Move over Lance Armstrong and Ray Lewis to make room for PGA star Vijay Singh, who admited to
using a PGA Tour banned substance.
He said, “While I have used
deer antler spray, at no time was I aware that it may contain a substance that
is banned under the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Policy,” then went on to say, "I am absolutely shocked that deer antler spray may contain a banned substance and am angry that I have put myself in this position."
Not sure I would like
to spray anything in my mouth, several times a day, scrapped from deer antlers
in New Zealand. So why did he use it? Deer-antler spray and pills contain a hormone called
IGF-1 that is thought to help muscle recovery.
A cofounder of the company, that supplied Vijay,
told Sports Illustrated, “Their antlers are the fastest-growing substance on
planet Earth . . . because of the high concentration of IGF-1. We've been able
to freeze dry that out, extract it, put it in a sublingual spray that you shake
for 20 seconds and then spray three [times] under your tongue. . . . This stuff
has been around for almost 1,000 years, this is stuff from the Chinese," SWATS
(the company) calls their product natural, like a food, but it is banned by the
NCAA and every major pro league according to SI.
So what is IGF-1?
IGF-1 is an insulin-like growth factor, a
hormone that naturally occurs in the body and circulates in the blood, thus
helping the body heal faster. Would it also help a person play better-stay
tuned, we will find out soon.
This afternoon the Waste Management, Phoenix
Open starts and as of this morning, Vijay has decided not to play.
.