The FDA proves that they are sincere in its campaign against companies involved in selling nutritional supplements tainted with anabolic steroids. The search conducted on Thursday was centered on one of the most popular bodybuilding website, Bodybuilding.com, which according to government officers was selling and distributing illegal anabolic steroids online. The investigators searched their headquarters in Meridian and the warehouse in South Boise, Idaho. According to FDA agents, the raid is part of their 2-year investigation on the fitness and bodybuilding site. Based on their reports, the site allegedly shipped more than 6 million orders.

The spokesperson of Bodybuilding.com, Amanda Cheslock said that they are cooperating with the federal authorities. Cheslock says that they will continue working with FDA on the investigation. She also added that the products in question were not manufactured by the company. Records showed that the company sold more than 60 different products and some of them contained controlled substances specifically designer steroids. These are Madol, Tren, Superdrol, Androstenedione, and Turinabol. Madol was first discovered at the BALCO while Androstenedione was used by Mark McGwire. Turinabol was originally developed by East Germans for their systematic doping of athletes during the Cold War.

Based on court records, the website allegedly sold illegal anabolic steroids to clients and FDA agents. The affidavit also showed that the FDA already issued five “warning letters” since 2002 informing the company that they are violating laws for selling anabolic steroids.

In a statement to the NYDailyNews, Travis Tygart, head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said that the raid is a significant step but it also unfortunately highlights the ineffective regulation of the supplements industry. “We’ve got to wonder how many others are out there continuing to sell these and other anabolic steroids,” he added. Tygart is urging the Congress to act immediately in regulating the supplements industry. He is concerned on the numbers of nutritional supplements which may not be safe for public use due to possible contamination of anabolic steroids or by deliberately adding performance enhancing substances.

Some of the people behind these crackdowns on nutritional supplement companies include Jeff Novitsky and Rob Blenkinsop. Novitsky was responsible for the discovery of BALCO’s operation and its involvement in sports doping. Blenkinsop was also involved in the BALCO investigation and acted as one of the government witnesses during the perjury trial of Tammy Thomas. For 4 months now, he is responsible for the execution of 4 search warrants at companies selling and distributing illegal nutritional or dietary supplements classified as misbranded and unapproved drugs.

The first casualty of the FDA’s effort to clean the supplements industry is the American Cellular Labs (ACL), a California-based supplement company. Based on laboratory tests, the FDA discovered that 8 of ACL products were tainted with designer steroids like Madol. The designer steroid Madol was believed to be re-discovered by Patrick Arnold, the same chemist who developed THG or “The Clear” when he worked for the BALCO.

The NYDailyNews also reported that the investigation of the FDA on the supplement companies prompted the Congress to look into this issue. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who heads the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, requested a hearing on the barriers preventing the enforcement of steroid control in the bodybuilding industry.

Moreover, a NYTimes article states that the bodybuilding site was purchased by Liberty Media in 2008 for over $100 million. The same company who purchased the Atlanta Braves from Time Warner in 2007. The large media conglomerate’s other business interests include QVC, Ticketmaster and DirectTV. The site which is a popular resource for bodybuilders and sports enthusiast has more than 1 million members at its forum.

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