Deer antler velvet: Is it prohibited? (2024)

FAQs

Is deer antler velvet banned? ›

Deer Antler Velvet is Not a Banned Substance.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) does not explicitly prohibit deer antler velvet, but because some deer velvet products might contain the prohibited substance IGF-1, WADA advises that “athletes exercise extreme caution with this supplement because it could lead to a positive test.

It also contains substances that might help cells grow and function. People use deer velvet for athletic performance, high blood pressure, increasing sexual desire, asthma, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

According to the report, scientists discovered IGF-1 in the velvet of immature deer antlers and players have been using it as an alternative to steroids. The chemical is considered a performance-enhancer and its use is prohibited by baseball and the World Anti-Doping Agency, among other governing bodies.

As of 2018, it is legal to sell velvet antler powder, extract or spray in the U.S. as a dietary supplement as long as no disease treatment claims are made and the label bears the FDA disclaimer: "This product has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."

Antler velvet may have an effect like male hormones, such as testosterone. Risks. Antler velvet may not be safe in people who should avoid supplemental estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone. The supplement may contain these hormones.

Studies by both Fisher and Wang indicate that deer antler velvet may increase testosterone levels in men and can help prevent some conditions associated with aging. The estrogen hormone most affected by deer antler velvet is estradiol.

How long does deer antler velvet stay in your system? Deer antler velvet (capsules) is a food product. Its nutrients are digested into the body and expelled like any other food in 24 to 72 hours. It does not stay in the body and there is no way to detect it in the body.

Deer velvet is used to boost strength and endurance, improve the way the immune system works, counter the effects of stress, and promote rapid recovery from illness. It is also used at the onset of winter to ward off infections.

Antler velvet is one of the very few natural sources of IGF-1 protein (Gu et al., 2007) (Cox & Eichner, 2013). In a study conducted by Gu et al. results demonstrated the expression of the IGF-1 gene throughout all four sections of the antler.

Is deer velvet ethical? ›

Welfare concerns

The procedure of removing velvet antler (called “velvetting”) raises multiple concerns, predominantly the pain and distress it can cause the animal, which SPCA deem as unnecessary. Quite simply, velvetting is painful for the animal - it involves the amputation of innervated and vascularised tissue.

Elk is also sometimes used, but we assume that Bucked Up Pre is using deer exclusively, since that's what the label states. Antler velvet has traditionally been used in Chinese medicine to help with gynecological issues, immunity, cardiovascular disease, and general tissue health.

Despite its peculiar name, deer antler velvet has long been on the NCAA and major professional league radars because of its inclusion of one ingredient: insulinlike growth factor-1, or IGF-1, a banned substance.

The SI article details how the deer-antler spray from S.W.A.T.S. had a form of anabolic steroid added to it, resulting in a positive test for an NFL player. A lawsuit resulted in a multimillion-dollar judgment against the owners of S.W.A.T.S. They stayed in business by using a new shell company.

Therefore, deer antler velvet is sometimes considered a natural "steroid alternative" because its benefits include anabolic and performance enhancing effects. But it clearly does not meet the definition of an anabolic steroid.

Those states are Wisconsin, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Indiana, Minnesota and Texas. In each of those states, legal bucks are either those with any visible antler or antlers that are at least 3 inches long, such as Wisconsin. VAPR is widely practiced in those states as well as many others.

You will NEVER fail a drug test with Bucked Up Products.

It has long been on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned substances list, alongside human growth hormone. There is no widely available urine test for IGF-1, but like human growth hormone, IGF-1 can be detected in blood tests.