First Pro Baseball Player Tested Positive for HGH

Mike Jacobs, minor leaguer with the Colorado Rockies' Triple-A club and former Mets first basemen, is the first professional baseball player to test positive for human growth hormone (HGH). Jacobs’ positive blood test will saddle him with a 50 game suspension starting immediately. Though Jacobs is the first player actually caught, the MLB began testing minor leaguers’ blood back in early 2010. Today, professional sports leagues in addition to the International Olympic Committee and the NCAA all ban HGH. Though banned, without the approval of the Players Association, major league players cannot be blood tested for the hormone.

Currently the most reliable and efficient test for HGH is a blood test. This works by taking multiple samples of blood during different times of the day to measure a person’s level of HGH production. From these samples, an analysis chart is created. This chart shows the maximum and minimum levels of HGH produced in the body. Athletes who dope may have an elevated level. However there are some major limitations to this type of testing. First, the test will only detect if the athletes were doping within 24-48 hours of the test. Additionally, these blood tests can be expensive and are invasive to the athlete.

Due to these problems, research is underway to develop accurate HGH detecting urine tests. According to hgh.org, “A recent and promising HGH urine test is being developed at the George Mason University, which uses nanotechnology that binds and amplifies HGH in urine. This technology will allow detection of urinary levels of HGH up to a two-week range.” Unfortunately detection in urine is very difficult because the level of HGH in urine is small, just 1% of the level in blood. Therefore many believe a reliable urine test may just be a hope for the distant future.

Until the urine test is ready or the Players Association allows for random surprise blood tests (including testing in the off season), Jacobs may remain the only busted athlete despite likely not being the only doping athlete. Ref. hgh.org, nydailynews.com