I used to be that just working out was enough. You would look better, feel fitter, and have higher levels of energy. Best of all, it would make you look more attractive to the ladies, and if you played sports, would give you the endurance you need to run ahead of the pack. But this just is not so any longer. Nowadays, if you don't take body building supplements, you almost might as well not be working out at all in some circles. Standards have change, and now men need body building supplements to get to the massive sizes they desire, or to obtain the gargantuan muscle strength and speed demanded by professional sports.

The popularity of body building supplements is evident when you look at the number of steroid scandals. It seems that almost every day someone is busted for using steroids to get bigger and stronger. These are not safe body building supplements, but on the contrary can do damage to the body that is not warranted by the gains they provide. They can do heart damage, cause cancer, and perhaps worst of all, cause the infamous "roid rage" which can drive users to hurt friends and loved ones in sudden fits of anger.

For a while, it was thought that there was an easy solution. Many substances were thought to be safe and legal body building supplements, and were available on the market to increase muscle mass and performance. One of the most popular body building supplements was androstenetrione, otherwise known as andro. It was thought to increase muscle mass and performance safely by boosting testosterone production. It doesn't really do those things, however, and is now a scheduled steroid. In men it can cause shrinking of the testicles,the development of breasts, acne, and decreased sperm count. In women, it can cause masculine traits like male pattern baldness, or the development of a deep voice. Worst of all, this drug increases the risk of a stroke in those who use it.

Although body building supplements may seem like a good idea, I think there is no substitute for just good old honest exercise. There may be only so large your body is meant to get, and you should be happy with that, instead of striving to meet impossible expectations. A fit, trim, strong body is good enough for everyone, and we do not have to take dangerous body building supplements to look like the incredible hulk. After all, who wants to date the hulk?