Do you know that 60 million Americans spend 40 billion dollars on bodybuilding supplements, vitamins, herbs, and alternative remedies? Let's face it, when it comes to results, most bodybuilders, fitness buffs, and weight loss enthusiasts are rather impatient and want instant success.

This intense quest for fat burning muscle, and less body fat has lead to a bodybuilding supplement impulse buying frenzy. Many muscle building enthusiasts, who decided to turn away from anabolic steroids, are blindly experimenting with bodybuilding supplements as quick fix muscle building alternatives.

Once bodybuilding supplement marketers know how eager bodybuilders, and fitness buffs passionately desire quick muscle gain, they tend to market very intensely to this results hungry market. Beware - not everything you read in their advertising is true. As a matter of fact, most of their claims are not true. Just page through a muscle magazines. Look at all the claims. My goodness, they sound way too good to be true, don't they?

The fact is most bodybuilders, fitness buffs, and weight loss enthusiasts are so driven for results they tend to believe anything and everything they read. As a result of this costly behavior, I have listed five key points to consider before ever purchasing another bodybuilding supplement again. Consider this checklist below as a nutrition supplement consumer awareness guide that should be utilized prior to purchasing a bodybuilding, or dietary supplement.

1. Don't Buy From Word Of Mouth Or Advertising Claims - When looking at new bodybuilding supplements, don't believe what the advertisers are claiming. Do your due diligence first. Be pessimistic. Also, please be aware of your fellow fitness enthusiast wanting to help you develop bigger muscle, and lower your body fat by recommending specific weak potions they claim work. Don't believe the hype! A few minutes of research will tell the story. Don't be a follower.

It is important to know that some bodybuilding supplement companies own the magazines they promote. Thus, the articles within can be gently directed at promoting their own bodybuilding supplements.

While reading bodybuilding supplement ads, please read the fine print. If they are referring to a specific research study, investigate it further. It is well worth your time. Don't believe everything you read!

2. Check To See If The Bodybuilding Supplement Is Banned - It is important to check the IOC, NFL, and NCAA banned substance list to see if your intended gym supplement is banned by any of these. If so, they can possibly be considered dangerous, and would not be considered a good idea to use.

3. Think Safety - Is your muscle, or weight loss supplement safe? Why would you want to risk your health attempting to achieve faster results? Please consider the risk-to-benefit ratio for all products. Don't sacrifice your long term health in favor of adding three more pounds of muscle. Look for safety data on the particular supplement of interest. You should also ask your physician if there are any risks associated with a particular bodybuilding supplement.

4. Look For Scientific, Placebo-Controlled Research Studies - Do the studies refute or concur with the bodybuilding supplements claims? Have the research results been duplicated by other studies?

It is important to know nutritional dietary supplements are not required to undergo the same rigorous testing of pharmaceutical agents. This lack of regulation leads to the creation of worthless products back by far fetched claims, and funded by enormous marketing budgets.

It is recommended to look in well respected, peer-reviewed, scientific journals for the truth on bodybuilding supplements. You can find most well respected journals on the internet at PubMed, a resource brought to you by the National Library of Medicine.

5. Make Sure To Follow Recommended Doses - If the supplement is backed by numerous placebo-controlled studies, don't exceed the recommended dosages.

I remember one bodybuilder years ago taking upwards of forty amino acids each day. More may not be better, but possibly a risk on your long-term health.

It is also a good idea to discuss your bodybuilding supplement regimen with your physician. If you are taking prescription medications, certain nutritional supplements can interfere with the action of medications.

It is alright for bodybuilders, and fitness buff to want that quick fix, but not at the expense of long-term health. Most bodybuilding supplements claim to be the super miracle cure, but really are not. They are just expensive placebos that could possibly harm your health. Once again, to be a safe, smart consumer, follow the five nutritional supplement recommendations I have outlined above. You, your body, and your pocketbook all deserve the absolute truth.

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Jim O'Connor - Exercise Physiologist

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