| Before the 2004 Olympic Games, officials from | | | | muscle, lower body fat and in some cases, slightly |
| the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were | | | | altered faces from bone growth. World records |
| quite aware of the fact that many of the world's | | | | were shattered in many events, and sometimes |
| top athletes had discovered what many others | | | | by 2 or 3 seconds, a feat previously unheard of. |
| around the world, in both sport and medicine had | | | | It was clear to most with expertise in the drug |
| discovered. | | | | area that athletes were using growth hormone |
| Growth hormone (GH) was a terrific drug for | | | | heavily in 2008. And, just as in 2004, a test for |
| improving muscularity and strength while reducing | | | | GH never materialized. Athletes got away with it... |
| side effects, with very little side effects. It was | | | | for now. |
| beginning to take foothold in the supplement | | | | Blood samples were taken from all 2008 Olympia |
| regimens of many athletes, and the IOC had no | | | | athletes, and were frozen for future testing, once |
| way to test for it. | | | | a reliable test for growth hormone is available. |
| After all, the brain releases its own levels of | | | | This brings us to an interesting quagmire. What will |
| human growth hormone. All the GH | | | | happen if, in either 6 months, or 6 years, they do |
| supplementation was doing was increasing those | | | | finally have the technology to test the blood for |
| levels, and it was impossible to prove who was | | | | GH? |
| using, and who was not. | | | | What if they should discover that the top eight |
| The officials decided to bluff the athletes. They | | | | athletes in nearly every event were using GH? Will |
| assured the world that strict testing for human | | | | they strip all the winners and other contestants of |
| growth hormone would take place at the 2004 | | | | medals? The athletes will get to keep the money |
| Games. The athletes didn't know a great deal | | | | and the other fruits of their labors, but will their |
| about growth hormone at the time, and many | | | | reputations be ruined? Even more interesting, will |
| halted use. The Games arrived, and there was no | | | | we see a scenario as with professional baseball? |
| test. | | | | There was no testing from 1998 to 2002, and |
| By 2008, four years had passed and the athletes | | | | we saw records broken which still stand today, |
| and their trainers knew a great deal more about | | | | when drug testing exists. Will the 2012 and 2016 |
| growth hormone. They had seen four years of | | | | games, if they take place in an era of successful |
| non-testing, and realized it was currently | | | | GH testing, be marked with a giant decline in |
| impossible to test athletes. When the IOC tried to | | | | performance compared to the 2008 Games? Or, |
| bluff the athletes again, they weren't buying it. | | | | will science, once again, find a way to stay one |
| Athletes appeared in the games with many of the | | | | step ahead of testers? |
| telltale signs of heavy GH use, including greater | | | | |