Much has been said by sports enthusiasts and commentators over the controversy surrounding former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro and his rejection by the 2011 National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Did he use steroids back in 2005? Drugs tests conclude that he did; whether unbeknownst to him or not is the hot topic of the day.
What about his claim that he unwittingly received B12 injections which were laced with the illegal performance enhancer stanozolol, as he has repeatedly affirmed? Well, he’s sticking to his story, even if the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA) doesn’t quite buy it.
Is it possible that his astonishing success these past years is due exclusively to his use of steroids? With 3,020 hits, 569 home runs and 1,835 RBIs, Palmeiro’s record puts him in the same league as baseball legends Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray.
Before we jump to any more conclusions, let’s not entirely rule out the b12 supplements, which we know he was getting on a regular basis.
- B vitamins convert proteins and carbohydrates into energy for greater stamina during a workout.
- B12 works with pyrodixine and folic acid to burn fat.
- According to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (IJSNEM), professional athletes who fail to maintain a sufficient balance of B12 in their diet score lower than their teammates for cardiovascular endurance and strength training.
- Athletes require more than the USRDA recommendation for B12 allowance.
- Sports competitors who are on a restricted diet are strongly advised to take B12 supplements in order to avoid b12 deficiency, an illness which can lead to fatigue, depression, nausea and lethargy.
- B12 boost red and white blood cell production, in addition to strengthening DNA.
So, let’s assign credit where credit’s due. Will b12 vitamins give you superhuman strength, the ability to leap home runs in a single bound? Probably not. Are ballplayers like Rafael Palmeiro wise to take advantage of b12 for greater athletic performance? Emphatically, you bet.