Archive for December, 2009

2010 Arnold Classic Line-Ups
by Joe Pietaro

Kai Greene has made it official. He will be defending his Arnold Classic championship come March and will have another deep line-up to do it against. The two biggest names trying to take his title will be Phil Heath and Dexter Jackson, himself a former winner of the contest.

Co-producer Jim Lorimer said in a statement that this year’s contestants will “astonish fans” with an outstanding show of talent and muscular physiques.

Iris Kyle will also be defending her title at the Ms. International and will have to look over her shoulder for Heather Armbrust, who finished fourth last year but second at the Ms. Olympia. Other prominent names are Debi Laszewski, Yaxeni Oriquen Garcia and Lisa Aukland. Keep your eye on Dena Westerfield, who finished a very respectable ninth last March in Columbus.
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Jesse Haggard Defense Attorneys Remain on Steroid Case After Exposing Government Deception
by Millard Baker

Dr. Jesse Haggard was permitted to keep his chosen legal representation in the Applied Pharmacy steroid case after the federal government failed in their attempts to have his attorneys removed from the case. United States Magistrate Judge Sonja Bivins rejected the prosecutors attempt to disqualify David York and Christ Coumanis after the attorneys exposed government deception in court documents. Prosecutors failed to prove that David York participated “personally and substantially” in the Applied Pharmacy investigation as a former U.S. Attorney between 2001 and 2006; government prosecutors decided against producing the documents they said supported their motion to disqualify at a court hearing on the matter.
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New York Times Highlights Steroid Use in IFBB Pro Bodybuilding
by Millard Baker

The New York Times highlighted the widespread use of steroids in competitive bodybuilding suggesting that anabolic steroids cause a specific form of kidney disease known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. This was the disease that required IFBB pro bodybuilder Flex Wheeler to undergo kidney transplant surgery. The article interviews three IFBB pro bodybuilders: Flex Wheeler, King Kamali, and Bob Cicherillo.

The study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology allegedly establishes a direct link between steroid use and kidney damage (”Bodybuilders See Kidney Damage with Steroids,” December 10).
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Slate Pharmaceuticals Supports Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Pro Athletes
by Millard Baker

Robert Whitehead, the President and CEO of Slate Pharmaceuticals, released a statement defending the use of the anabolic steroid testosterone by professional athletes when prescribed by a physician to treat low testosterone levels. Slate is the manufacturer of Testogel testosterone pellets. The statement is noteworthy because it represents the first time big pharma has been bold enough to criticize the anti-doping policies in professional sports.
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Super Strength Substance (Myostatin) One Step Closer to Human Trials
by Aaron Saenz

National Children’s Hospital used Macaques to test the effects of myostatin blocking on primates. The result: Muscular Monkeys

Get muscles now, ask me how. As published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers at the National Children’s Hospital (NCH) and Ohio State University have proven that blocking myostatin in monkeys will lead to skeletal muscle growth with few or no discernible negative side effects. Myostatin is the protein that helps mammals regulate muscle building, acting as a signal for muscles to stop consuming resources and stop growing. Blocking myostatin leads to enhanced muscle strength and continuous muscle growth. You may remember Liam Hoekstra, the baby apparently born without the myostatin gene, and similarly enabled animals that have absurd strength. Using gene therapy, NCH scientists were able to get follistatin (a myostatin blocker) to promote phenomenal muscle growth in the quadriceps of macaque monkeys. NCH is now working with the FDA to perform the preliminary steps necessary for a human clinical trial. We could see a superman gene therapy available in the next decade.
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Next Proteins Lawsuit

Long before BSN’s NO XPLODE or Superpump 250 hit the market, the leading pre-workout powder was called “Ultimate Orange” which was made by Next Proteins with the help of the “steroid guru” Dan Duchaine (pictured above). The now deceased Dan Duchaine supposedly formulated the product back in 1981 with a basic blend of protein, carbs and fats for his clients in Venice Beach. The product developed a cult-like following and was a huge success (even the Supplement Genius used Ultimate Orange back in high school). Next Proteins later came out with a gel cap version of the product called “Ultimate Orange PowerCaps” that never really seemed to take off, a fruit punch version of the power called “Ultimate Punch” and they even had an RTD version of Ultimate Orange.
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United States Anti-Doping Agency teams up with NFL, MLB to curb steroid-spiked supplements
by Wayne Coffey and Michael O’Keeffe

The United States Anti-Doping Agency is teaming up with the NFL, Major League Baseball and other sports organizations to pressure the federal government to crack down on rogue companies that manufacture supplements spiked with steroids and other banned substances.

USADA’s “Supplement Safety Now” campaign won’t ask Congress to repeal the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, the 1994 law that allows supplement manufacturers to sell products without testing them for safety or effectiveness. But the campaign will seek modifications to DSHEA and other federal laws to make it more difficult for companies to sell steroid-tainted supplements online and through mainstream retail outlets.
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Senate Hearing Examines DSHEA vs. Pre-market Approval

On September 29, the Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs held a hearing presided over by subcommittee chairman Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) and ranking member Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) concerning hidden steroids in bodybuilding supplements. Sen. Specter, putting forth the idea that supplements should be pre-approved at the federal level before entering the market, has sparked an industry-wide stir.

Generated in part by a recent claim by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero that he failed a drug test because a supplement he had been taking contained unlisted steroids, the hearing included testimony from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the Natural Products Association (NPA) and more. Some placed blame on the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), calling for more government intervention in the dietary supplement industry. Others called on Congress to fund FDA with the resources it needs to do its job in a quick and effective fashion.
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Competitive Edge Labs Lawsuit

Men claim dietary supplement M-drol caused liver problems, sue maker and distributor
By John Suayan, Galveston Bureau

GALVESTON – A Houston law firm has filed a pair of suits against a Virginia dietary supplement manufacturer on behalf of two men who complained of liver problems as a result of taking a steroid.
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