footballcat
Hardly a Newbie
Conte stumbled across the fact that zinc boosts testosterone levels if taken before sleep, promoting muscle growth and healing. Athletes interested in that anabolic kick drew close, and Conte was quick to embrace the dual role of frontier researcher and guru. He expanded his analysis techniques well beyond cataloging trace minerals. By 1998, Conte wrote on his website, BALCO's tests on bodybuilder Flex Wheeler included "blood chemistry, complete blood count, anabolic hormone levels." He gave interviews to the likes of Testosterone magazine, where he talked the musclehead jargon of cholesterol/HDL ratios and IGF-1 levels. And he actively sought new clients. At bodybuilding meets he hawked free workups in exchange for competitors' blood.