|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:27:38 GMT -5
This article is reproduced with the permission of the author, Nelson Montana. What you are about to read is an extraction from his excellent book "Bodybuilding Truths, Secrets You Are Not Suppose To Know". Nelson Montana writes for some of the top bodybuilding magazines in the industry. To order Nelson´s book, visit him at: web.archive.org/web/20040624152614/http://nelsonmontana.com/------------------------ Prologue The original Muscle Media 2000 was a terrific bodybuilding magazine and a personal favorite, which is why I considered it a dream come true when I started working for its former editor-in-chief TC Luoma. That thrill quickly turned to dismay when I got the inside scoop on the people whom I thought were so bright and sincere. It was a hard lesson, but a good one. This is an article which appeared on the "Testosterone" website and there´s a great irony to this piece. It was intended to expose the slimy side of the supplement business yet little did I know, I was unwittingly knee deep in it myself. I´ll explain further at the conclusion of the article. (Originally published in September 1998) This is a story that had to be told. As most everyone who has been involved with bodybuilding for any appreciable amount of time knows, the business of supplements has a history fraught with deceit and deception. The very term "snake oil," a colloquial expression used to describe any fraudulent product, stems from the days of the traveling salesman of the nineteenth century who sold "tonics" and "elixirs" to gullible townsfolk with the promise of increased vigor and vitality. The marketing strategies of today´s hucksters may be more sophisticated, but the message is the same. If you want more (fill in the blank... Muscle? Hair? Stamina? Sex?), then BUY THIS PRODUCT! When people are hopeful to the point of desperation for a specific desire, they are willing to take desperate measures to obtain that desire. That often means paying "any price." And the people doing the selling know this. That´s why they pay famous athletes millions to endorse their products. But isn´t it dumb to believe a new product is responsible for the athletes past successes? Nevertheless, the ploy works. Nowhere is this premise more prevalent than in the industry of bodybuilding supplements. We´ve seen them come - and we´ve seen them go. Ambiguous terms like "adaptagens" and "metabolic optimizers" that were major "buzz words" just a few years back, appear amusingly quaint compared to the more scientific terminology currently in vogue. Then again, it´s a good bet that ten years from now, we may all be laughing at how seriously we debated the superiority of ion-exchanged ultra low temperature bio-available micro-encapsulated protein with non-denatured triple cross flow filtrated long chained oligopeptide bonded enzymically hydrolyzed protein isolate! IN THE BEGINNING To get a better perspective on how all of this got so out of control, let´s take a look back at a time up until the late seventies when the supplement industry was dominated by Joe Weider and Bob Hoffman. Both of these men controlled virtually every aspect of bodybuilding merchandise. Of the two, Weider saw the greater potential in promoting "muscle stars" whereas Hoffman´s affinity leaned more towards weightlifting contests. Weider´s gamble of scooping up the most genetically gifted bodybuilders paid off big time. He placed them under contract with the stipulation that they would unquestioningly pay allegiance to the "Weider philosophy" which essentially meant that Weider could put any words in their mouth that he saw fit. Those words were most often an all encompassed endorsement that owed all of their success to using Weider products. Although some of the original participants in these agreements have since blasted Weider´s smarmy ways, there were no "arm twisting" tactics employed. They knew what they were getting into. Business is business. Arnold Schwarzenegger was well aware of this and was more than willing to enter into an agreement with Weider. Arnold was also shrewd enough to take it for what it was worth - a stepping stone. After all, at the time, Weider was pretty much the only game in town. Despite the different marketing tactics of Weider and Hoffman, their supplement products were not very dissimilar. Besides vitamin pills, desiccated liver tablets, brewers yeast and other health related substances (some of dubious value), the crux of their supplement line was PROTEIN. They were each trying every conceivable way to sell as many versions of the same protein product as possible. A weight gain formula was something used in addition to ones regular meals. A "weight loss" product was used in place of a meal. It was the same thing with only the application altered. (Not unlike the "MASS" version and the "lite" versions of the same product being used today.) Be it pills, powders or canned drinks, (which tasted awful) both Weider and Hoffman used the same source for all of their protein products. Soy. It was over 90% protein. It mixed well. It was flavorless....and it was cheap. History of the Supplement Industry
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:32:37 GMT -5
SUPPLEMENTS MEET SCIENCE
While Weider cornered the supplement buying public by utilizing his magazines to bombard the readers with articles that always seemed to get around to plugging a Weider product, there was a young nutitionist/chemist that was taking the concepts of supplementation a lot more seriously. Irwin Johnson believed that the first food we ingest to induce growth, mothers milk, would also encourage more muscle growth in adults. Enzymes found in milk such as colostrum and lactoferrin were also thought to have powerful immune system enhancing properties. He came to the conclusion that cows milk did not have the same amino ratios that human milk possessed and set about "manipulating" the amino acid complex by mixing specific amounts of dried whole egg into the whole milk protein. Johnson was also the first supplement manufacturer who understood the importance of hormones in the development of muscle tissue and discovered that the fat in milk could increase hormonal production. For this reason, he recommended that his protein be taken with cream. He insisted that no one implementing his program should eat fruit of any kind! The nutritional authorities at the time scoffed at Johnson´s theories and were convinced that the liberal use of cream would add unwanted fat. As it turned out, Johnson´s clients were losing fat at an alarming rate! What Johnson was advocating was strikingly similar to what is now known as the ketogenic diet. Variations of Johnson´s plan are known as the Atkins diet, the Zone diet, and the high fat diet. Whatever you call it, it was a low carb, high protein, high fat strategy for ultimate muscle growth and optimum fat loss - and it worked.
Health faddists, celebrities and professional bodybuilders from around the country flocked to Johnson for his expertise and his protein product. Training guru Vince Gironda, as well as IFBB stars like Larry Scott, Frank Zane, Dave Draper, and yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger who all received Weider supplements at no charge, were paying top dollar for Johnson´s "mother´s milk " protein.
Johnson was an eccentric man and a staunch believer in the occult. On the advice of his astrologer, he was told that in order to be successful he would need to change the amount of letters in his name and add more "R"s. (?) By the time Johnson was ready to sell his product nationwide, it carried his new name, Rheo. H. Blair.
Those "in the know" may have been aware that the Rheo Blair brand of protein was far superior to the cheap soy powder used by Hoffman and Weider, but Weider had the money and, therefore, the influence. Blair was of little threat. Weider, with his stable of stars, now being led by the charismatic Arnold Schwarzenegger, was riding high. With the release of PUMPING IRON in 1976, gym memberships soared! This was a boon to bodybuilding but a mixed blessing to bodybuilding manufacturers since the sales of home gym equipment declined! Supplements now became the focal point of all sales pitches within the muscle magazines. But the supplement business had an even stiffer competitor. Anabolic steroids.
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:33:21 GMT -5
THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
In the early 1980´s, steroids had amassed manic popularity among professional and non-professional bodybuilders alike. They were abundant and available. The cost of 100 Dianabol was less than that of a Weider Mega Pak box of vitamins. Want to take a guess as to which produced more muscle? As more and more reports of steroid abuse prevailed, the government stepped in and branded all anabolics controlled substances. This was a perfect opportunity for supplement manufacturers to "fill the gap." As Dan Duchaine has said, "People really wanted drugs but were too scared to buy them." Many bodybuilders who wanted to maintain their "drug free" status still wanted "drug-like" effects.
Mysterious sounding compounds started coming out of the woodwork. Or more specifically, Russia. Americans had always suspected that the Russian athletes were privy to "super nutrients" that gave them the competitive edge. Supplements with steroidal sounding names like RETIBOL, MESOBOLIN, DIOSTEROL and DICOBALONE 5 - emerged faster than the research on them could be evaluated. New supplement companies started springing up, and turned a handsome profit by marketing these substances with the promise of "steroid-like gains." There was Smilax and Dibencozide and Gamma Oryzanal. We saw DMG, Inosine, Inositol, Boron, plus a host of herbal and glandular extracts all with purportedly peculiar ergogenic and anabolic properties. At first, the Weiders ignored the "johnny come latelys" but it soon became apparent that they were going to have to move over and let the new kids on the block in on a piece of the action. The competition had arrived and it was here to stay.
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:34:22 GMT -5
ALL IN THE FAMILY
It was right around this time that a small family owned company had a brainstorm. Tom Ciola came up with the idea of using ALL of the popular ingredients and combining them in a freeze dried glandular protein base. (yum) Herbs like Yohimbe were added for their "stimulative" effect so the consumer would "feel" the concoction working. He called it HOT STUFF and it became an overnight success. Hot Stuff flew off the shelves! Stores couldn´t restock fast enough. It seemed as if a supplement finally had been developed that mimicked the effects of steroids. Was it a synergistic effect of all the combined nutrients that made Hot Stuff so effective? Or was it something more?
There have been accusations alluded to by several unrelated sources (who wish to remain anonymous for obvious reasons) that in order for HOT STUFF to make sure its initial release would create a stir, it would contain an additional ingredient not listed on the can. Something that would leave no doubt of its effectiveness in the user´s mind. Something that would bring them back for more. Rumor has it that the original batches of Hot Stuff contained methyltestosterone.
Methyltestosterone is an inexpensive form of orally absorbable testosterone that works quickly and effectively to raise strength and aggression. It is also extremely liver toxic. It would appear to be a good choice as an added ingredient for another reason. It is undetectable in a drug test. The "insiders" theory is that even if the FDA somehow found out about the drug being used, all the canisters would already be sold. An inspection of the National Health facility (makers of Hot Stuff) would show no wrong doing. There has never been any evidence found to substantiate these claims. They do seem far fetched to say the least but there was a period when Hot Stuff was pulled from the shelves for reasons that have always been mired in ambiguity. There was a new and improved version released shortly thereafter but anyone familiar with the "first" Hot Stuff will tell you that the new one never quite duplicated the characteristic "kick" of the original.
Our own consumer watchdog, Bruce Kneller, has a theory that it may have been the National Health people themselves that started the whole methyltest rumor in an effort to make the product appear more illicit. This would appeal to the hardcore bodybuilder "wannabe´s" thus generating more interest and a solid consumer base. I contacted the people at National Health in an effort for them to present their side of the story concerning these allegations. They never returned my calls.
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:35:39 GMT -5
TIJUANA VICE
Running simultaneously to the ever changing tumult within the supplement industry was a flourishing black market. Steroids were still very much in demand despite their illegality. In many ways, because of it. They had become forbidden fruit. More and more bodybuilders became anxious to get their hands on the real stuff that Big Brother declared taboo.
One of the main men on the west coast for steroid connections was Dan Duchaine. Dan was more than just a drug dealer, however. Both he and a friend who was also an expert in performance enhancement use, Mike Zumpano, had a keen interest in the science and chemistry of steroids which led to their co-authoring the original Underground Steroid Handbook. Mike chose to stay in the background and his name was not mentioned in the book. He had already begun making plans to market his own developments in the area of natural supplementation. If the same money could be made legally, why take the risk of dealing in drugs? Duchaine followed suit but in his case it was too late. Duchaine eventually went to prison. After being released he was arrested and convicted a second time for the possession of less than $100 worth of GHB.
Mike Zumpano was a master of technology. He invented the very first glucose polymer product. (Metacarb) He was also the man who found an application for MCT oils, a fat that was treated by the body like a carb. When he presented a MCT/ Protein product to the Weider company, they thought it too weird and expensive. They passed. The Unipro company picked up on Mike´s product (titled Carboplex) and he continued to develop others for the company but Unipro eventually stopped payment on Mike´s royalties. He decided to start his own company, Champion Nutrition, and made improved versions of the products he sold to Unipro. He exploited the weaknesses in the Unipro products and this once industry leading company degraded to a small operation on the brink of collapse. In the meantime, Mike Zumpano was living large, traveling about town in his Ferrari Testarosa (paid for in cash).
Mike also had a hand in helping Dan Duchaine develop Ultimate Orange. A loophole in FDA regulations allowed herbal combinations of caffeine and ephedra to be used. Yes, they were drugs, but they were legal. Needless to say, Ultimate Orange had a very noticeable "energizing" effect!
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:36:33 GMT -5
BACK TO THE FUTURE
At this time, a young entrepreneur was following in the wake of Dan Duchaine and attempted to establish himself as an authority of steroid use. He wrote a seemingly objective book on supplements that blasted products like Hot Stuff as being total garbage but spoke of a genius doctor that had developed a product that he called "the most incredible nutritional supplement ever developed!" Unfortunately, it was not available to the general public. You guessed it. Bill Phillips had reinvented the art of hyping supplements by generating a monumental interest for this specially engineered "wonder" food. Of course, we are speaking of MetRx.
What Scott Connelly, the developer of MetRx, had done was hardly quantum physics. He utilized the "mothers milk" concept developed by Rheo Blair and put it into a flavored pre mix. He added aspartame in order to maintain sweetness yet keep the sugar levels low and the protein content high. It was nothing all that revolutionary, but Phillip´s promotional tactics were a stroke of marketing brilliance! Yet, with the deluge of competition that continued to swarm the market at the time, there was still some doubt that the bodybuilding community would be convincingly hooked on MetRx. Phillips and Connelly had invested deeply in the promotion of MetRx and if it didn´t pan out, it would have been a financial disaster.
Did MetRx take a page out of the Hot Stuff file and add a little "something extra" to the formula to insure its effectiveness ?
IS IT WIRED? OR IS IT MET RX?
In many ways, the supplement industry can be divided into two eras. There was the time BEFORE MetRx, and the time afterwards. Strange that a simple protein shake could cause such a stir. Interesting also is that drinks of this sort are referred to as MRPs (meal replacements), yet, in the wake of some people getting sick from attempting weight loss by living on similar "meals in a can" like SlimFast (a company that Scott Connelly had worked for, coincidentally), supplement manufacturers were mandated to post a disclaimer on all packages of their products which stated "This product should not be used for weight reduction." Pretty silly since that was most often the purpose of the product.
What was it about MetRx that made it so popular? Well, brilliant (and aggressive) marketing for one thing. But if you talk to some people who remember MetRx when it came in two separate canisters, there is a common thread among those who experimented with that esoteric concoction. The consensus may be best summed up by nutritional expert and author, Jerry Brainum. He states...
"I don´t know what it was about that first batch of MetRx. I can´t prove or disprove it, but when I started taking it, I was losing fat like crazy. I developed insomnia...My appetite went way down. I´ve never done an analysis on it so I can´t tell you what was in it, but I never got that same kick once they went to the (current) packaging."
Jerry isn´t alone. Dozens of bodybuilders who tried the original MetRx concur. A rumor began circulating that a small dose of Clenbuterol was added to those original canisters. There was also talk of a yellowing document with the original formula tucked away in a safe somewhere. The details are vague.
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:37:26 GMT -5
SELLING ICE TO THE ESKIMOS
One of the men behind the marketing of MetRx was James Bradshaw and he claims that MetRx did not contain any illicit substance. "It wouldn´t make sense to add Clen" he said. "Anavar would be a better choice. I know stuff like that´s been done but you´re asking for jail time when you try that."
Bradshaw, in many ways, was the "brains" behind the promotion of MetRx and later, EAS products. As he puts it, "I wrote virtually every piece of copy for the MetRx and early EAS ads." It was Bradshaw who convinced Bill Phillips to tout MetRx in the "Natural Supplement Review" (the red book) as the greatest discovery since the invention of the light bulb. He then suggested to Phillips to forget about selling the book and to just give the book away to readers of Muscle Media 2000 (complete with ready to mail "order forms" included). In this way, the consumer feels "privileged" while simultaneously providing tremendous advertising for MetRx. It also provided the company with addresses of potential buyers. The plan could not have worked any better. Sales soared through the roof! Bradshaw had reinvented the art of marketing and he, along with original investors Bill Phillips, Jeff Everson and Scott Connelly, got very, very rich.
A "SOLITARY´ PERSPECTIVE
What´s especially interesting is where Bradshaw studied and honed his salesmanship skills. In prison. James Bradshaw was at one time one of the most successful steroid dealers on the west coast. At its peak, he had a mail order business that was grossing $400,000 a month! Not bad for a kid barely out of college. Nevertheless, Bradshaw´s escapades landed him in a Louisiana jail cell for four years. He used the time shrewdly. While he was incarcerated, he read everything he could get his hands on concerning business management, merchandising and marketing. It paid off nicely.
Bradshaw now heads the advertising department for the SoCal product line that is featured in PUMP magazine. Anyone who´s familiar with Pump will attest to the fact that Bradshaw´s selling tactics haven´t mellowed. The promotion is so "over the top" in terms of shoving the pitches down the readers throats, it´s about as subtle as an elephant with a hard-on in the middle of Times Square. Yet, to the newcomers of the sport, this is something that has yet to be seen. Bradshaw knows what he´s doing. Dan Duchaine describes the Bradshaw style thusly;
"James worked briefly at IronMan but they thought his advertising methods were completely reprehensible. What´s funny is that now IronMan is using those very same methods, and it turned the magazine around. IronMan used to have scruples but they abandoned them and now they´re doing very well thanks to what James Bradshaw and (John) Cribbs taught them. The new designers over at IronMan even went as far as to claim that Muscle-Linc protein was the same as the original BLAIR protein, but they were forced to stop making that claim. Bradshaw is a guy who knows how to reach certain people. He writes in a very unsophisticated way--almost "cartoonish." But it appeals to the gym rat type."
There is a whole new generation of would be bodybuilders to which Bradshaw´s tactics are being geared. And they´re working. James Bradshaw now makes comparable money to what he made when he was selling steroids, only now he´s selling supplements. Dan Duchaine addressed that point as well.
"It makes sense that so many drug dealers would make good supplement manufacturers. Running steroids was a business and it required great business skills. They also knew their market. We never thought we´d make even more money selling legal supplements than we did selling black market drugs!"
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:38:48 GMT -5
NOT- FASTER THAN A SPEEDING POLICE CAR
Bradshaw isn´t the only supplement manufacturer with a tainted past. Olympic track star and silver medal winner, David Jenkins, who now heads "Next Nutrition" (makers of Designer Protein) also spent a year in jail on steroid related charges. The people at Next Nutrition refused to discuss the events leading to David´s incarceration. I wouldn´t be surprised if most of the staff are unaware of it.
A "BONER"-FIED REACTION
Another product that has been shrouded in mystique is the original "Endo-Pro" which was developed by a research and development engineer by the name of Fred Worthy for a small company called Atlas Labs. Most bodybuilders familiar with the original Endo-Pro will attest that it had SOMETHING in it that wasn´t listed on the label. Many people thought it was either Clomid or Cyclofenil since it had a very noticeable testosterone and libido enhancing effect. Dan Duchaine agrees with the cyclofenil theory by stating...
"Fred Worthy was a big steroid dealer with a lot of connections in Mexico, which is where he developed the original EndoPro."
In recent years, Worthy has suggested that Endo Pro still has a "magic" ingredient. He has gone on record as saying Endo Pro does contain a "drug" but he would not say what the drug was. Endo Pro does indeed contain a drug. It´s called aspirin. None of the "newer" bottles have tested positive for anything else but. Of course, the "surge" that was felt when using the original prototype is gone as well.
One may ask; "Why add an illicit substance to a supplement just to remove it?" The reason is simple. Adding a "kicker" to a new product will often start a "word of mouth" endorsement of it. Once the product is established, it can live off of its popularity long enough for all parties involved to make a handsome profit.
DECA, DIANABOL and DEATH THREATS
Although most Testosterone readers are well aware that much of the bodybuilding world is far from the squeaky clean image that the commercial muscle magazines have tried to portray of late, it´s a terrible shame that something so magnificent has to foster its share of deviants, drug abusers, and general low lifes. Unscrupulous manufacturers may permeate the industry but there are other individuals involved who are far more menacing. There have been cases where the "major players" in the field have associated with some extremely unsavory characters. Few people are more aware of this on a first hand basis, than Greg Zulak. Greg is one of staff writers for MuscleMag International. He spoke to us about why so many ex-felons went on to be supplement dealers.
Here´s what Greg had to say.
"The drug dealers were the ones who had enough money to start these supplement companies. They were all amateur chemists also, so they had a better understanding of what would be an effective product--more so than most doctors or dietitians. Each of the "players" were assigned a territory. It was like an organized crime mob designating who can do business and where. Things started getting pretty nasty after a while. Guys were getting nabbed...some were ratting others out...one guy wound up with a bullet in his head. Back in ´89, I wrote some articles about this and I mentioned names. Only first names but that was enough. I had four guys pay me a visit and tell me "You´re a dead man Zulak." "We won´t get you this week, but we´ll get you!" I heard through the grapevine that there was an ongoing contract out on my life. I was afraid to leave the house or start my car. I couldn´t eat, I couldn´t sleep. That entire year of my life was a nightmare."
Zulie goes on to say..
"I understand that Christina Robella was doing an expose for the TV show "NightLine" on (a certain major supplement manufacturers) past. There were accusations that he had been involved in that scene but it´s never been proven. He not only was involved in selling drugs but he was one of the first suppliers to sell "fakes." He did it in order to make enough money to set himself up in business. I don´t know what happened with that story but it never ran."
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:39:40 GMT -5
EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF
So what became of the famed alliance between entrepreneur extraordinaire Bill Phillips and the creator of MetRx, ex-anesthesiologist Scott Connelly? One would think that since their mutual prosperity would not have been possible without the other that there should be no reason for animosity. But as James Bradshaw himself, puts it;
"When the company started out, none of us had any inkling how successful it would be. When a company is young--everybody´s friends. Then the money starts coming in and the arguments start."
Phillips and Connelly had an agreement that in order for MetRx to remain "exclusive" and in an effort to control its distribution, they would not sell it to retail outlets. It isn´t certain who reneged on that agreement, but within a matter of months, MetRx was available everywhere and anywhere--from supermarkets to K-Marts. Phillips and Connelly went their separate ways and Phillips was legally bound never to mention the product by name. Apparently, this divergence was no great loss to Phillips. The MetRx "mania" had run its course and Phillip´s line of EAS meal replacements are enormously popular.
"I AM NOT A CROOK!"
The infamous statement "I feel like I´m on Deca!" was penned by EAS mogul Bill Phillips in an effort to describe the effects of HMB. It has become somewhat of a "catch phrase" to describe all claims concerning ineffective supplements. If it were possible to pinpoint a moment when Muscle Media 2000 went from being the forerunner of bodybuilding´s future to a shameless scam, far worse than the Weiders or the Hoffmans ever concocted, it would be when Phillips allowed that statement to go to print. What made those words especially egregious was the fact that all the loyal devotees to Bill, EAS and MM2K wholeheartedly believed it. Bill was our guy. A beacon of light among the dim mire of the supplement industries shady precedent. There couldn´t possibly be any reason for Phillips to use deception. He had become a wealthy man by exposing deception! When HMB proved, not only to not live up to its expectations, but to be completely worthless as an anabolic agent, the bodybuilding community expected Phillips to admit his mistake and make retribution. But none came. Much like Bill Clinton pointing his finger at the nation and declaring his innocence, Bill Phillips adamantly stood by his claim of HMB´s effectiveness even though everyone knew that he was lying. And he knew that everyone knew he was lying. Everyone who knew better, that is. The writing was on the wall. Bill Phillips committed the cardinal sin of capitalism. He abandoned the very same people who brought him his success. He was going for the broader, more mainstream client base and it looked as if he´d do and say whatever was necessary in order to get it. It was the end of an era--and the beginning of a more fervent skepticism towards supplement manufacturers. In some ways, this was a good thing. But even the highest quality products produced by legitimate manufacturers were being accused of being rip-offs by a disgusted bodybuilding public that had been betrayed one too many times. Manufacturers were going to great lengths to prove the effectiveness of their products to a new breed of cynical consumers who were anxious to dismiss a supplement without even trying it. For other manufacturers, the scrutiny was more trouble than it was worth. It´s easier to just do what´s worked so well in the past. Target the newcomer audience...make outrageous claims...take the money...and run.
That´s where it stands today. In many ways, most of today´s supplement hucksters are no different than the snake oil salesmen of the 19th century. It´s all about pizzazz, promise, and presentation. We may think that we´re sophisticated enough to see through the chicanery but the supplement companies are always a step ahead. They know that today´s public is far too educated to be suckered in by "buzz words" like "Metabolic Optimizers" or "Anabolic Activators." Instead, they use science. Or what is perceived as science to an unsuspecting public. A case in point is the therapeutic index ratio of one protein to another. How many people really understand this? In the end, what does it really matter? It´s just a high tech way of saying "new and improved" when in reality, it´s the same old stuff dressed up in a spiffy new package.
It´s sometimes difficult to determine the quality of a supplement. Price isn´t always a factor. Bruce Kneller believes that some companies "overcharge" to give their product line prestige. L. Scott Chinery, the mastermind behind the Cybergenics line, knew all too well how effective that tactic can be. Cybergenics products costing up to $200 for what was little more than an inconsequential dosage of vitamins and minerals with a few herbs thrown in as "window dressing" sold in the thousands. "Those before and after shots in the old Cybergenics ads were totally bogus but the company made millions selling that crap to an unsuspecting public. Even steroid users were repeat customers. They were convinced that the stuff must be good because it cost so much." Meanwhile, the company folded, and its owner declared bankruptcy, yet he evidently made enough money to buy the original Batmobile from the 60´s TV series -- in cash.
|
|
|
Post by Nelson Montana on Jul 17, 2005 0:40:23 GMT -5
THE SUPPLEMENTS OF A NEW MILLENIUM
After reading this report, some of you may begin to wonder if all supplements are little more than empty promises. The exact opposite is true. Testosterone elevation, increased mental acuity, enhanced immunity and recuperation from illness, accelerated fat loss, hormone manipulation, improved athletic performance, greater strength and speed, better overall health and, yes, the possibility of a longer life are all doubtlessly conceivable with the proper application of quality supplements. Only a fool would ignore the endless benefits that can be gained through proper supplementation. The key is to know which work and which are worthless.
What makes matters worse is that many other companies will sell similar products but the quality is so poor that you´ll be (literally) pissing your money down the drain. When choosing a supplement, always go with a reputable company. That bargain you think you´re getting from the generic brand, may wind up costing you more in the long run because you´ll either need more of it (due to a lower potency) or you may disregard it thinking that it´s ineffective. You might as well get the "good stuff" the first time. As with the purchasing of most any product; when you buy cheap--you buy twice.
It may still be some time before supplements have the ability to achieve what can currently only be achieved with drugs, but we´re closing in. More and more advances are being made all the time. Yet, just as deception and misinformation has littered the supplements industries past, it is just as assured to do so in the future. There will always be some sharp, businessman with a new sales pitch scheme. There will always be an impetuous youth looking for an easy answer or at least, a better way. There is a better way. But it isn´t easy. It requires staying abreast of the latest information and advancements. It also requires a commitment. Supplementation is like training--it´s necessary to stick with it in order to see results.
CAVEAT EMPTOR
Hopefully this report has alerted you to the dubious integrity of some of the people at the helm of major supplement companies. Maybe it will make you think twice about where you decide to spend your money.
I doubt that the day will ever come when advertising pitchmen cease to bend, twist and exaggerate the truth. Until then, and as always--be wary and choose wisely. It´s pretty ugly out there.
|
|