Effects of Steroids on Horses Unclear

[two gun sid]

From The Blood Horse:

Bulging muscles, seemingly inflatable heads, acne in places that would make a teenager blush, a spike in athletic performance sure to raise eyebrows. The signs of steroid use in humans can sometimes be easy to detect even without a blood test.

In 1,200-pound animals, the indications aren’t so clear.

Though Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg compared horse training to “chemical warfare” during a Congressional hearing on the state of the industry last week, there’s little scientific proof that links anabolic steroids to better, stronger, faster horses.

“It’s an impossible question for us to even answer,” said Dr. Scot Waterman, executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. “A .01 (percent) change in performance would alter the outcome of a 1-mile race 50% of the time. That is an impossible change to measure with scientific study.”

http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/45815.htm