U.S. Marshalls acting upon authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized the following supplements from the LG Sciences warehouse in Brighton, Michigan: Methyl 1-D, Methyl 1-D XL and Formadrol Extreme XL The FDA alleges that the products are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with “one or more unapproved food additives and/or dietary ingredients.” (”FDA seizes $1.3 million in supplements marketed for bodybuilders from Brighton warehouse,” March 4)
The U.S. Attorney’s office released the following statement:
FDA has not received scientific information on the safety of the seized products and cannot determine, at this time, whether they represent a hazard to consumers. Therefore, consumers who still have the products should strongly consider discussing the use of these products with their health care professionals. FDA also recommends that consumers consult their health care professionals if they have experienced any adverse events that they suspect are related to the products’ use. Consumers and health care professionals can report adverse events to the FDA’s MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or online at www.FDA.gov/medwatch/report.htm.
LG Sciences (formerly Legal Gear) is trying to minimize the FDA seizure.
Ronald Berry, an attorney for LG Sciences, said Friday evening that all the company’s products are legal, and the ingredients are safe for consumers. He called the FDA seizure “merely a preliminary step in determining compliance with food regulations.”
“Although LG Sciences feels the temporary restraint of its product by the FDA is inappropriate, the company appreciates that the FDA wishes to protect the public,” Berry said in a statement.
LG Sciences released the following public statement:
In response to recent action taken by the FDA, LG Sciences wishes to clarify that we contend that all of its products are completely legal and safe. The FDA’s detainment is merely a preliminary step in determining compliance with food regulations. LG Sciences wishes to specifically note that no court has made any determination as to the correctness of FDA’s allegations. Although LG Sciences feels that the temporary restraint of its product by the FDA is inappropriate, the company appreciates that the FDA wishes to protect the public and will cooperate in every possible way.
Unfortunately, the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 is ambiguous and unclear in determining what substances are considered new dietary ingredients (NDI). An NDI requires data be submitted to the FDA regarding safety for human consumption prior to its introduction into the market. Due to a lack of a definitive list of approved dietary ingredients, the FDA mistakenly asserts that the products seized contain substances that are either not dietary ingredients, as defined in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or that the substances are NDI. However, the substances are not NDI because these ingredients are naturally occurring, with confirmed studies over 25 years ago, and have been on the market in competitors products for several years. Thus, the ingredients have empirically been shown to be safe to consumers.
Items deemed unapproved food additives by the FDA 1,4,6 etiocholan-dione or commonly known as ATD or 1,4,6 Androstatriene3,17-dione. Additionally items alleged to require a new dietary ingredient status 4-etioallocholen-3,6,17-trione or better known by the trade name 6-OXO-4-androstenedione. LG Sciences looks forward to assisting the FDA in clarifying this matter and the prompt return of its inventory.
When the researchers looked at the subjects’ muscles through a microscope, they made a surprising discovery: Rather than returning to their original proportions, the muscles of the steroid users who’d stopped taking the drug looked remarkably similar to those of the subjects who were still using. They also had larger muscle fibers and more growth-inducing “myonuclei” in their muscle cells than the nonsteroid users.
Larry Flynt’s Hustler Magazine is profiling three female bodybuilders in the June 2008 issue. IFBB pro female bodybuilders Colette Nelson and Melissa Dettwiller and NPC bodybuilder Amber Steel were featured. The pictures are by one of my favorite photographers, Brian Moss. If you read just the article (text and ignore the context) , you will find it to be a relatively positive piece for female bodybuilding. But of course, the issue of female bodybuilder nudity and the source of the article are certain to be controversial. Thanks to Sioux Country (via Hardbody) for alerting us to the “Seriously Female” article.
The fact remains, however, that synthetic designer steroids are considered unapproved new drugs, and are NOT covered by DSHEA as legal dietary supplements…
Andro, norandro etc were covered by DSHEA because you could find them in most animals, and hence in the food supply. No animals, plants, etc naturally produce DMT, Epistane, methyl, 1-4ADD, etc etc.
It should be noted that Quincy’s new sponsor IBE disagrees since other supplement companies selling it (everyone else is doing it). Quincy Taylor also states that Epistane is legal and notes that steroids are not sold in supplement stores and supplements are not sold in pharmacies.
A legal supplement sold over the counter at many fine supplement stores. Funny my pharmacy never sold epistane, haladrol, phera or any of those. I’ve never seen any of those in any pharmacy. Hmmm I only seen to find them sold legally at supplement stores. So if I go out on the street with Haladrol and get pulled over will I be arrested? This is a foolish conversation and this is where it ends. That’s my answer.
Pro Bodybuilding Weekly interviewed IFBB Pro bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi today for the first time since his release from jail. Hide Yamagishi was arrested and charged with steroid possession and distribution in December 2007; he was released after 65 days in jail after his attorney had all felony charges dismissed. His travel visa was revoked.
Yamagishi told Dan Solomon and Bob Cicherillo of Pro Bodybuilding Weekly that he is currently working to obtain a visa so he can compete at the 2008 IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships in Tampa, Florida on August 9, 2008 and possibly the 2008 Europa Pro show.
Hide is not angry or bitter and the events that have occurred over the past few months. He continues to be grateful for every opportunity bodybuilding has provided him. He told listeners his relationship with Milos Sarcev is good and he hopes to work with him in the “future forever.” He thanked his fans for their support while he was in jail with special thanks to Silvio Samuel and Mitsuru Okabe.
He continues to take full responsibility for everything that has happened to him and implores fans to learn from his mistakes repeating sentiments recorded a video message last month for his fans upon his initial return to Japan.
Elitefitness.com interviewed cosmetic surgeon Dr. Mordcai Blau, M.D. about his expertise with gynecomastia surgery; “gyno” is a potential side effect of anabolic steroid use. Dave Palumbo was the first bodybuilder on which Dr. Blau performed the gynecomastia procedure. Palumbo was a student in Dr. Blau’s class during medical school. Since the successful operation with Dave, many top professional bodybuilders and top amateur bodybuilders from around the world have gone to Dr. Blau. With 20 years experience with bodybuilders, he is in great demand by athletes in the sport of bodybuilding.
Dr. Blau explains why it is important that the surgeon performing the gynecomastia procedure is familiar with the goals of the bodybuilder.
Yes there is, every operation and patient is different. When I perform a correction on a very lean person, I have to go about the procedure a bit differently. The bodybuilders are doing the operation to shape their chest and gain more definition of their pectoral muscle. Gynecomastia is not just the tissue you see beneath the areola, there is also what I call a “tail” an a “head”. The head spreads towards the middle of the chest, the tail grows towards the arm pit, the glandular tissue spreads over the Pectoral muscles and blurs definition. You must remove the tail and head to gain more definition in the pectoral muscle and to prevent the condition from coming back. This is especially important for a Bodybuilder who’s chest will be displayed and judged constantly by discerning eyes. It must look like there was never any Gyno to begin with.
Dr. Mordcai Blau’s website lists additional bodybuilders with whom he has worked along with additional information about gynecomastia.
But over a year later, the Office of the Albany County District Attorney continues to prominently display Victor Martinez’ name and picture on its website in a diagram of Operation Which Doctor. He is listed with 23 other individuals directly involved in the Signature Pharmacy and longevity clinic steroid scandals. However, I believe Victor is the only individual listed who has not been indicted. But no where is he identified as an “unindicted co-conspirator” allowing visitors to make their own uninformed assumptions.
Major bodybuilding websites like Flexonline.com and Bodybuilding.com (and MESO-Rx too) all erroneously reported that Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle was disqualified from the 2008 Ms. International female bodybuilding contest in Columbus last month. (Iris was NOT disqualified; she actually placed 7th place just out of the money.) Ruth Silverman from Iron Man Magazine fairly criticizes the internet rumor mill.
A text message from a friend wanted to know what was up with Iris being disqualified… It was reported on Bodybuilding.com and by Shawn Perine at FlexOnline…
I couldn’t help marveling at the human capacity to believe something just because someone said it on the Internet—and to hear only certain key words.
We humbly apologize to our readers and particularly to Iris Kyle for the misinformation.
Iris Kyle appeared on Pro Bodybuilding Weekly last night to discuss the controversy surrounding her seventh place finish at the Ms. International contest. We hoped she would have insight on the reasons she was undeservingly dropped to seventh place.
I absolutely can not, at this point, really tell you what happened… I’m still quite puzzled. From the judges standpoint, I have received no feedback leaving me with… thousands of unanswered questions to this day. I made a couple of calls… but I couldn’t get through to who I would love to speak to.
It was quite disappointing that the judges were reluctant to offer specific feedback to Iris regarding their controversial decision. In absence of this feedback, Iris addressed the suggestions that “bumps” on her body were responsible for her placing.
I rather would have seen after the first round that one of the judges come up to me and say, look we have made a decision that based on reviewing your physique we think we need to pull you out of the show I could respect that and walk away with my head even higher and it’s still high… The IFBB should have stepped in and made their call and not allowed me to finish the show.
We agree with Iris. If the IFBB were trying to make an example out Iris for having bumps on her glutes, they should have either disqualified her or placed her last.
Later in the radio broadcast, Larry Pepe interviewed Sandy Ranalli, head IFBB judge at the Ms. International contest. She confirmed that the bumps were responsible for Iris Kyle’s placing referring to them as “distortions in her physique.”
Her shoulders were a little bit you know distorted. There were distortions in her glute area.. At this level of competition, [there is] not a big difference between athletes, those things come into play… It was the distortion and not trying to figure out what it was.
The big question is why the IFBB felt the need to knock Iris Kyle out of the money when, in our opinion, the slight bumps did NOT distract or take away from her Ms. Olympia caliber-physique. Furthermore, if the bumps were such a distracting or grotesque “distortion,” why did Iris still place ahead of so many other competitors. We are only left to speculate…
Iris refuses to allow this to get her down and she is ready to move past the controversy:
I’m a true champ, so it’s not going to get me down. I’m going to keep plugging away.
Shelley Beattie was an inspiration to the deaf community, overcoming her disability to become a professional bodybuilder, a television personality and a competitive sailor.
“The only thing I can’t do is hear,” she used to say.
Last month she discovered one other thing she couldn’t do: live with bipolar disorder. While under a doctor’s care during a six-week stay at a psychiatric hospital, she took her own life.
Shelley was extremely popular as a person, a female bodybuilder, an athlete, and an American Gladiator as can be seen by the comments to the original announcment of her death.
Our condolences to her parents, Jack Beattie and Laura Mitchell, and her life partner, Julie Moisa.
A 33-year old German man living in Austria was arrested today entering Hamburg Airport in Germany as part of an investigation into the trade of illegal doping substances such as anabolic steroids. Authorities confiscated significant quantities of Winstrol Depot (stanozolol) and generic Viagra (sildenafil).
Raids on his former apartment, the office of his tax adviser, a Berlin transport company that he used and a Hamburg company led to the seizure of drugs that included 174 kilograms (384 pounds) of a bodybuilding supplement called “Winstrol Depot,” 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of kamagra, an anti-impotence drug, and other anabolic steroids.
Based on records obtained during the raids, authorities determined that the steroid distribution had been booming for the past through years in the domestic bodybuilding scene.
