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Compiled from reports by Reuters and the Associated Press 'Andro' May Not Help Muscles, May Harm Health, Study Says Androstenedione, the steroid-like food supplement in the news last year when home run king Mark McGwire said he used it, may not build muscles and could pose adverse health effects, researchers reported. Iowa State University researchers studied 30 men ages 19 to 26, of whom 20 underwent eight weeks of resistance body-building training. Of those, 10 were given daily doses of 300 milligrams of the nonprescription food supplement popularly known as "andro," a level that is lower than some ads for the product recommend. Muscle strength did not differ in the men given the supplement, compared to others in the study who were given a placebo, the researchers report in today's Journal of the American Medical Association. In addition, the men given andro had a significant lowering of so-called "good" cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. The supplement was also found to increase blood estrogen levels, something that could lead to enlarged breasts and an increased risk of heart disease and pancreatic cancer, the study added. The supplement is said to increase the blood levels of testosterone, the male hormone that helps build body mass and muscle. It has been viewed as an alternative to anabolic steroids, which are illegal in most sports. Andro is banned by the International Olympics Committee, professional tennis, the National Football League and the National Collegiate Athletics Association. It remains legal in professional baseball, where McGwire's admission to using it during the season when he hit a record 70 home runs boosted its popularity. |