On January 28, 2013, SI.com featured an article in which PGA TOUR Pro golfer Vijay Singh admitted to using a deer antler spray supplement. He did this without knowing that the spray contains IGF-1, which is a growth factor listed on the prohibited substances list for the TOUR and for WADA (the World Anti Doping Agency).
The spray supplement used does not list IGF-1 on the label, and deer antler velvet supplements like the sprays in question were not on the banned list, making this case a “murky” one.
While professional athletes are held to a higher standard, and should know everything that they are ingested (and whether or not it is permissible), it was difficult to make the case against Singh since nothing banned was listed on the label.
Consider This Analogy
The entire case is akin to an athlete getting into trouble for beef that contains a bit of testosterone (along with other naturally occurring hormones) in it.
- Is beef anabolic? Yes, it will help you build muscle and repair tissue.
- Is beef a “performance enhancer”? Yes, to a degree, as the average athlete who does eat beef will out-perform an athlete who does not, all other things considered equal.
- Might that beef contain naturally-substances that are banned, such as growth hormones or testosterone? Once again, Yes.
- Can should athlete be aware and responsible for every last chemical compound in his beef?
You tell me — and this is where it gets murky with IGF-1 and Deer Antler Velvet sprays.
There is no question — IGF-1 is in deer antler spray, which has therapeutic effects that Singh was using in order to recoever from injury. But guess what! It may also be in the aforementioned beef. Where does the line get drawn?
In this case, the PGA (and WADA) decided that the line gets drawn after the antler velvet sprays which contain naturally occurring IGF-1, and are now permissible.
Let’s explore further:
IGF-1 is Not Tested For
Another thing that makes the whole process difficult is that there’s simply no easy blood test for IGF-1. Singh only got himself into hot water for stating that he used a product that naturally contained a banned substance in amounts not listed on the label. This was his second of two major mistakes.
The Singh Saga
So after he stated he took it, the PGA Tour gave him a sanction, which Singh then appealed.
After that, WADA clarified that it no longer considers it a banned substance — pretty much because they don’t know how to test for it! If they find a positive test result for IGF-1, then you can get in trouble. However… they currently can’t!
This was their statement (emphasis ours):
“In relation to your pending IGF-1 matter, it is the position of WADA, in applying the Prohibited List, that the use of “deer antler spray” (which is known to contain small amounts of IGF-I) is not considered prohibited.
On the other hand it should be known that Deer Antler Spray contains small amounts of IGF-1 that may affect anti-doping tests.
Players should be warned that in the case of a positive test for IGF-1 or hGH, it would be considered an Adverse Analytical Finding.”
After WADA released this, the PGA dropped the sanctions. Singh acted professionally and cooperatively the entire time.
Deer Antler Velvet Spray in Murky Waters… and That’s a GOOD Thing
Vijay’s Biggest Mistake Was Not Using Antler-X!
Don’t get us wrong – while taking IGF-1 orally is a performance enhancer, it is nowhere near the strength of taking IGF-1 or hGH injections. But those ways are not only far more dangerous, they are banned too! Oral use, while “weaker”, is still quite strong in terms of building lean muscle and repairing connective tissue. Exactly what Singh (and others like Chad Johnson and allegedly Ray Lewis) had wanted.
Vijay Singh’s Two Mistakes
We touched upon Singh’s second of two mistakes above – he admitted to doing something that he never would have been tested for anyway. However, we’re not going to hold that against him since he was being a 100% class act, and was simply being honest during an SI interview.
The bigger of his two mistakes was choosing an INFERIOR Deer Antler Spray product!! The amount of deer antler velvet, and subsequently IGF-1, that is in the product he used was on the borderline of being a scam!
But There’s Something Far Better:
Since late 2012, a far stronger product has been on the market: Antler X. This is the “X-Factor” in legal, oral IGF-1 spray supplementation. Each dosage contains an impressive 100mg of the precious growth-hormone-triggering young velvet, as well as a proven “support system” to aid in delivery and help with a natural amino-based GH boost.
Both of these parts of Antler X would have aided Singh far greater than any other deer antler supplement.
So, if you’re going to do it… do it right with the highest-potency product – Antler X.
