The number of companies introducing home steroid test kit in the market is increasing. It is an indication that the demand for this product is also huge. Companies believe that the use of this product will deter students and the young generation from using steroids. However, there are some people who are not in favor of using these test kits at home because of possible negative effects in the relationships between parents and their children. Not to mention the cases of false positives because of unreliable testing kits.

These home based drug tests kits can be easily purchased from pharmacies and some online stores are also offering these products. Parents who are concerned on the welfare of their children may be tempted to administer one especially if their children are involved in sports. Though their objective is good, there are possible problems that may arise from using these easy to use test kits.

Executive Director Gino Vumbaca of the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) said that the use of these kits should be avoided as much as possible. It should only be used as the last recourse. Vumbaca said that there were evidences that could prove the unreliability of some home based drug test kits. Some of them returned a false positive based on laboratory testing. Instead of helping the parents, it can even create problems. “People need to be communicating with kids and looking for changes or problems that may be occurring. To physically take a sample from them and test it, it’s hard to go back from that and say ‘Oh yes, but I trust you’,” said Vumbaca.

Parenting is not an easy job but parents should have an open communication with their children and guide them to avoid any involvement in the use of drugs. Most of the cases of steroid abuse happened without the knowledge of their parents. This may be due to lack of communication between the parent and the child.

The ANCD director also said that parents should not solely rely on these technological solutions in catching their kids. “There are better ways to deal with (potential drug use) than taking a bodily fluid sample from your kid,” Vumbaca told the News.com.au. Local gyms can also take an active part in eradicating the illegal use of steroids by educating their young members about the dangers of steroids. Other reports confirm that there are some areas in the country where steroid is widely available to young users in the gym. But Vumbaca said that illicit steroid use in the country is not yet considered as epidemic.

A company selling home-based steroid test kit has another view on testing children at home. Confirm BioSciences said that using these products put parents in control. It can also help the kids to have an acceptable excuse if they are being pressured to take steroids by their peers. “Concerns about body image and athletic performance may be leading teens to use anabolic steroids, despite the serious side affects of these drugs. Because people like physical results they see when they use steroids, it can easily turn into steroid abuse,” the CEO of Confirm BioSciences, Zeynep Ilgaz told the News.

The steroid test kit being marketed by the company claims that it can detect at least eleven different types of performance enhancing substances.

In the end, it is still the parents’ decision if they will use these home based steroid testing. But parents must explain to their children why they are doing this.

After hearing Chael Sonnen’s argument on his suspension for steroid use, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) reduced the sanction to six months. But instead of thanking the commission for imposing a much lighter offense, Sonnen is now telling everybody that he was not satisfied how CSAC handled his case. During an interview with Mike Straka of Inside MMA, the UFC middleweight fighter contends that he disclosed to the commission his use of testosterone. He even emphasized that they told CSAC many times about his condition and he also alleged that they got positive response from people inside of the organization.

Sonnen told Straka that he was not found guilty of using a banned substance and he was never accused or suspected of using an illegal substance. “That was an online rumor that was started and perpetuated and I never did anything to step in and stop it. But I was accused of taking testosterone without the proper disclosure and still to this moment I don’t know what the proper disclosure they were looking for was,” said Sonnen.

During the hearing, Sonnen’s doctor told the panel that the former is under testosterone replacement therapy because of a medical condition called hypogonadism. The test result revealed a very high T/E ratio but according to some experts the test is not enough to really determine if an athlete really cheated. However, the main issue that Sonnen is still trying to point out is the flaw in the processes within the commission.

Sonnen told Straka that the commission knows and there’s no hiding of his testosterone use. In fact, he said that he was given a go signal by the people inside CSAC when he fought in California a year ago. “There’s no other process to disclose. In the state of California, they don’t have a form that needs [to be] filled out. They don’t have anybody higher up to go to. They just simply use the word disclose and that’s what we did; and that’s not even the crux of my argument,” said Sonnen. He also said that he disclosed his use of steroids a year ago but the commission said that there was no record of the alleged application for testosterone exemption.

Jamie Penick of MMATorch reacted on the statements of Chael Sonnen saying the fighter may just be confused. It is clear that the middleweight fighter did not follow the process. Another issue that was noted by Penick was Sonnen emailed and called a UFC doctor not an employee of the CSAC. The commission denies that they have a prior approval of the testosterone therapy.

The assertion of Sonnen that testosterone is not a steroid is simply wrong. It is a known fact that testosterone is a form of steroid. This drug is a legal steroid when prescribed for medical reasons. There are some people that think steroids are all illegal. “They’re not. Many of the prevalent steroids are legal if prescribed by a physician for a medical condition, which is Sonnen’s case here, but that doesn’t make testosterone injections any less of a steroid treatment,” said Penick.

The 4th round knockdown of former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko has sealed Nonito Donaire’s bid to fight Fernando Montiel of Mexico. The power punches unleashed by Donaire made some people think that he was on something. The “Filipino Flash” won the majority of his past 10 fights through KO’s and never lost any of his 23 fights in the previous years. The young boxer is also moving from different weight classes which makes him a candidate for the best pound for pound boxer.

Just like Manny Pacquiao, there have been rumors that Nonito Donaire might be taking substances to enhance his performance. Pacquiao, who is now holding 8 titles in different divisions, was also accused using steroids by the camp of Mayweather. Though the Mayweather’s did not present any proof to their claims, this issue was used to derail the most awaited fight of the two pound for pound boxers. And it seems that Floyd Mayweather Jr. was not interested anymore in fighting Manny Pacquiao after the latter’s win over Antonio Margarito.

Link to Conte Makes Donaire an Easy Target

With the best people around him, it is not impossible that Nonito Donaire dramatically improved his boxing skills. He got one of the best boxing trainers, Robert Garcia, and Remi Korchemny, a good sprinting conditioning coach. And the addition of Victor Conte on his team will surely make him become a great fighter. Conte’s role is to take good care of Donaire’s body and see to it that the boxer has the right nutrition for him to recover faster from training. In other words, putting him in the best shape during the fight.

But many people wonder why Donaire risked his reputation by associating himself to a former BALCO owner who was jailed because of selling designer steroids to professional athletes like Marion Jones and Sugar Shane Mosley. Conte now runs a nutrition company, Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning (SNAC) which was established in 1998 that sells sports nutrition products and supplements which according to Conte are all legal.

Before getting the services of Victor Conte, Donaire’s wife Rachel, who is also his business manager, did a lot of research about Conte. They know that the controversial health expert was involved in steroid distribution. But Rachel believes that Conte have change and will not do anything that will harm his clients. “And Victor has been brutally honest with us about everything that’s happened,” Rachel told Fanhouse. “And in the end, I’m pretty good at feeling people out, and I just felt like this guy made a mistake, and that’ it’s not that big of a deal because he did the time, and he’s paid for it,” she added.

Rachel added that they have taken all the precautions. All of the supplements they purchased from Conte were sent to the NSAC for verifications. They also tried the hypoxic training offered by Conte. “So we’ve taken the proper precautions, and Nonito gets a blood test every two weeks with Victor. So now, we’re 100 percent with him, and he’s 100 percent with us,” said Rachel.

Donaire Willing to be Tested

In an interview, Donaire said that if there is a need for him to be tested for steroids, it will not be a problem. “If anything, if they feel that they need to check on me about any drugs or anything, then I’m willing to be tested. I’m willing to do anything that proves that I’m not doing anything wrong,” said the WBA champion. “I’ve always been a clean guy. I’ve always been that, and if they disapprove it, give me a test and I’ll take it.”

Conte told Fanhouse that the recent tests of Donaire never showed any abnormality especially when it comes to prohibited substances. “Nonito is in excellent health, and his most recent blood test results contain no abnormalities, which is to be expected from a healthy and drug free athlete,” Conte said. In an effort to redeem himself, Conte is now an active participant in the anti-doping campaign of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the US Anti-doping Agency (USADA).

Now that the book of former olympian sprinter Ben Johnson is out, many are amazed about his revelations. Many people raised questions about the contents of his book “Seoul to Soul” which detailed his experience in the Seoul Olympics and how it changed his life. Although it also tackled his childhood, the main content of the book revolve on how people around him conspired to bring him down.

In his previous pronouncement, he met someone who helped him find answers to his questions why he tested positive for steroids in the Seoul Olympics. The conspiracy theory he’s been claiming for many years was already answered in his book. The mystery man Johnson is talking about his is former friend Andre Jackson. He accused Jackson of conspiring with Carl Lewis, his nemesis. The former 100 meter gold medalist in Seoul accused Jackson, who is also an athlete and friend of Lewis, of spiking his beer with steroids before he was tested in the 1988 Olympics.

He also alleged that Jackson was financed by one of the sponsors of Lewis. In a competition in Zurich, Johnson said that he was tested positive for steroids because Jackson spiked his drink with the banned substance.

Jackson did not directly comment on this allegation when asked by the Associated Press. “In the face of what really took place inside the drug testing room in Seoul, the most up to date reality is that after 22 years, I’ve genuinely lost interest in responding to or countering such claims, particularly since the actuality has no direct benefit to anyone,” Jackson told AP.

Carl Lewis, who had 9 gold medals in the Olympics, maintained his position that he has no knowledge in the alleged conspiracy. Lewis was the recipient of the gold medal when Johnson was stripped off his gold after the failed steroid test. Andrew Freedman told Toronto Star that there’s no truth in the claims of Johnson. “The absurdity of this accusation speaks for itself,” said Freedman.

The longtime manager of Lewis, Joe Douglas also defended his ward saying that the sprinter was a clean athlete. “I know Ben has a lot of frustration. But he was guilty and he was caught, and he admitted it in court, as did his coach,” said Douglas. Johnson should blame his coach Charlie Francis and his doctor Jamie Astaphan for his troubled career according to Douglas. “I think Ben didn’t realize the damage that drugs can do, and I think he was influenced by the people around him, his doctor and his coach. I don’t think it’s fair of coaches and drug people to take advantage of athletes,” Douglas told Toronto Star.

The doping case of Ben Johnson caused the Canadian government to launch an inquiry about their athletes. Coach Charlie Francis admitted that he gave Johnson steroids during his training to cope up with other athletes. He claimed that taking steroids is a norm in the track and field during his time. But Johnson can’t just accept that he tested positive for steroids. He claimed that he was on a steroid cycle and he should never test positive for steroids.

In an interview, Ben Johnson said that he already accepted what happened in the past but he wants his gold medal back. “If I do get my medal back, I would probably put it in a museum. I think that would be the best place for it, because it’s been 22 years since I won it, I owned it only for 24 hours and it was gone,” said Johnson. “I would donate it to a museum so people could see the history of what took place 22 years ago,” Johnson concluded.

After long hours of deliberations, the member of the California State Athletic Commission hearing the case of UFC middleweight fighter Chael Sonnen decided to maintain its previous decision to suspend the fighter because of elevated testosterone level in his body during his fight against Anderson Silva. However, the panel agreed to reduce the term to six months because of the arguments presented by Sonnen’s camp.

The three hours debate was not easy for Sonnen. Commissioners even came into a deadlock vote. The commissioners were divided on the issue whether Sonnen’s 1 year suspension must be retained. Commissioners DeWayne Zinkin and Dr. Van Lemon were in favor of the original suspension but they failed to get the majority of the votes. Later, they just accepted the proposal of other commissioners to reduce the suspension to six months. They voted 3-1.

Doctor Testified About Testosterone Therapy

The doctor who explained why Sonnen used steroids could be the main reason why the suspension was reduced. Dr. Mark Czarnecki told the panel that the UFC fighter is under testosterone medication since 2008. In his account, Sonnen was diagnosed in January 11, 2008 with a medical condition called hypergonadism. He said that testosterone was a common treatment for this condition so he prescribed twice a week injections of testosterone. “He complained of extreme fatigue, extreme exhaustion and mental fogginess. We did tests to determine if there was pituitary involvement or a gonad deficiency. A second test showed Sonnen’s pituitary gland functioning normally, therefore he had a gonadal deficiency,” the doctor told the panel.

He also said that it would not be advisable for Sonnen to compete in combat sports if his condition will not be treated. “Chael’s body would not tolerate the extreme stress associated with such a sport with the amount of trauma to the body. His healing would be deteriorated. His blood level would decrease. He would not have adequate oxygenation,” said Czarnecki. The doctor explained that if Sonnen will suffer from bone injury, it would not heal quickly. “I wouldn’t authorize him to fight. It would not be safe,” he added.

Though there are some commissioners who were not totally convinced on the claims of the doctor. According to Commissioner Lemon low levels of testosterone in the body could also be caused by long term use of steroids. Other possible cause of abnormal testosterone level is extreme weight cutting for many years.

Sonnen Assumed the Commission Knows About his Treatment

Another point brought out by Sonnen’s camp was the assumption that CSAC knows his medical condition. Sonnen alleged that Dr. Jeff Davidson of CSAC knows about his testosterone therapy since October 2009 when he fought Yushin Okami in Los Angeles. Sonnen also claimed that he talked about his case to CSAC executive officer George Dodd. However, Dodd explained that he has no power to call of the fight and he has to wait for steroid test as required by the CSAC’s by laws.

Assistant attorney general for licensing and litigation Alfredo Terrazas still believes that Sonnen’s failure to follow the protocols of the CSAC would mean he was still cheating. “At best this case is about Mr. Sonnen’s failure to alert officials to his long-term use of an injectable testosterone, at worst it is about his attempt to use a performance enhancing drug,” he said.

Sonnen’s Fate in UFC

Dave Meltzer of Yahoo Sports said that UFC president Dana White was silent on Sonnen’s future fights in the UFC. The scheduled rematch against Anderson Silva was already scrapped. Vitor Belfort will take his chance to unseat Silva at UFC 126 on February 5 in Las Vegas. The winner in that match will also face Yushin Okami.

In other words, Chael Sonnen will wait longer before he can have another chance to fight the middleweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championships.

Documents obtained by MMA Fighting revealed that UFC middleweight fighter Chael Sonnen informed the California State athletic Commission about his use of steroid before his fight against Anderson Silva in UFC 117. Based on the 100 page document released by the CSAC, Sonnen really violated the commission’s anti-doping policy.

What Happened Before the Fight?

When Sonnen was subjected to drug test before the fight, he informed Frank Munoz, the event supervisor that he took testosterone a day before. He also listed the substance in the urine sample form. Fighters are required to list any form of medications or supplements that they have taken recently. This includes vitamins and minerals.

The documents revealed the specific drugs and supplements that were allegedly taken by Sonnen. On August 5, the former middleweight contender took 1 shot of testosterone. Three days before the fight he also took 6 Advils, 1 tablet of vitamin C and Iron, a multivitamin, and Aspirin.

The urine sample of Sonnen was tested by the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory on August 13. According to CSAC, they were informed by the laboratory of the test result on September 2. Based on the test, Sonnen’s testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E) is way beyond the normal level. The T/E ratio is 16.9 which is more than 4 times the normal ratio which is 4.0.

The body is producing its own testosterone. However, an elevation of the testosterone in the body signifies that it could be due to supplementation of testosterone. The use of steroids is banned by the Commission. On September 7, a follow up test was conducted by the UCLA Lab but the result did not change. The laboratory even provided 66 pages of documents that explained and supported the validity of their findings. These include how they handled the samples and the procedures done during the testing.

The CSAC notified Chael Sonnen of the failed steroid test on September 16. The commission suspended the fighter for one year and imposed a fine of $2,500. However, Sonnen decided to appeal the case which was scheduled this Thursday.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Will be Used as Defense

Even before Sonnen appeared in the tribunal, there were already reports that his legal team will be using HRT or TRT as the argument for his positive test. He claimed that he was on hormone replacement therapy for many years now. However, the problem of Sonnen is he failed to apply for exemption during the fight. Using steroid for medical condition can be allowed provided it was approved by the commission. The fighter should also follow the procedures in applying for the exemption such as acquiring valid prescription from a doctor. Even if he revealed in the form that he used testosterone, he still violated the policy. Thus the suspension is valid.

The CSAC claimed that Sonnen never applied for an exemption for testosterone replacement therapy. Keith Kaizer of NSAC also told the media that the UFC fighter never applied for exemption in his previous fights in Nevada. This makes it difficult for Sonnen to prove that he has a medical condition that must be treated with steroids. A person who has a very low level of testosterone requires treatment continuously and it even last for years depending on the severity of the condition.

If Chael Sonnen failed to convince the CSAC about his alleged medical condition, he can only fight after Sept. 2, 2011 when his suspension ends.