NFL Players/Coach Caught with a Mouthful of Deer Antler Velvet Extract

ThePostGame.com broke the story of the Oakland Raiders new head coach Hue Jackson being ordered by the NFL to cut ties with the supplement company, Sports With Alternatives To Steroids (S.W.A.T.S).  The company markets a product called "The Ultimate Spray," which it sells for $68 per bottle. The company reports The Ultimate Spray contains insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which is banned by the NFL.

From ThePostGame.com

Jackson, who was promoted from offensive coordinator by the Raiders on Tuesday, began endorsing a company called Sports With Alternatives To Steroids (S.W.A.T.S.) while he was an assistant with the Baltimore Ravens from 2008 to 2009. Jackson ended his association with the company this month.

One of the S.W.A.T.S. products, “The Ultimate Spray,” is labeled as containing deer antler velvet extract. On the company website, swatsteam.com, the spray is said to contain “very delicate and unique nutritional properties … such as IGF-1 and other growth factors.” IGF-1 is banned by the NFL.

S.W.A.T.S. owner Mitch Ross told ThePostGame.com he met Jackson at the NFL Combine in 2008 and forged a relationship. Ross said he supplied Jackson with free products, which he said were then distributed to players – including Ravens All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis. Ross also said he gave the spray to Cincinnati Bengals safety Roy Williams and two assistant NFL coaches, Anthony Lynn of the New York Jets and Jay Hayes of the Bengals. 

“In April of '08 I gave various alternatives to steroids, including spray, to Hue Jackson at the Ravens’ training camp,” Ross said. “I also gave the spray to Jay Hayes of the Bengals and Anthony Lynn of the Jets. I want to prove that my protocol reverses the aging process on aging athletes and promotes the healing of injuries in a legal manner.”

Reached by phone Wednesday, Jackson told ThePostGame.com, “I’m no longer affiliated with this company. I don’t even know about a banned substance.”

"The Ultimate Spray" S.W.A.T.S

As mentioned above, some notable NFL players have been using "The Ultimate Spray," including Ray Lewis and Roy Williams. Neither have tested positive for a banned substance.

While the hype is at an all time high for deer antler velvet extract, it's nothing new, and has yet to be proven as an effective performance enhancing drug.

There is very weak evidence to support use of deer antler velvet powder, but not the extract when compared to placebo.


Via Pubmed:

To determine the effects of deer antler velvet on maximal aerobic performance and the trainability of muscular strength and endurance, 38 active males were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to either deer antler velvet extract (n = 12), powder (n = 13), or placebo groups (n = 13). Subjects were tested prior to beginning supplementation and a 10-week strength program, and immediately post-training. All subjects were measured for circulating levels of testosterone, insulin-like growth factor, erythropoietin, red cell mass, plasma volume, and total blood volume. Additionally, muscular strength, endurance, and VO2max were determined. All groups improved 6 RM strength equivalently (41 +/- 26%, p < .001), but there was a greater increase in isokinetic knee extensor strength (30 +/- 21% vs. 13 +/- 15%, p = .04) and endurance (21 +/- 19% vs. 7 +/- 12%, p = .02) in the powder compared to placebo group. There were no endocrine, red cell mass or VO2max changes in any group. These findings do not support an erythropoetic or aerobic ergogenic effect of deer antler velvet. Further, the inconsistent findings regarding the effects of deer antler velvet powder supplementation on the development of strength suggests that further work is required to test the robustness of the observation that this supplement enhances the strength training response and to ensure this observation is not a type I error.

Not very convincing evidence in a small study of 38 subjects.  Deer antler velvet has also been studied for it's effects on sexual function in men, where it was also shown to be ineffective.

Via Pubmed:  

The use of alternative medicines and herbal remedies is an increasing trend in Western societies. For years, people have taken products made of deer velvet for their alleged beneficial effects on sexual function. There has been no scientific investigation of the effects of deer velvet powder on the sexual functioning of human males. This study investigated sexual function in men during a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of deer velvet. Thirty-two volunteer male participants, aged 45-65 years, and their partners, were randomly assigned to either the deer velvet or placebo study group. The males took capsules containing ground deer velvet or placebo everyday for 12 weeks. Two sexual function questionnaires (the International Index of Erectile Function and the Brief Index of Sexual Function for Women) used at pre- and posttreatment assessed changes in sexual functioning in males and their partners. Blood tests at baseline, and end of study, determined levels of sex-related hormones in male participants. There were no significant differences in the sexual behavior of the men taking deer velvet compared with the men taking placebo capsules. There were no significant hormone changes from baseline to the end of the study in either group of men. We conclude that in normal males there was no advantage in taking deer velvet to enhance sexual function. All alternative health products or nutritional supplements should be subjected to randomized placebo-controlled trials to determine efficacy.

The publicity as a result of the NFL ordering Jackson to cut ties with S.W.A.T.S does nothing but feed the hype machine and help S.W.A.T.S sales of the The Ultimate Spray. Their website currenlty states: "Due to such a high demand because of recent news coverage, the delivery of The Ultimate Spray will take at least 15 days for delivery. Thank you for your patience."  More power to them. They aren't doing anything illegal and appear to be trying to provide alternatives to athletes seeking alternatives to steroids. It's unlikely the deer antler velvet will have any greater effect than placebo, however the placebo effect is real!