| In the light of recent steroid scandals, professional | | | | mainstream bodybuilders, as the use of steroids and |
| sports are under the spotlight. No one likes a cheater, | | | | human growth hormone does significantly increase the |
| and since many professional athletes are role models | | | | synthesis of protein and the growth of muscle. |
| for the youth, professional organizations have come | | | | Defining Natural |
| under scrutiny for not keeping their players clean, and | | | | For the most part, natural bodybuilding refers to |
| for defiling the name of athletics in general. However, | | | | bodybuilding without the use of illegal drugs, such as |
| while Major League Baseball may be testifying before | | | | anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, |
| Congress, and while the FBI hopes to investigate the | | | | prohormones, diuretics or non-prescription insulin. More |
| National Football League soon, no sport has a worse | | | | broadly, however, it refers to the sport of bodybuilding |
| reputation for the use of illegal performance-enhancing | | | | performed the way it has always been intended, with |
| drugs than bodybuilding. The constant pressure to be | | | | nutrition, training and rest. In natural bodybuilding |
| the biggest and the best, to push the body to its limits | | | | contests, competitors are always tested for illegal |
| and beyond, has left many professional bodybuilders | | | | substances; if athletes test positive, they are banned |
| with no choice but to cheat; if everyone else in the | | | | from all future competitions. Testing is performed using |
| competition is pumped with steroids, the only way to | | | | urine samples or polygraph tests. |
| win is to pump harder. | | | | The definition of illegal substances is rather fluid. In the |
| Natural bodybuilding is a sport, a competition, but also a | | | | realm of natural bodybuilding, however, an illegal |
| movement toward a cleaner, healthier lifestyle. | | | | substance is one prohibited by any regulatory body, |
| Athletes and organizations involved in natural | | | | even if that body is international. In other words, a |
| bodybuilding hope to approach the sport the way it | | | | substance legal in the country of the competition will still |
| should be approached: legally. Sadly, many of these | | | | be illegal in the competition if it is banned in any other |
| athletes would be unable to compete with more | | | | countries. |