Prevent Disease.com - Bodybuilding Supplements' Label Claims Often False



		Bodybuilding Supplements' Label Claims Often False Excerpt By Keith Mulvihill, Reuters Health NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Body-builders looking to pump up their physiques should know that many over-the-counter steroid supplements don't measure up to their label claims, according to a new study. ``Many people who buy these supplements are getting ripped off,'' lead author Dr. Gary Green of the University of California in Los Angeles told Reuters Health in an interview. Americans spend approximately $800 million dollars each year on sport supplements, according to the study, which appears in the October issue of the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. Green and his team evaluated 12 steroid supplements that they purchased in stores in Los Angeles. They analyzed the products to determine whether or not all of the ingredients listed on the label were actually contained in the product, if stated amounts were found and if the products contained any substances not found on the label. ``Eleven of the 12 products did not meet label claims because they contained less of the amount of steroids listed on the label,'' Green told Reuters Health. ``One product actually contained none.'' In addition, Green and his team found that one of the products contained 10 milligrams of testosterone, a federally controlled substance only available by prescription from a physician. Another product contained 77% more of a steroid than the label stated. Aside from not getting what they pay for, competitive body builders can risk disqualification from competitions by taking the supplements, Green said. The products may cause a person to test positive for steroids like testosterone, the use of which is banned for such events, he explained. ``It is abundantly clear from this study that over the counter steroid supplements described (in our investigation) are mislabeled,'' write Green and colleagues. Green points out that there are a host of safety issues that manufacturers of these products have not addressed. ``The effects of these chemicals on the body have not been well studied,'' he said. ``People don't need these products,'' he added. ``These steroid supplements are unlikely to make a noticeable difference in a person's performance.'' SOURCE: Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 2001;11:254-259. Reference Source 89 For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".