Lack of HGH testing leaves hole in drug program

Since 2010 the NFL has had 50 PED suspensions. So the question becomes: What if the NFL was also testing for the holy grail of performance enhancing drugs -- human growth hormone?

Where we can test, said Adolpho Birch, the NFL's senior vice president of law and labor policy, we can detect the use of substances.

Notice what Birch said: Where we can test.

He's talking about HGH testing. If the NFL's testing policy does have teeth, and with 50 PED suspensions it seems to, it's also hampered because there is no testing for HGH. The union and NFL have been embroiled in negotiations for a testing policy but haven't been able to reach an agreement for a variety of highly complicated reasons.

Birch said the success of catching Adderall users and others is good and while there's no independent information to verify that it's easy to understand why the NFL wants HGH testing. Testing for it could further make the NFL a cleaner sport.

This highlights the problems we've had with (the union) on HGH testing, he said. It's a blind spot.

Is HGH testing coming soon?

We're looking for a solution and some agreement with the union, Birch explained, but there's nothing to suggest any agreement is close.

So while the hunt for PED cheats goes on, there remains an HGH divide. If a player wanted to switch from, say, Adderall, out of fear so many others are getting caught, he can change to HGH. There's no testing for it.

And there might not be for a long time.

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Lack of HGH testing leaves hole in drug program