Case study: Bye-bye, boron

Boron is one of the biggest jokes played on athletes," state: the National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. The boron story is a good example of research results taken out of context and unscrupulously hyped. We take this case study from a few years back to allow all the dust to settle, giving us a clearer perspective and letting consumer dissatisfaction shake out the marketplace.

"Many distributors claim that government research has proven boron will increase testosterone in men," the journal continues. "This claim is based on a single study that has been grossly misinterpreted." The study involved postmenopausal women whose testosterone levels dropped when their dietary magnesium and aluminum intakes were varied, but returned to initial values with boron supplementation. For researchers, those results were enough to inspire them to further test boron's ability to boost testosterone; for hucksters, they were enough to rush to market.

As the researchers evaluated boron in other situations, they found it didn't boost men's testosterone at all. Meanwhile, athletes were bombarded with claims like these:

+ "Boron can increase testosterone levels up to 300% in 14 days without the harmful side effects of steroids.... Researched by the USDA in 1987....."

+ "Medical scientists have discovered through extensive testing that boron helps to increase the level of naturally occurring steroid hormones in the body...."

Had consumers known the facts of the research or waited for additional research to verify the original results, they could've saved their money.

The next time you hear about a magic muscle-booster or miracle weightloss product, check the facts yourself. Look for the details. Who was studied? What were the variables? Don't confuse association wt cause and effect. Check the source. If the citation isn't given, ask for it so you can check it out on Medline, the journal's Internet site, or at a major library. Keep the checklist from "Science Fiction?" handy so you can separate the help from the hype in the training-aid-buzz.

- Jo Ellen Krumm, Managing Editor

[Reference]

REFERENCE

Freidl, K.E., Moore, R.J., et al. Steroid replacers: let the athlete beware. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal Vol. 14, No. 1, 1992.