retired football player, testing for human growth hormone is okay with most players as long as the league can guarantee that the results will be accurate. “The urine test is more debasing and humiliating than the blood test and the needle. Drop your drawers below your knees and take your shirt off. Having another grown man staring at you doing your business - the technical term is producing a specimen,” the player added.

Another problem that could hinder the implementation of HGH testing in the NFL is the cooperation of all teams. Currently the league does not know the actual number of players using HGH. Although they have an existing steroid policy, there are still some players who can circumvent their tests. This is one of the views of a retired football player. “Early in my career, I figured the drug testing policy was stringent enough that if they passed the test, they must be clean. Towards the end of my career, I had some questions. My eyes were a little more open to the fact that sometimes the guys who are cheating were able to stay one step ahead of the testing.”

In an effort to catch up with the cheaters, the NFL invested a lot on research about these banned substances. They have a big share in the Partnership for Clean Competition which is estimated at $3 million. A $500,000 was also donated to Don Catlin of the UCLA lab for research. All of these are intended to develop a reliable test for HGH.

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