At press time, we learned of the passing of Joe Weider on March 24, 2013. He was 93 years old. It’s nearly impossible to express in this short column the influence Joe had on fitness and bodybuilding. It’s not hyperbole to say that he invented the sports-nutrition industry: He created the Mr. Olympia contest, founded… read more
From the Editor
Be Amazing
Most people don’t use dietary supplements because they’re sick. They use them because they’re well—and they want to keep it that way. A common misconception about supplements is that they’re weaker versions of prescription drugs that treat disease. But trying to prevent and treat serious illnesses are not the main reasons people take supplements, according… read more
An Antidote to Scandal
The last few months have seen a number of sports idols disgracing themselves. Lance Armstrong leads this rogue’s gallery of fallen heroes after his dramatic confession to Oprah Winfrey that he stuffed his veins with EPO, testosterone and his own blood. While Armstrong was trying to defuse LieStrong, Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o was explaining his… read more
Fat of the Land
Recently released statistics on national obesity and diabetes rates are scary. Like a 350-lb guy sitting next to you on a five-hour plane trip scary. America’s extra tonnage isn’t merely an opportunity for cheap jokes, however. It really is a crisis. The nation’s already overstressed health-care system is further burdened by diseases caused by obesity,… read more
Fighting Shape
I don’t know if this is our best issue ever, but it’s certainly our Frenchiest. (I realize that’s not a word, but it’s proof of the risks we’re willing to take in 2013. No fear!) Our cover subjects, actor Gilles Marini and UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo, are French immigrants who made it big in the… read more
Get Your Funk On
You probably don’t consider vitamins something that had to be invented. Bioactive substances that benefit the cellular processes of human beings have been around since the dawn of creation in foods originating from wild vegetation, farmed crops and animal products. But extracting and synthesizing these nutrients took an unpredictable scientific progression that didn’t come to… read more
Mission Readiness
As you can see from our cover, former Green Beret Grady Powell is certainly fit, but not like the usual muscle-bound athletes who regularly grace our cover. Real-life heroes don’t have Mr. Olympia-level physiques that bulge out of Spandex. Green Berets and other Special Forces members aren’t even allowed to divulge the details of their… read more
Unfair, Unbalanced
A recent Consumer Reports cover story, “10 Surprising Dangers of Vitamin and Supplements” (September 2012), is a perfect example of sophistry gone wild. The CR editors unleash exaggerations, straw men and cherry-picked research to discredit the entire dietary supplement industry. The bias is so obvious that it’s becoming difficult to take CR seriously on the… read more
The Hidden Wonders of Creatine
A few years ago, creatine was under attack by misinformed alarmists fretting over the supplement’s use by young athletes. Wrongly blamed for the premature deaths of collegiate wrestlers who applied disastrous dehydration methods to cut weight, creatine was high on the hit list of those hand-wringing purveyors of the “mommy state.” And it continues to… read more
Games Without Thrones
Competitive sports aspire to achieve tran- scendent moments, but the Olympics seem to have a monopoly on them. Despite the occa- sional overhyped, overpaid superstar (we’re looking at you, Lebron), the athletes who com- pete every four years in the Summer Games make tremendous sacrifices with no guarantee of glory or riches. Sure, the endorsement… read more