big in vegas
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
by Anthony Roberts
The most widely used adulterant found in nutritional supplements in recent memory is probably erectile dysfunction medication. In fact, some manufacturers have been caught with chemical adulterants (prescription drugs in the same category of Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra) in their products more than once. And unlike sports nutrition supplements, we’re talking about a category that’s sold at your local 7-11 and on late night infomercials – so we’re not talking about some meat heads at the ‘Jersey shore taking andro-laced whey, we’re talking about Joe Average.
But in this case, Joe Average needs some help getting an erection, and erectile dysfunction is far more prevalent in obese men, who are also more susceptible to heart problems and high blood pressure – while erectile dysfunction medications are contraindicated in these conditions.
All of this adds up to a ticking time bomb. Of course, there’s almost zero accountability here, because when a product is found to be contaminated, the company who sells it will simply say “Gosh, Mr. FDA Agent, I suppose my raw material supplier from China – who you can’t prosecute – must have sent me a spiked batch of Tribulus” – and in some cases, maybe that’s actually happened, with an unscrupulous company trying to establish their Tribulus (or whatever) as being more potent (or whatever) than competing raws. Viewing this situation from the inside (as I am), the generally high cost of quality pro-sexual raw material (LJ 100 versus regular Long Jack, for example) has created a very competitive field, all fighting for the same dollars…so it’s not completely unreasonable to think that there is some shady stuff being done on the supply side of the chain.
But typically, I think when a supplement is spiked, it’s spiked by the manufacturer – or at very least, it shows that the manufacturer did not do their diligence and obtain an independent Certificate of Analysis on the ingredient(s).
Presumably for these reasons, Bodybuilding.com has announced that they will now require all new products sexual support category be tested for PDE5 inhibitor contaminants prior to being submitted for approval. The wording here is a bit ambiguous because they’re saying: “all new products in this category be tested for PDE-5 inhibitor contaminants prior to being submitted for approval.” – but not whether they’ll be testing the products need to be tested by the manufacturer or submitting company, or whether Bodybuilding.com will be independently testing products before they’re approved; naturally the former method is completely worthless while the latter has merit.
They also claim that they’ll be expanding their testing requirements to encompass other categories in the future. In 2007, a study found that over one quarter of tested dietary supplements contained detectable amounts of banned substances, and a previous study conducted by the International Olympic Council found that 19 percent of 240 tested supplements contained banned substances. If these numbers hold steady, and Bodybuilding.com is making an honest effort to only sell “clean” supplements, they’re going to take a huge financial hit
The most widely used adulterant found in nutritional supplements in recent memory is probably erectile dysfunction medication. In fact, some manufacturers have been caught with chemical adulterants (prescription drugs in the same category of Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra) in their products more than once. And unlike sports nutrition supplements, we’re talking about a category that’s sold at your local 7-11 and on late night infomercials – so we’re not talking about some meat heads at the ‘Jersey shore taking andro-laced whey, we’re talking about Joe Average.
But in this case, Joe Average needs some help getting an erection, and erectile dysfunction is far more prevalent in obese men, who are also more susceptible to heart problems and high blood pressure – while erectile dysfunction medications are contraindicated in these conditions.
All of this adds up to a ticking time bomb. Of course, there’s almost zero accountability here, because when a product is found to be contaminated, the company who sells it will simply say “Gosh, Mr. FDA Agent, I suppose my raw material supplier from China – who you can’t prosecute – must have sent me a spiked batch of Tribulus” – and in some cases, maybe that’s actually happened, with an unscrupulous company trying to establish their Tribulus (or whatever) as being more potent (or whatever) than competing raws. Viewing this situation from the inside (as I am), the generally high cost of quality pro-sexual raw material (LJ 100 versus regular Long Jack, for example) has created a very competitive field, all fighting for the same dollars…so it’s not completely unreasonable to think that there is some shady stuff being done on the supply side of the chain.
But typically, I think when a supplement is spiked, it’s spiked by the manufacturer – or at very least, it shows that the manufacturer did not do their diligence and obtain an independent Certificate of Analysis on the ingredient(s).
Presumably for these reasons, Bodybuilding.com has announced that they will now require all new products sexual support category be tested for PDE5 inhibitor contaminants prior to being submitted for approval. The wording here is a bit ambiguous because they’re saying: “all new products in this category be tested for PDE-5 inhibitor contaminants prior to being submitted for approval.” – but not whether they’ll be testing the products need to be tested by the manufacturer or submitting company, or whether Bodybuilding.com will be independently testing products before they’re approved; naturally the former method is completely worthless while the latter has merit.
They also claim that they’ll be expanding their testing requirements to encompass other categories in the future. In 2007, a study found that over one quarter of tested dietary supplements contained detectable amounts of banned substances, and a previous study conducted by the International Olympic Council found that 19 percent of 240 tested supplements contained banned substances. If these numbers hold steady, and Bodybuilding.com is making an honest effort to only sell “clean” supplements, they’re going to take a huge financial hit
