Bodybuilding supplements
muscle their way into gyms

Steroids are out but bodybuilding supplements are in.

 At gyms across the United States, men and women are pushing and pulling weights -- heavy weights to build bodies bulging with muscle. But many say it takes more than grueling workouts to get ripped -- that is, to develop that "chiseled" look. For a little help, they are turning to concoctions of bodybuilding supplements like protein powders and amino acids. HMB and creatine are two of the latest, hottest bodybuilding supplements.

• "As you look around the gyms today you see guys who have never touched weights begin to use bodybuilding supplements and get dramatic gains," says one fitness consultant.  "I have a client whose max went up on bench-pressing about 100 pounds in a month, and his strength is just increased rapidly, and I think that creatine is the next best thing (to steroids) as far as being legal.”

• But is it the bodybuilding supplement or the added motivation that comes from believing the supplement works that leads to these results?

• There are about 600 products out on the market making over 800 performance claims. Some of them have some benefit, but a large amount of bodybuilding supplements them not well-researched.

• When buying bodybuilding supplements, consumers should consider the cost and range of products. Nutritionists say the warning "Let the buyer beware" has never been more true than with supplements. They suggest that consumers get advice on what to buy and realize the financial investment will frequently have little or no physical payoff.

Discover the health benefits of nutritional supplement program