Depending on who you talk to, Testosterone Replacement Therapy is either a miracle treatment or blatant cheating. But just what is the truth about TRT?
Michael Bisping recently addressed TRT in an interview, telling Mauro Ranallo on the MMA Show:
A guy that is 40 years old doesn’t make as much testosterone as a 21-year-old so he gets an exemption certificate to say, ‘So now we will give him as much testosterone as a 21-year-old.’ Well what about me, I’m 33, I’m not making the same amount as a 21-year-old but I make more than a 40-year-old, where do we draw the line? It’s nonsense. Listen, nature determines that and I don’t think we should interfere with that. I think it’s cheating very, very well dressed up. It’s nonsense, it’s absolute bulls*** and I for one am very, very against it.
Earlier in July, Former Middleweight Chael Sonnen had his own take on TRT in an interview with the LA Times (h/t fightersonlymag.com). When asked about his reasons for needing the treatments Sonnen said, “I don’t have an option. I either take this medicine or die. I’m not asking if I can take it.
It’s up to them to let me take it. It’s a substance that’s often abused, and I deal with taking it in shame. But a blood test can clear you, and show I take the appropriate amount.”
So who’s right?
First thing to understand is what causes low testosterone and the effects. Testosterone is produced by the testes and naturally men over the age of 30 lose on average one percent of testosterone annually. Low testosterone can result in reduced muscle mass and strength, decreased bone density, as well as
increased body fat.
To a more serious degree, another cause of low testosterone is Hypogonadism. Hypogonadism is when the sex glands produce little or no hormones, including testosterone. You can be born with it or develop it later in life from infection or injury.
In an 18 year study done by The Endocrine Society funded by the American Heart Association stated that men over 50 have a 33 percent greater risk of death if they have low testosterone. Hypogonadism affects an estimated four to five million men in the United States which equates to approximately 3.62 percent of all men in the country. With 350 fighters in the UFC, it’s safe to say that around 13 of the fighters on the roster suffer from Hypogonadism.
Lastly, past use of anabolic steroids can lead to low testosterone levels. Side effects of anabolic steroids include reduced sperm count and shrinking of the testicles. Needless to say, this drastically can effect testosterone levels.
With that said, the main problem with TRT in MMA is the way it’s regulated. In every male there’s a certain ratio of the hormones testosterone to epitestosterone that are produced on a daily basis. Usually this ratio rarely goes above 4:1. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, anything higher than these levels can indicate possible doping. The Nevada State Athletic Commission currently allows up to a 6:1 ratio during testing.
The problem is that right now there’s no way of truly knowing why an individual suffers from having low testosterone. It could be any of the above reasons. So in essence, a former steroid user can actually benefit from his past usage by possibly securing a Therapeutic Use Exemption from the NSAC. So it should be an all or nothing approach to TRT. As long as only a select few use it, there are certain advantages that will exist to the TRT user that’s not afforded to someone who is all natural.
In a sport where it’s one-on-one and every advantage possible is taken, the Nevada State Athletic Commission should get together and either ban TRT across the board or allow it for anyone who wants it, granted they stay in a certain range. No one should be afforded an unfair advantage in this sport. So, make it all or nothing. The ball is in your court NSAC.
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