[rrgg]

Buyer frenzy before prohormone is banned


By ELLIOTT ALMOND

San Jose Mercury News

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SAN JOSE, Calif. - A Web site advertising nutritional supplements says it all:

METHYL D3

SORRY SOLD OUT

BANNED BY DEA

The last days of buying muscle-building prohormones - used by Mark McGwire during his 1998 home run chase - have arrived, leading to a buying spree before a federal ban goes into effect Thursday.

Supplement makers say recent demand for prohormones has increased tenfold because Congress last fall placed the dietary supplements in the same legal category as anabolic steroids - "schedule III controlled substances." They will be illegal to buy, sell or use without a prescription. Violators face up to two years in prison and fines.

"Funny, isn't it: They ban the stuff and then the industry sells about 10 years' worth of product in three months," said Joshua Smith, owner of My SupplementStore.com.

The ban comes a week after baseball announced a revised drug-testing policy and highlights how the BALCO Laboratories scandal has prompted more regulation of performance-enhancing substances. Headlines about the Burlingame nutrition company's involvement with elite athletes such as Barry Bonds and Marion Jones have spurred lawmakers to address the relatively unregulated $19billion-a-year health supplement industry.

A year ago, President Bush signaled interest in eliminating steroids in sports during his State of the Union speech. Two weeks later, four Bay Area men connected to BALCO were indicted in what has become the biggest drug scandal in sports history.

"As soon as we heard steroids mentioned in the State of the Union address we knew we were in trouble," said Mike McCandless, owner of Bulk Nutrition in North Carolina.

Supporters of the supplement industry say the government has gone too far by banning prohormones, which can boost testosterone levels and increase the ability to exercise and gain muscle mass.

"It makes health-conscious consumers into federal drug criminals," said Rick Collins, a New York lawyer and legal expert on steroids.

But authorities say prohormones can have the same health effects as steroids, including increased aggressiveness, elevated cholesterol and liver disease.

A New York graduate student who recently spent $400 for a year's supply of prohormones said he thought the supplements were a safe and effective alternative to steroids. The recreational bodybuilder, who did not want to be identified because of the stigma associated with the drugs, said they helped him bulk up to 280 pounds of lean muscle.

Prohormones first gained notice in 1998 when McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals admitted he used androstenedione, or andro, a steroid precursor banned at the time by the Olympics but not baseball. News of McGwire's use increased demand for andro. Soon more effective prohormones were marketed.

Illinois chemist Patrick Arnold, who brought andro to the marketplace, said in an October interview with Flex magazine he knew his product would be controversial.

"Knowing this, I made every effort to make it clear that these were precursors - not actual active hormones like anabolic steroids," said Arnold, who federal authorities say created the designer steroid at the heart of the BALCO case, THG.

Collins said he realizes lawmakers are trying to protect adolescents and restore the public's confidence in professional sports. But he questions their methods because, he said, the majority of users are not competitive athletes.

"They are motivated by a desire of nothing more than just to look better," Collins said.

McCandless, though, said he is relieved some controversial supplements are being blacklisted.

"You hate to see this stuff go away but since it has been giving us a negative image, I'd rather have it banned and get back to being a respected industry," he said.

McCandless, 25, said the industry sold about $150 million in prohormones in the past two years. He and Smith estimated prohormones represented about 20 percent of their sales.

Supplement makers say the loss of revenue from the ban will be recovered with new products because people always want an effective way to bulk up. Some suggest a prohormone black market will surface the way it did for steroids after their ban in 1990.

Smith said he doesn't see why.

"If you're going to risk jail time for a bigger body why not just go and get the real deal and do it right?"

[CEDeoudes59]

ha, my man PA

[db682]

[quote=rrgg]Buyer frenzy before prohormone is banned
McCandless, though, said he is relieved some controversial supplements are being blacklisted.

"You hate to see this stuff go away but since it has been giving us a negative image, I'd rather have it banned and get back to being a respected industry," he said.

McCandless, 25, said the industry sold about $150 million in prohormones in the past two years. He and Smith estimated prohormones represented about 20 percent of their sales.
QUOTE]

Typical McCandless statement.
A businessman before a hypocrite.

[lozgod]

Exactly. This ban just made the real steroids demand go even higher. Great job US government.

[rrgg]

they helped him bulk up to 280 pounds of lean muscle.

So at say 8-15% bodyfat, this guy is 305-330 simply on prohormones? Wow! Who is this guy? Why didn't VPX get him to endorse their products? :-)

"They are motivated by a desire of nothing more than just to look better," Collins said.

Does this mean breast augmentation's been banned too?

[rebelhead]

QUOTE "McCandless, though, said he is relieved some controversial supplements are being blacklisted.

"You hate to see this stuff go away but since it has been giving us a negative image, I'd rather have it banned and get back to being a respected industry," he said."


What BS. The only people in this country who say the supplement industry has a negative image is the media and politicians that are trying to create this negative image. Average Americans dont ever think twice about it one way or the other.
They sure dont give a **** about steroids in sports. This is more smoke and mirrors to keep peoples minds off of the real issues that plague this country. Politicians sure aren't concerened about our health, what a joke. As far as sports are concerened winning is all that matters. Baseball was at an all time low in popularity until the home runs started, partially because of steroid use. And, if they do finally remove steroids from the olympics, it will just be in the USA. Most of the other countries aint gonna try to stop it. They will laugh thier asses off at America because we cant win a medal anymore.

[doggzj]

Originally Posted by rrgg

So at say 8-15% bodyfat, this guy is 305-330 simply on prohormones? Wow! Who is this guy? Why didn't VPX get him to endorse their products? :-)

Does this mean breast augmentation's been banned too?

I assume he is a total of 280 pounds with a large frame and 15% bf.

[rrgg]

Originally Posted by doggzj

I assume he is a total of 280 pounds with a large frame and 15% bf.

I was being a little sarcastic. I know the article probably used inaccurate wording.

[NO MERCY]

its a very sad sad day today. Last day to buy ph's

[jmh80]

I didn't know Pat Arnold was the one supposedly behind THG.

[biggjohn]

Yep, he made the clear and the cream.

[natedogg]

Originally Posted by lozgod

Exactly. This ban just made the real steroids demand go even higher. Great job US government.

Yeah right huh.

[MarcusG]

Originally Posted by biggjohn

Yep, he made the clear and the cream.

What?! Where did you hear that?

[Lean One]

Originally Posted by MarcusG

What?! Where did you hear that?

It's true. I've seen it in various news sources. I couldn't believe it myself when I heard it. My money was on kneller being the culprit.

[houseman]

I think Mike McCandles is a ****ing hypocrite, cocksucking, piece of ****.

McCandless, though, said he is relieved some controversial supplements are being blacklisted.

Relieved? But he had no problem selling and profiting from them huh?

What a joke.

[hamper19]

what I don't get is how you can sell them up to a certain day, but yet the following day they are illegal to even posses. I mean they should at least allow some time for people to use what they have.

Do you think local law enforcement is aware of all this? Say they found some 1test in your gym bag or something when you got pulled over.

h19

[houseman]

Originally Posted by hamper19

what I don't get is how you can sell them up to a certain day, but yet the following day they are illegal to even posses. I mean they should at least allow some time for people to use what they have.

Do you think local law enforcement is aware of all this? Say they found some 1test in your gym bag or something when you got pulled over.

h19

What the **** you doing having this stuff labeled as to what it is?

[SpecialK117]

Some suggest a prohormone black market will surface the way it did for steroids after their ban in 1990

Is this true? Steroids were not scheduled until 1990? For some reason I had always thought they had been controlled substances since their date of creation.