There is a trend in the sports training arena regarding performance enhancement supplements. We have all heard about anabolic steroids and the bad side effects related to them. These are banned substances now at most levels of competition. Major League Baseball seems to be where the latest news and uproar has been centered.
However, I want to shed some light on a newer more dangerous and troubling trend with these performance enhancement products: Pro-Hormones. No, it doesnt stand for professional hormone but one could easily make that connection. Pro-hormone suggests that the substance is a precursor hormone. The theory behind the "pro-hormone" products is that it is not a steroid when you take it, but rather converts to an anabolic steroid after consuming it thereby resulting in large muscular gains. After you consume the product in converst through an enzymatic process into the same banned steroids.
The really scarry part of this is that High School athletes and coaches think this is acceptable because it is not a steroid before it enters the body. These pro-hormones will do as much damage if not potentially more than the traditional anabolic steroid. The other problem with this is that the manufacturers of these pro-hormones are unregulated and have no standards of performance or safety. It is entirely reasonable to assume that takers of these products are subjecting themselves to unsafe variable doses that are untested and unchecked for efficacy or effectivieness. Keep in mind that these manufacturers ascribe to the belief that "if a little is good then alot is better" appealing to the unsuspecting athlete and potentially creating a metabolic timebomb.
These pro-hormones are sold by all of the bodybuilding web sites and even reputable retail outlets such as GNC and others. They actually advertise them as "legal steroids". Please caution your athletes, coaches and children regarding this very dangerous situation.
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