Lakers' athletic trainer claims steroids wouldn't help NBA players

[240 is Back]

SI.com: Baseball has outlawed steroids and amphetamines.  Would either of those drugs enhance a player's performance in the NBA?

Vitti: Not at all. The biggest high I see is from caffeine. Some supplements are loaded with it. Caffeine gives a player a heightened feeling of what's going on around him. But if you take enough of it, there's a downside. Caffeine can be a laxative, so you're running to the bathroom, and it's diuretic, so it can dehydrate you. It can also make you very irritable. Some research suggests that caffeine enhances the metabolism of free fatty acids. But I don't see it as a supplement that would enhance performance.

SI.com: What substances would actually help an NBA player?

Vitti: Well, protein and carbohydrate supplements. For guys we want to get bigger and stronger, creatine. But you don't want to put Shaq on creatine; you want to get his weight down. And substances like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate -- both of which are found naturally in the body -- for players with joint problems. But that's a hit and miss thing. You start players on it, and if it makes them feel better, you continue it. If not, you take them off. And, of course, antioxidants.

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[Stavios]

240 or bust - when do you plan to hit that 240? 

http://www.steroidsdontwork.com

the 240 took a new meaning.
you see, rob is into making babies right now so the plan is to get 240 girls pregnant

too easy 

[Wombat]

HGH is rampant through out the NBA...Esp. in the older guys

[20inch calves]

the guy seems pretty smart

[240 is Back]

I will have my doc put me on some hrt when i am like 37 or 40.  No darkside for me tho.

i found it interesting that a pro NBA team trainer would destroy his credibility by saying protein and carbs help NBA athletes, and that caffeine is the only substance that would help them.

[Big N]

I will have my doc put me on some hrt when i am like 37 or 40.  No darkside for me tho.

i found it interesting that a pro NBA team trainer would destroy his credibility by saying protein and carbs help NBA athletes, and that caffeine is the only substance that would help them.

Rob how's lifting coming along bro? Jesus christ talk about LIFTING once in a while too 

[tweeter]

He says that they need to get bigger and stronger but that steriods would be of no benefit

[DK II]

SI.com: Baseball has outlawed steroids and amphetamines.  Would either of those drugs enhance a player's performance in the NBA?

Vitti: Not at all. The biggest high I see is from caffeine. Some supplements are loaded with it. Caffeine gives a player a heightened feeling of what's going on around him. But if you take enough of it, there's a downside. Caffeine can be a laxative, so you're running to the bathroom, and it's diuretic, so it can dehydrate you. It can also make you very irritable. Some research suggests that caffeine enhances the metabolism of free fatty acids. But I don't see it as a supplement that would enhance performance.

SI.com: What substances would actually help an NBA player?

Vitti: Well, protein and carbohydrate supplements. For guys we want to get bigger and stronger, creatine. But you don't want to put Shaq on creatine; you want to get his weight down. And substances like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate -- both of which are found naturally in the body -- for players with joint problems. But that's a hit and miss thing. You start players on it, and if it makes them feel better, you continue it. If not, you take them off. And, of course, antioxidants.

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hahaaa, yeah sure. I bet there's no one in the NBA not on any kind of drug.

Most players are probably just so high, they forget taking their steroids.

[ManBearPig...]

ha ha at mattc's link.

bigger faster stronger, BFS, or bull fucking shit as we called it in high school.  biggest scam of a program ever.  i remember when our weight room in h.s. got it.  the football coaches got a boner over it because it was supposed to make us all 300 percent stronger in a year.

here was a typical bfs workout:

i was around 5'11, 175 soph year in h.s.  this was my bench "program" that was predesigned for me by BFS:

week 1 : 135 x 12 x 3
week 2: 135 x 12 x 3
week 3: 185 x 18 x 3
week 4 : 255 x 12 x 3
week 5: 405 x 12 x 3

the coaches told us to let them know if there's any changes in weight being used, and if they need to add more weight.   

[rccs]

hahaaa, yeah sure. I bet there's no one in the NBA not on any kind of drug.

Most players are probably just so high, they forget taking their steroids.

I heard that cocain was for free!!!

[DK II]

I heard that cocain was for free!!!

Yes, it comes free with the "Rainbow".

[Palpatine Q]

He says that they need to get bigger and stronger but that steriods would be of no benefit

Yeah, I'm sure some Winny and HGH to make you leaner and stronger would be totally counterproductive.

Two words....Alonzo Mourning

[fearANDloathing]

SI.com: Baseball has outlawed steroids and amphetamines.  Would either of those drugs enhance a player's performance in the NBA?

Vitti: Not at all. The biggest high I see is from caffeine. Some supplements are loaded with it. Caffeine gives a player a heightened feeling of what's going on around him. But if you take enough of it, there's a downside. Caffeine can be a laxative, so you're running to the bathroom, and it's diuretic, so it can dehydrate you. It can also make you very irritable. Some research suggests that caffeine enhances the metabolism of free fatty acids. But I don't see it as a supplement that would enhance performance.

SI.com: What substances would actually help an NBA player?

Vitti: Well, protein and carbohydrate supplements. For guys we want to get bigger and stronger, creatine. But you don't want to put Shaq on creatine; you want to get his weight down. And substances like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate -- both of which are found naturally in the body -- for players with joint problems. But that's a hit and miss thing. You start players on it, and if it makes them feel better, you continue it. If not, you take them off. And, of course, antioxidants.

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Yet another discrace to my profession. ANOTHER "trainer" that doesn't know his ass from his elbow. In the good ole days of Ripped Fuel (the real one not this ephedra free shit they are selling now), we would take up to 600 mgs of caffeine a day when it was time to cut up. None of us EVER got the shits.
Strength is an important part of basketball too, that's why they started having the players lift more beginning in the mid 80's. So if strength helps your game and steroids increase your strength....
You see where I'm going with this?
As for speed(another important part of the game) uh let's see, there have been a few world class track stars who have been busted for roid use over the last few decades no?
This guy needs to study a little more than what they're teaching him in "training" school!

[Thin Lizzy]

Strength is an important part of basketball too, that's why they started having the players lift more beginning in the mid 80's. So if strength helps your game and steroids increase your strength....
You see where I'm going with this?
As for speed(another important part of the game) uh let's see, there have been a few world class track stars who have been busted for roid use over the last few decades no?
This guy needs to study a little more than what they're teaching him in "training" school!

I remember that type of "expert" saying the same things about baseball awhile back: that steroids wouldn't help.

Yeah, as if being able to hit a ball 100ft farther wouldn't help a baseball player.

[240 is Back]

Yeah, as if being able to hit a ball 100ft farther wouldn't help a baseball player.

popout fly becomes home run derby.



And I think this trainer knows plenty about the steroid use but it giving a BS interview for the suckers who read CNNsi.com and will regurgitate this info to their gym friends as fact.

[chainsaw]

This guy should be fired.  Of course roids will help. 

[ManBearPig...]

this guy must be the trainer of that nfl player who was busted with deca and said his trainor bought it for him at gnc.

[rccs]

 

this guy must be the trainer of that nfl player who was busted with deca and said his trainor bought it for him at gnc.

[nycbull]

I think most NBA players take roids. Especially Shaq. Just look at picures of basketball players from the past. No one was playing with as much muscle as the guys have today. And don't say its cause they didn't lift weights or they didn't have creatin or protein powder. Its a joke, the amount of muscle they have now didn't happen naturally , no way. 

[Mr. Intenseone]

Yet another discrace to my profession. ANOTHER "trainer" that doesn't know his ass from his elbow. In the good ole days of Ripped Fuel (the real one not this ephedra free shit they are selling now), we would take up to 600 mgs of caffeine a day when it was time to cut up. None of us EVER got the shits.
Strength is an important part of basketball too, that's why they started having the players lift more beginning in the mid 80's. So if strength helps your game and steroids increase your strength....
You see where I'm going with this?
As for speed(another important part of the game) uh let's see, there have been a few world class track stars who have been busted for roid use over the last few decades no?
This guy needs to study a little more than what they're teaching him in "training" school!

On the other hand, taking gear would kill their conditioning and it more vulnerable for muscle tears, most already have a 42" vertical and when your tall it doesn't take much to dunk, no doubt some are stupid enough to take gear, but in basketball you can either take it or leave and have the same performance output.

You can't compare sprinters to basket ball players because sprinters have one race at a time with substancial rest in between races and practice, basketball players usually play for 20-40min at a time making then more vulnerable to muscle and joint injuries, they smoke more weed and do more stimulants than they do steriods!

[Faust]

I think most NBA players take roids. Especially Shaq. Just look at picures of basketball players from the past. No one was playing with as much muscle as the guys have today. And don't say its cause they didn't lift weights or they didn't have creatin or protein powder. Its a joke, the amount of muscle they have now didn't happen naturally , no way. 

Exactly. Just look at what happens when a euro player makes the move over to the USA. He adds 10-20 pounds of muscle quickly.

On the other hand, taking gear would kill their conditioning and it more vulnerable for muscle tears, most already have a 42" vertical and when your tall it doesn't take much to dunk, no doubt some are stupid enough to take gear, but in basketball you can either take it or leave and have the same performance output.

You can't compare sprinters to basket ball players because sprinters have one race at a time with substancial rest in between races and practice, basketball players usually play for 20-40min at a time making then more vulnerable to muscle and joint injuries, they smoke more weed and do more stimulants than they do steriods!

Nonsense. Wouldn't kill their conditioning unless they add too much weight/muscle. But they're not bodybuilders. If it makes you faster, stronger and helps you recover more quickly i say it will probably help you.

The muscle and joint injuries would be a factor if they started lifting weights twice as heavy. For normal sports steroids won't make that much differince.

[a-train]

I have always wondered about guys like Karl Malone and Ben Wallace being on something.

[nycbull]

one of my doctors was/is on the medical board for the NBA. He says they do not test athletes for steroids. This was a few years ago. He says he doesn't think there is anything wrong with doing cycles wink, wink just  be careful but for the record he has to say their bad because teenagers/kids abuse them.  Swears Shaq is not on them but his only proof is that "Shaq looked that big when he was a kid"