In 2004 then U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson launched a crackdown against companies selling bodybuilding products containing androstenedione or “andro” because of the health risks these products pose to its users.
Back then the ex-HHS Secretary had this to say about the dangers of andro: “Young people, athletes and other consumers should steer clear of andro because there are serious, substantial concern about its safety. Young people should understand that there are no short cuts to a stronger body and that the best way to get faster and stronger is through good diet, nutrition and exercise.”
Other government officials weighed-in on the bad negative effects of andro. Here’s John Walters, then Director of National Drug Control Policy: “Athletics benefit young people’s health and give them a lesson in the value of hard work. Androstenedione and other performance-enhancing drugs undercut these benefits by endangering our children’s healthy development and teaching them that cheating is an acceptable component of pursuing excellence.”
And here’s then Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Mark McClelan’s take on the issue: “While andro products may seem to have short-term benefits, the science shows that these same properties create real and significant health risks. While the products are advertised to athletes, they have the potential to get into the hands of our impressionable youth who may believe these products will help their development.
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