More NFL steroid use unrelated to DSHEA

Another prominent NFL player has tested positive for a banned substance and is being suspended, and it has nothing to do with supplements or DSHEA. It has to do with a sports culture that encourages steroid use and rewards it with big money. In this case, rookie defensive player of the year Brian Cushing has tested positive for a banned substance. And while Cushing points out that the substance was not a steroid, he failed to mention that it was for a substance often taken by steroid users to offset some of the side effects (see story today from MSNBC).

The NFL has taken the position that dietary supplements and DSHEA are a big part of the problem. Not true. The NFL has a steroid problem. And deeper than that, it has a culture problem. The financial rewards for playing in the NFL are so extreme that athletes are willing to risk their reputation and health (and break the law) to succeed. Changing the way supplements are regulated will have no impact on the use of steroids by professional athletes. Though it does make for a good press conference if you want the media (and Congress) to get distracted from the real issue.