Last month, several news agencies reported that the miraculous comeback of Yankees Pitcher Bartolo Colon was made possible by an anti-aging doctor famous for his stem cell treatment. However, many speculated that there could be other treatments given to Colon because the doctor is also known for his HGH treatments. While stem cell treatment and platelet rich plasma therapy, which were allegedly used on the Yankees pitcher, are not prohibited by the league, the use of human growth hormone is not allowed.

Bartolo Colon already clarified that there was nothing illegal in his treatment. His doctor, an orthopedic surgeon from South Florida also told the media that he only used stem cell treatment on the player. Dr. Joseph Purita, the owner of the Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopaedics in Boca Raton, Florida treated Colon in April last year.

Skeptics pointed out that there might be something Colon and Dr Purita is hiding from the public because the treatment was performed in the Dominican Republic. Dr Purita already defended this issue saying that there is nothing unusual in treating Colon in his home country.

MLB Steps In

To shed more light on this issue, the Major League Baseball initiated an investigation. They invited Dr Purita to discuss in detail the treatment given to the Yankees pitcher who played excellent in recent games. The NBC reported that the meeting between the MLB investigators and Dr Purita lasted for more than an hour.

According to Colon’s lawyer, the MLB and the player’s association representative asked the anti-aging doctor if the latter injected Colon with HGH. “Dr. Purita was questioned for over an hour by two MLB attorneys, and he fully answered all of their questions. Dr. Purita reaffirmed that Mr. Colon did not receive any performance-enhancing substances during the procedure,” said Jay Reisinger, the lawyer of Colon.

Mitch Frankel, Colon’s agent, also said that the pitcher is fully cooperating with the investigators. “In his effort to fully cooperate with MLB, Bartolo Colon authorized the physician who performed his stem-cell procedure, Dr. Joseph Purita, to speak with MLB regarding his surgery,” he said in a statement.

Dr Purita Resolved Colon’s Injury Problem

Bartolo Colon, a Cy Young Awardee, suffered from recurring elbow and shoulder injuries. Many speculated that those injuries will end Colon’s career in the major league but when he seek the services of Dr Purita, the pitcher can again pitch for over 90 miles an hour. “They tried surgery on his elbow and shoulder, none of which were successful. So out of desperation he tried the stem cells and the results are there,” Dr Purita explained.

Dr Purita is considered an expert in the field of stem cell treatment. The doctor claimed that he treated more or less 2,000 patients with 80% success rate. His treatment on Colon became controversial because of his admission that he also provides HGH treatment to patients. But Purita insists he’s not giving HGH to professional players because he knows it is banned in sports.

Plasma Therapy Procedure Symposium

Meanwhile, health experts criticized the organizer of a symposium on plasma therapy procedures because they invited two controversial anti-aging doctors. Dr Joseph Purita and Dr Anthony Galea were invited in the symposium sponsored by Harvest Technologies as a panelist and moderator respectively. The event will be held on September at Toronto, Canada.

The NY Daily News reported that USADA CEO Travis Tygart criticized the organizers for the inclusion of Dr Galea in the medical conference. “It is hard to imagine any legitimate medical conference would take the risk of inviting someone to speak who is under indictment for illegally treating patients, unless they value the show and its publicity more than ethics and a patient’s health,” Tygart said.

Dr Anthony Galea is facing several charges in the US for allegedly treating professional players with human growth hormone. He was also charged with illegal possession of HGH. Dr. Lewis Maharam, a renowned sports medicine doctor also aired his concern. The inclusion of Dr. Galea is destroying the reputation of a treatment that is amazingly good said the doctor.

These concerns forced Harvest Technologies to remove Dr Galea as a moderator but silent if Dr Purita will still act as a panelist.

The steroid defamation suit filed by pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Sr. and Roger Mayweather advanced to the next stage. The court required Floyd Jr. to give his deposition on Friday but his lawyers asked for a postponement of the hearing because of several reasons. They asked U.S. District Court Judge Robert Johnston to postpone the deposition at a much later date to allow Floyd Jr. to concentrate on his upcoming fight. They also stated that the lawyers are not available on the scheduled hearing on Friday.

Floyd Jr. Busy Preparing for Ortiz Fight

The lawyers also explained that testifying in court will affect the training and preparation of Mayweather against Ortiz. “Mr. Mayweather Jr. needs to concentrate on training for the fight and not be distracted by preparing for, and testifying at, his deposition in this case,” stated in the request. Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be fighting the recently crowned WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz on September 17. Some boxing fans were surprised about the match up because they feel Ortiz is not yet ready for a Mayweather style of fighting.

According to NowBoxing, Judge Robert Johnston denied the motion. The hearing on Friday will proceed but another news agency reported that Mayweather did not attend the hearing. This would allow the lawyers of Pacquiao to seek for a default judgment.

Floyd Jr. Will Not Follow Dela Hoya’s Apology

In the assessment of Nowboxing writer Freddy Fresco, Floyd Jr. will not show up in the hearing because he might be forced to admit the charges. “Floyd Mayweather Jr. won’t show up because he knows he would probably lose and asked to apologize to Pacquiao and his pride will not allow him to do that. Floyd also knows he has no proof that Manny Pacquiao is on “power pellets” or “Steroids” and probably was advised not to show up because he would further make a fool of himself,” said Fresco in his column.

In the previous weeks, Dela Hoya issued a public apology to Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao while undergoing a rehab. A formal apology was also sent to Pacquiao which led to the dropping of the charges against Oscar Dela Hoya and the Golden Boy Promotions. It leaves the Mayweathers as the defendants in the steroid defamation case.

However, the unpredictable Floyd may change his mind if he can’t get away with the steroid suit. “I’m not saying that Manny Pacquiao is cheating,” Floyd Jr. said in recent interview with FightHype.

Mayweather vs Ortiz

After taking a long break from boxing, Mayweather Jr. decided to come back in the boxing arena against welterweight champion Victor Ortiz. This is despite the clamor of boxing fans for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. Boxing analysts believed that Floyd Jr. will not fight Pacquiao anytime soon. The continued campaign of Floyd for an Olympic style testing is a clear sign that he don’t want to fight Manny Pacquiao. Just recently, he initiated a “Take the Test” campaign aimed at Pacquiao.

According to online sources, the fight purse in the Mayweather vs Ortiz is way below the offer of Bob Arum of the Top Rank Promotions. Arum offered Floyd Jr. $65 million to fight Pacquiao but it was rejected. However, Floyd Jr. will only receive $40 million in fighting Victor Ortiz.

National athletes participating in the 2012 London Olympics are all focused on training and harnessing their skills to bring back gold for their countries. However, some athletes still rely on supplements to boost their performance which is a risky thing to do. Though there are legal supplements, there are still numerous products out there that contain substances banned by sport organizations and the Olympics.

Japanese Wrestler Suspended for 2 Years

A lesson that should serve as a lesson for other athletes is the case of Japanese wrestler Katsuya Kitamura. The Greco-Roman wrestler was suspended by the Japan Anti-doping Agency for failing a steroid test. Kitamura represented his country in the last two Olympics and a three-time national champion. The suspension will rule him out in the 2012 London Olympics.

At 25, Kitamura already established his name in wrestling by representing Japan in international competitions including the Olympics, world championships and Asian Games. Kitamura is competing in the 96 kilogram category. He recently won the national invitational championship but unfortunately, the anti-doping authority caught him using a banned substance. According to the Japanese Wrestling Federation (JWF), Kitamura was tested last April at the national competition and his sample returned positive for steroids. Aside from the 2-year suspension, the wrestler will definitely forfeit his title in that event.

Wrestling Federation Surprised by the Positive Test

The Japanese Wrestling Federation was surprised that their athletes are taking supplements bought from other countries. Kitamura admitted to the anti-doping authorities that the positive test for anabolic steroids could be due to the supplement he was taking. “We never thought our wrestlers bought supplements from overseas,” JWF general secretary Yuji Takada told the media.

The case of Kitamura prompted the sports federation to check their ranks to avoid a similar incident. “This has smeared the sports community with the London Olympics coming up. We will take measures to ensure this does not happen again,” said Takada.

Kitamura Not Appealing Steroids Suspension

According to Japanese news agencies, the Greco-Roman wrestler will not appeal the suspension. This would mean Kitamura will not be able to compete until 2013. The JWF said that the test on the A and B sample of Kitamura returned positive for anabolic steroid drostanolone. It is a muscle building steroid popular to bodybuilders but banned in amateur and professional sports.

What is Drostanolone?

Although Kitamura did not identify the brand of the supplement he purchased abroad, it is clear that the substance found in that supplement is specifically intended to help the wrestler regain weight or maintain his weight. The most popular brand for drostanolone is Masteron. However, the manufacture of Masteron was already discontinued by the European Pharmaceutical company years ago because of its potency and toxicity.

Online sources revealed that most of the drostanolone found in the market are of dubious origin usually manufactured in home based laboratories. There are also many incidents where supplement companies spiked their products with this substance. Though this is the claim of Kitamura, it is still hard to believe that he doesn’t know what he is taking.

Five players of Mexico’s national soccer team were suspended early this month when they tested positive for the steroid Clenbuterol. Mexican sports officials were in disbelief that the number of positive test is huge. The soccer team played well in the start of the Gold Cup but may lose its bid to get another championship title because of the incident.

A positive test result for Clenbuterol also led to the short-lived jubilation of cyclist Alberto Contador when he won the Tour de France last year. Contador and the five Mexican soccer players all argue that they are not doping. Instead, they blamed the meat they ingested that allegedly contained the steroid clenbuterol.

Sports Federation Supports Claims of Accidental Doping

Contador fought for his suspension and was later cleared by the Spanish Cycling Federation. However, the World Anti-doping Agency and the International Cycling Federation appealed the case of the professional cyclist at the Court of Arbitration in Sports. These agencies contend that steroid contamination claims should not be permitted in sports.

The Mexican Soccer Federation also believes that the case of 5 El Tri soccer players could be blamed to meat contamination. Though the players were temporarily suspended pending further investigation, the federation could later acquit these players.

Recent Cases Prompted WADA to Review Clenbuterol Rules

The Tri City Herald recently reported that the officials of WADA will review the policies on clenbuterol use. WADA science director Olivier Rabin said that based on his personal review of several clenbuterol cases, he believes that further discussion with other anti-doping experts is necessary.

Right now, the cases of athletes caught with clenbuterol in their system are handled on a case to case basis. This is the reason why many professional athletes appeal their positive test. Clenbuterol is a steroid originally used for livestock particularly in beef production. The rampant use of Clenbuterol in livestock was documented in Mexico and China. Just recently, Germany’s anti doping agency issued warning to its traveling athletes to avoid eating meat from Mexico because it may result to a positive test.

However, this steroid is also widely available on steroid online stores and a popular steroid to bodybuilders and professional athletes. Clenbuterol aids in the development of leaner muscles.

Changes in the Threshold Level

According to Rabin, they will be deliberating in their next meeting whether to change the current threshold for clenbuterol. Any trace of this steroid in the system of the athlete is already considered doping based on the current WADA rules. A possible increase in the value of clenbuterol might be recommended to avoid athletes making excuses.

If the test result of an athlete goes above the threshold level, it will be immediately considered as doping while results below the specified level would result to further investigation. However, these changes will need the approval of the WADA Board. Once approved, the implementation will only commence on 2013 where changes in the WADA Code will occur.

How to Avoid Steroids from Meat

Rabin said that organizers can help athletes avoid accidental ingestion of banned substances like clenbuterol. This was already implemented in China during the 2008 Beijing Olympics where meats were checked before it was given to athletes. “Things went extremely well because they have taken appropriate measures to make sure that the food was well controlled before it was given to the athletes,” said Rabin “So there are ways and means to prevent this kind of risk of meat contamination,” Rabin added.

The number of players tested positive for steroids in Mexico’s national soccer team dumbfounded sports officials. The Mexican Soccer Federation officials have no other recourse but to send 5 of their players home for failing the steroid test. This will definitely affect their second bid for championship in the Gold Cup.

What hurts the entire team is the fact that most of the suspended players were star players of the team. On the top of the list is goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Other players who failed the pre-competition test were defenders Francisco Rodriguez and Edgar Duenas, and midfielders Antonio Naelson and Christian Bermudez.

The Culprit- Steroid Clenbuterol

As usual, players contend that they did not commit any wrongdoing and the positive test for clenbuterol may be caused by inadvertently ingesting contaminated meat. While many people would not buy these arguments, the Mexican Federation supported these claims. General Secretary Decio de Maria told the AP that he believed the players ingested tainted chicken or meat. “Everything points to it being an accident, very unfortunate,” De Maria said.

Ochoa told the AP that they did nothing wrong. “We have nothing to hide. Our conscience is clean because we haven’t done a bad thing,” the El Tri’s goalkeeper said. The Mexican star player is still hoping that they will be able to clear their names. “These are things that could happen in any restaurant in any location, and it happened to us when we were together in training. It is bad luck. We know this is going to be cleared up, and we’re facing the situation,” Ochoa said.

Players Facing 2 Year Ban

The football’s governing body in the region, CONCACAF, is still investigating the incident. They will meet Mexican officials and conduct further testing on the samples before making the final decision. Aside from the suspension from the Gold Cup, the 5 players could face up to 2 years suspension from the sports.

De Maria acknowledged that this problem will affect their team but they have to accept responsibility. “Now comes the tough part, taking the players off the squad and opening an investigation. Meanwhile, it is a disagreeable moment to take this kind of decision, but we have to take responsibility,” he said.

Mexican Government Issued Conflicting Statements

Mexican President Felipe Calderon sided with the soccer federation’s claim that the several positive test for steroid clenbuterol could be due to tainted meat. “I believe it’s a matter of tainted food. Indeed, many (ranchers) put who-knows-what kind of substances so that their cattle weigh a few kilos more,” Calderon said in a recent trip to California.

However, the Health authority of Mexico issued a different statement. News agencies quoted health officials saying that the incidence of beef contamination in Mexico is less than one in a million. “Consumption of Meat in Mexico is safe,” health and agriculture officials said in a joint statement to allay fears that the Mexican steroid clenbuterol is massively used in cattle production.

The Gold Cup is participated by North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Mexico is a favorite early in the round because of their 5-0 goals in the first two match-ups. However, CONCACAF will decide what will be the fate of Mexico’s El Tri in this year’s competition.

Related Sources

• Buy Clen

A federal court in Oklahoma is asking a doctor and his co-conspirator to forfeit more than $1 million that was allegedly amassed during a 2- year business operation. The case could serve as a warning to health practitioners who are also involved in a similar activity. The government will not tolerate doctors who are putting the life of patients into great health risks.

Illegal Steroid Prescriptions

A doctor from Omaha, Nebraska pleaded guilty for conspiring with an owner of an anti-aging clinic and signed steroid prescriptions without conducting physical examinations on the patients. Dr. Raymond Heller admitted that he participated in an illegal activity with Edward Franklin Ward, the owner of the anti-aging clinic Max Life. Dr Heller is facing at least 15 to 21 months in prison. However, his lawyer contends that the amount asked by the prosecution is too much. The prosecution is asking the court to forfeit at least $1,092,074.98 from the defendants.

$50 for Each Signed Steroid Prescription

According to Dr Heller, Ward paid him $50 for each steroid prescriptions signed for a patient. It was estimated that Dr Heller and Ward distributed at least 40,000 dosage units of steroids to clients coming from different states in the country. Several of their clients came from the Northern District of Oklahoma.

Court records showed that Dr Heller connived with Edward Franklin Ward of Harvest, Ala. from Oct. 1, 2008 up to April 8, 2010. Dr Heller. who is a licensed doctor in Omaha, said in his plea deal that he knows he was making prescriptions outside of his professional medical practice and the prescriptions were not intended for legitimate medical conditions.

Doctor did not Examined Patients

“I knowingly and intentionally participated in a conspiracy, the purpose of which was to dispense or cause to be dispensed anabolic steroids,” Dr Heller said in his plea statement. He also added that he never had any direct contact with the clients or conducted actual physical examinations. Anabolic steroids are controlled substances under Schedule III. Patients can take these drugs if they have valid prescriptions.

Clients from Various Professions

The prosecution said that most of the steroids were purchased from a pharmacy in Florida. Most of these steroids (like testosterone) were prescribed to people in various professions according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn McCormick. The amount the prosecution wants to forfeit represented the total proceeds of the illegal transactions of the two defendants.

$1 Million Fine Too Much

The defense argued that the amount the prosecution wants from his client is too much. Dr Heller made the prescriptions but the payment of the clients goes to Edward Ward as the owner of the anti-aging clinic. Heller’s lawyer also contends that the doctor prescribed steroids to patients and it was not intended for the black market.

This matter is expected to be settled on September 29 when U.S. Chief District Judge Claire Eagan issues her decision.