Knowing him a long time though, he is also a strong advocate of health and safety. William happens to be an old friend of mine. A recent get-together provided a great opportunity to catch up on the often-salacious world of doping. We covered some hot topics\u2026 Oscar Pistorious\u2026 Lance Armstrong\u2026 the international doping scene in general... William\u2019s pick for most effective and toxic steroids. He even names the agent most critical to the success of his athletes. You don\u2019t want to miss it!<\/p>\n
William:<\/strong> It depends on the sport, but in general it is a lot more common than people think. In just about any sport where speed, strength, or endurance plays a role in the outcome, you are likely to find doping. The more money or reward involved in the sport, the more incentive there is to dope. This is just human nature I think. Many high-profile sports do have strong drug testing programs. This doesn\u2019t necessarily eliminate doping, however. For many competitors, it just presents another challenge.<\/p>\n George: Can you tell our readers how people get away with doping when there is drug testing?<\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> It all depends on the testing. Some sports, I don\u2019t want to name them, still have what I\u2019d consider \u201cPR\u201d testing policies. These are not designed to catch athletes. They are designed to present a public image the sport is against doping. In these sports the athletes generally know what is being looked for and what is not. They may also be notified in advance of the date, and therefore when they have to \u201cgo off\u201d. Doping remains somewhat casual in some sports. Other sports are much more serious about testing, many working closely with the World Anti-Doping Agency. I don\u2019t want to reveal too much. Let\u2019s just say some fairly effective anabolic drugs are still invisible to many urine tests.<\/p>\n George: What about testing at the Olympic level? <\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> The most sophisticated type of testing is called Biological Passport. This involves fingerprinting the health markers of an athlete over time. They look for things out of place that may suggest doping. For instance, you could get flagged if a hormone such as LH (luteinizing hormone) was suppressed when it shouldn\u2019t be. This could suggest steroid use, even if they cannot find the steroid. In passport sports, you can still get away with low doses of certain anabolic substances so long as they are natural to the body and you are consistent with their use. Of course, as you work your way up the ranks of any sport you are likely to be faced with much lighter testing. Biological passport is very expensive and rarely used, overall.<\/p>\n George:\u00a0 So in your view, the level playing field is a myth?<\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> It depends on how you define level playing field. If you define it as a sport devoid of people taking banned substances, there are few in my experience. I do think it is a myth. Others may define level playing field as everyone passing the same urine screen. As someone on the inside of sport I respect the goal of fair drug-free competition, but also acknowledge the unrealistic nature of this objective at present. Thinking only of the ideal, the fair field where doping doesn\\'t exist, is daydreaming. I don\u2019t advocate doping, but I am a realist.<\/p>\n William:<\/strong> This type of speculation drives me nuts. Steroids are hormones, of course. Aggression and irritability are not uncommon. A small percentage of people do display poor judgment or emotional control. But that is a far cry from homicidal \u201croid rage\u201d. Steroids do not make people \u201cbad\u201d. Sometimes, however, bad people take steroids. I think it is as simple as that.<\/p>\n George: What did they find in his house? I heard it wasn\u2019t steroids after all.<\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> It was a product called Testis compositum N. It is a natural product containing small amounts of herbs and organ extracts like animal heart and testicles. It is not really something I\u2019d put on the top of my list of effective performance-enhancing agents, but it does not appear to be banned. Perhaps this is why he had it. Maybe some people find value in it. I really can\u2019t say.<\/p>\n George: What compounds do you recommend when you consult athletes? Better yet, what one agent has made the most difference?<\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> It is not a steroid. Everyone has access to steroids. I can\u2019t really provide any magic advice here. The thing that has made the biggest difference for those working with me is the inclusion of arachidonic acid (ARA) in their programs. Night and day in many cases, regardless if other drugs were used or not.<\/p>\n William:<\/strong> The body needs arachidonic acid to initiate protein synthesis. It is critical to the process. Regular training also depletes ARA levels from the muscles. This contributes to training stagnation. With less ARA in the muscle tissues, it gets harder to stimulate growth. Supplementing ARA replenishes these levels. I\u2019ll be the first to tell you that I discovered this role of ARA, and sell it as a supplement. I view my work with ARA as my legacy to this field though, not just business.<\/p>\n George: Some of our readers might be interested in trying arachidonic acid. Can you work out a special offer for them?<\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> Of course. Let me work something up and get back to you. I\u2019ll come up with something really good for your guys.<\/p>\n George: Thank you for that. Here is another drug question for you. In your opinion, what is the most effective steroid for gaining muscle? THE strongest steroid. <\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> Anadrol (oxymetholone). This is still the king of bulking steroids. I don\u2019t care what crazy potent designer steroid you find; it isn\u2019t stronger than Anadrol at building muscle.<\/p>\n George: I know the risk are overstated, but there are risks. In your opinion what steroid has the greatest potential for health side effects?<\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> For a long time my answer to this was also Anadrol. It tends to be associated with strong liver and cardiovascular toxicity. Things like high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and elevated liver enzymes and stress are consistent. It is not a steroid to be taken lightly. Lately though, I\u2019ve been seeing more use of methyltrienolone (methylated or oral trenbolone). This steroid is exceedingly liver toxic, probably on the cardiovascular system as well. It was actually pulled from market decades ago because of its liver toxicity. It is now back on the black market as a designer steroid. There is even a more toxic cousin of this steroid called dimethyltrienolone, but that one really hasn\u2019t caught on yet. Anadrol kind of looks tame next to these, in my opinion. These are drugs I\u2019d recommend anyone steer clear of. I don\u2019t think it is necessary to mess with such extreme agents.<\/p>\n George: Are there any sports where you\u2019ve seen doping, which might surprise readers? Anything unusual?<\/strong><\/p>\n William: <\/strong>Good question. Yeah, I think there is a couple. Professional golf and tennis come to mind. Both are sports with a lot of money at stake. Few people think of them as sports with a doping problem, but I can tell you some of these athletes take their performance very seriously. Swimming is another one, but I think the public has been catching on to this.<\/p>\n George: Lance Armstrong finally admitted doping. I take it this wasn\u2019t a surprise to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n George: Last month Australia was in the news, a lot of doping scandals over there. Did this surprise you, for a country that has strict laws on steroid use? <\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> Honestly, there have been rumors for years that doping is very strong, and lets\u2019 just say organized, in certain sports over there. Rumors are rumors, of course. In my experience a country\u2019s laws bear little relevance to the level of doping inside. The U.S. has probably proven that.<\/p>\n George: I know you\u2019ve consulted with high profile athletes. Any names we\u2019d recognize?<\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> I know for a fact you\u2019d recognize a few. You do like to talk sports.<\/p>\n George: But you\u2019re not naming, are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n William: <\/strong>No, I can\u2019t. I\u2019m sorry. Even though many people come to me for non-drug related information, I\u2019m known as someone with expertise in this area. I wouldn\u2019t want to put that association out in the public. I\u2019ve always respected the privacy of others. I\u2019m sure you understand.<\/p>\n George: Completely. On that note I think we\u2019ll close it up now. We\u2019ve covered some good topics. Thank you very much for sitting down with me to do this.<\/strong><\/p>\n William:<\/strong> Any time my friend.<\/p>\n ** Post-Interview Update **<\/strong><\/p>\n BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE<\/strong> - Molecular Nutrition\u2019s <\/span>X-Factor Advanced<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Molecular has put together a BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE<\/strong> special offer for Elite Fitness members.<\/p>\n While supplies last you\u2019ll receive two bottles of X-Factor Advanced<\/em><\/strong>, Molecular Nutrition\u2019s famous arachidonic acid supplement, for the price of just one. Plus, SHIPPING is FREE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This is enough ARA for a full 50-day anabolic cycle! If you have been noticing slow progress, are stuck on a plateau, or just looking to pack on some muscle, you\u2019ve got to give this a try. There is absolutely no better time to add arachidonic acid to your program than now!<\/p>\n Just follow the link below\u2026<\/p>\n![\"William](\"\/\/www.elitefitness.com\/b2\/molecular\/william-llewellyn-doping-ESPN-cover.jpg\")
George: I\u2019m going get right to it with a big question. Like me, many people are fans of professional sports. Just how common is it for an athlete to dope these days?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Oscar](\"\/\/www.elitefitness.com\/b2\/molecular\/william-llewellyn-doping-oscar-pistorius.jpg\")
George: How about a hot media topic. Oscar Pistorius. Many reporters are trying to link steroid use to the horrific killing of his girlfriend. What do you say to someone that believes steroids were the cause?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"X-Factor](\"\/\/www.elitefitness.com\/b2\/molecular\/X-Factor-molecular-nutrition.jpg\")
<\/a>George: (For those not familiar, arachidonic acid is an essentially fatty acid, not a drug.) Can you explain why arachidonic acid has been so important?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Lance](\"\/\/www.elitefitness.com\/b2\/molecular\/william-llewellyn-doping-lance-armstrong.jpg\")
William: <\/strong>I can\u2019t say it was a surprise, no. I never get surprised when someone admits to or is caught doping in a high-profile sport. A surprise to me would have be someone winning the Tour de France seven times without drugs, especially during those years. EPO, testosterone, cortisone, growth hormone, and traditional blood doping were all very common in cycling. For the same reason, doping does not solely define Armstrong for me. He was still a tremendous athlete, and many of the people he rode against were doing the same.<\/p>\n
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