Bodybuilding Supplements: Are You the Sucker?

Those of us vigorously pursuing fitness goals tend to be easy marks for bodybuilding supplements that are heavy on hype but light on substance. We work hard at the gym, we pay attention to everything that goes into our bodies. We are determined to lose or gain the weight and build the muscle that our goals demand. Still, the results from all our dedication can often be slow to appear.

Then, on a trip to the supplement store, we see the newest bodybuilding supplement "XYZ." The box's headline tells us that XYZ "will revolutionize the future of bodybuilding nutrition." We're hooked. We have to read on.

"May increase testosterone by 50%." 

"A recent study produced a 75% strength gain in individuals taking XYZ." 

"Rats taking XYZ dropped 50% fat and gained 50% muscle." 

"Steroid-like gains are now safely possible."

Sounds incredible. Our imagination takes off. Visions appear in our heads of achieving our goals ahead of schedule, of missing a workout or two without guilt - as a serving of XYZ makes up the difference.

Hopefully, before we hit the checkout stand, a rational moment will sweep over us. Yes, XYZ may increase testosterone by 50%. Of course, it may not. Cardboard may also increase testosterone (to my knowledge, cardboard has never been disproved for testosterone enhancement). Sure, those people may have increased their strength by 75%. But was that because of or in spite of XYZ? Who did the study? And whoever saw a rat with six-pack abs? Is that really a relevant statistic?

If there ever is a way to safely and legally achieve steroid-like results, you probably won't learn about it for the first time on a bodybuilding supplement box. Rather, something like that would make the nightly news. Or, perhaps you would get curious when you started mistaking an awful lot of men for governors.