Last night BBC Northern Ireland aired a Spotlight investigation into elicit products in the fitness industry. Having worked in the fitness industry for almost 10 years and recently opened my own gym I felt an obligation to provide an opinion on the show and the overall questions it raises.
As expected, immediately following the show there was a huge social media reaction with people providing opinions on the show. From my own observations the show seemed to polarise opinions and didn’t provide a wider, informed perspective for viewers to base their opinions on.
I have now watched the show three times before providing my own opinions on the matter. All three times I watched with pen and note pad and jotted notes on not only the subject matter but how it was reported. Being quite scientific in my approach to training and nutrition I always feel its important to be unbiased and impartial in investigation and always provide context and perspective to the evidence you present. so what follows will be my full and (I would like to think) impartial review of the show.
‘Undercover in the Fitness Industry’
The 30 minute show was presenting an investigation into elicit products making their way into the fitness industry. To summarise, the reporter – Stephen Dempster – investigated a number of private shop owners and personal trainers who were allegedly supplying banned substances to members of the public.
Now first let me state, I have been involved in fitness for 10 years. I have never taken, been offered or advised anyone to take a banned substance. In fact, the only supplement I take is Whey protein and even then this may be one serving a day. As someone who has been heavily involved in sports and specialises in performance preparation, I completely condemn the use of banned substances. However I am a realist and know that many people especially in physique sports have used or currently use banned substances.
Having said all that, the Spotlight report was sensationalism. For me any investigation should provide context to the matter at hand. Yes, banned substances can be dangerous and there is a problem but in Northern Ireland deaths attributed to cigarette smoking are 2,300+ per year (British Medical Association). Stephen Dempster wasn’t walking into every cigarette vendor in NI and asking them why they were selling cigarettes when they knew they were dangerous. I could find any statistics on the annual number of deaths due to anabolic steroids.
The show opened with tragic a story about Claire Squires. Claire collapsed and died during the final stages of a marathon. It was later revealed that Claire had mixed water with a sports nutrition supplement that contained an amphetamine called DMAA and this may have contributed to her death as it is a stimulant that elevates heart rate (in the case of an endurance event) to a dangerous level. This was an untimely and unfortunate death. I feel however that this was used unprofessionally to help push the agenda of the show right from the outset by engaging people’s empathy and emotions.
The product was Jack3d, legal and if my memory serves me correct readily available in stores such as Tesco at the time. The multi billion pound company didn’t come under any scrutiny throughout the show.
The show went on to investigate products in small privately owned businesses and a well known personal trainer. What it uncovered was certainly something of concern but I also question the methods of the investigative journalism. Yes some of the products should not be on shelves but is that the fault of the shop owners? Are they graduates of chemistry with on sight labs to test products? In one case a shop owner admits that a product is banned but sells it anyway. To be honest there is no defence for this. In other cases, to the shop owners knowledge the products are legal. If they thought they were banned I doubt they would display them on shelves.However, if this is the business someone enters they have a certain level of responsibility to know what is in the products they sell.
The show certainly uncovered some important truths regarding some of the readily available products that may be dangerous but where the show failed was in providing the wider perspective and context. The fact is people choose to take these products. They choose quicker results rather than long term health. The introductory line is ” Are the products you take to support a healthy exercise regime poisoning you?”. The answer: NO!!! Spotlight did not investigate these products as people who train for health do not seek banned substances. The people buying these products are usually driven by body image and as one guy in the program states are “prepared to take elicit chemicals to get the body they want”.
I also feel the show could have done more to actually educate viewers rather than incriminate business owners. They had interviews with Prof. Gareth Davison from the University of Ulster. Prof. Davison is a lecturer in Exercise Physiology. they covered some of the side effects of continued steroid use. Most of which people are already aware of. I feel they could have better utilised his knowledge to briefly describe the physiology of how anabolic steroids work in the body. If nothing more, just to provide some scientific balance to the report rather than compounding the image that all bodybuilders just inject steroids and get big and its nothing to do with their training and nutrition.
As I mentioned before there are much more harmful things being sold to 16+ year olds in shops in every corner of the country but the right people are driving money into the economy from these so they remain legal. While I condemn the use of steroids, I also condemn the nature of this report and feel it provided little to no context to the problem. It portrayed the shop owners and personal trainer as someone pushing these items on to customers when in fact it is customers who make the choice. I think ultimately any product in which you can’t trace the source is potentially harmful, but people are willing to take risks in pursuit of their ideal body image. Stricter regulations need enforced from governing bodies rather than a grey area that may put both business owners and customers at risk.
If you are not 100% sure something is safe to sue then don’t take it. Problem solved.
NB. When I type blogs my brain goes too quick for me to type. I hope I covered most points. Any comments welcome.
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