What is Natural Bodybuilding?

Update-1/24/05-Origionally I wrote this article back in December, and now due to the situation at the Mr. Natural Olympia 2004, 
I am more proud to write this article and it does pay to put in the hard work and stay drug free.  
	I get this question quite a bit. Many people want to believe that the other world of bodybuilding is drug-tested, but the 
reality of 300+ pound guys with 2% bodyfat gets to be a little too hard to believe. I love when fans give me a compliment 
that I look like I'm 230lbs on stage, and when I tell them that typically I weigh from 205-210, they can't believe it. 
Most bodybuilding organizations that claim their natural usually follow certain guidelines;
	They all use a form of drug testing, either polygraph or urinalysis, or both (which is the best).  From my understanding, 
urinalysis is the easiest to beat, but I guess that depends on how good of liar you are. That is why I prefer organizations
that provide or better yet require both, and try to follow the IOC (International Olympic Committee) standards. Most of the 
time competitors are tested for or questioned for implants, growth hormones, pro-hormones, steroids, ephedrine, diuretics, 
and cutting drugs (ABA list below). During the polygraph, most questions are simple yes and no and usually are asked with a 
length of time depending on the organization. Most organizations typically ask if you have used any of these things in the 
last 5-7 years, very few ask if it has been forever, but some will hold contests that have the forever title will ask this, 
but due to ephedrine not being banned until very recently very few people compete in these shows.
	One thing I can't stand is the protection from the media the baseball and other elite athletes have gotten over the years.
Baseball especially has made me sick, since I played for twenty years of my life.  I don't buy the argument that a trainer gave 
them something and they just took it and didn't know what it was.  Elite athletes in any sport know exactly what they put in 
their bodies.  They know every calorie, carb, protein, etc. Because of the fine tuning it takes to keep an athletic physique in 
prime condition like a machine, every detail from diet, cardio, rest, and training is calibrated.  If not than success is 
not an option. Also, one last note; It is the athletes responsibility to know what is aloud and not aloud in any organization, 
and to claim ignorance is not an excuse.  In 2001, I made the change from the NPC Natural(joke) shows to the ABA/INBA/PNBA and 
the thing that drew me to them was that every competitor was tested with at the least a polygraph, not perfect, but better than 
promoters hand picking one or two competitors.  I had been using ephredrine to get ready for shows the first two years I competed
in 1999-2000 in the NPC, and months before I decided to do my first show in California (Mr. Natural Hollywood), I went to their
website (www.naturalbodybuilding.com)and read through their list of banned substances, and sure enough at the time they had a 
21 day or three week prior to a show ban on ephedrine.  After that spring, I stopped using ephedrine products completely. You 
have to do your homework, and to help those thinking of competing, below is the list from the website.

Official Banned Substances : (ABA/INBA/PNBA)

The following is a non-exhaustive list of banned and/or restricted substances. Please very with the appropriate IOC regulated body for a complete and up-to-date listing.

I. DOPING CLASSES
A. Stimulants
   * amiphenazole
   * amphetamines
   * amineptine
   * cocaine
   * ephedrine
   * fencamfamine
   * mesocarb
   * pentylentetrazol
   * pipradol
   * salbutamol & terbutaline (are permitted by inhaler only and must be declared to the relevant medical authority.) 

NOTE: All imidazole preparations are acceptable for topical use, e.g. oxymetazoline. Vasoconstrictors (e.g. adrenaline) may be
administered with local anesthetic agents. Topical preparations (e.g. nasal, ophthalmologic) of Phenylephrine are permitted.

B. Narcotic analgesics
   * dextromoramide
   * dextropropoxyphene
   * diamorphine
   * methadone
   * morphine
   * pentazocine
   * pethidine 

NOTE: Codeine, Dextromethorphan, Dihydrocodeine, Diphenoxylate and Pholcodine are permitted.

C. Anabolic agents

The Anabolic class includes anabolic androgenic steroids(AAS) and Beta-2 Agonists.

1.Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS)

The AAS class includes testosterone and substances that are related in structure and activity to it. They have been misused in 
sport to increase muscle strength bulk, and to promote aggressiveness.

Some examples of AAS are:

 * clostebol
   * fluoxymesterone
   * metandienone
   * metenolone
   * nandrolone
   * oxandrolone
   * stanozolol
   * testosterone * 

Note: The administration of testosterone is banned. The presence of a testosterone (T) to epitestosterone (E) ratio greater than six(6) 
to one (1) in the urine of a competitor constitutes an offense unless there is evidence that this ratio is due to a physiological or 
pathological condition, e.g. low epitestosterone excretion, androgen production by tumor, enzyme deficiencies.

2.Beta-2 Agonists

Some examples of beta-2 Agonists are:

 * clenbuterol
   * salbutamol
   * terbutaline
   * saimeterol
   * fenoterol 

D. Diuretics

Some examples of diuretics are:

 * acetazolamide
   * bumetanide
   * chlorthalidone
   * ethacrynic acid
   * furosemide
   * hydrochlorothiazide
   * mannitol
   * mersalyl
   * spironolactone
   * triamterene 

E. Peptide and Glycoprotein hormones and analogues

1.Chorionic Gonadotrophin (HCG - human chorionic Gonadotrophin)

2.Corticotropin (ACTH)

3.Growth hormone (HGH, somatropin)

4.Erythrorpoietin (EPO)

… and related substances

II. METHODS

A. Blood doping

B. Pharmacological, chemical and physical manipulation

(The responsible authorities ban the use of substances and of methods that alter the integrity and validity of urine samples used in doping
 controls. Examples of banned methods are catheterization, urine substitution and/or tampering, inhibition of renal excretion. e.g. 
 by probenecid and related compounds, and epitestosterone administration.)

III. CLASSES OF DRUGS SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS

C. Local anesthetics

Injectable local anesthetics are permitted under the following conditions:

(a) that bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, procaine etc. are used but not cocaine.

Vasoconstrictor agents (e.g. adrenaline) may be used in conjunction with local aesthetics.

(b) only local or intra-articular injections may be administered;

(c) only when medically justified (i.e. the details including diagnosis, dose and route of

administration must be submitted immediately in writing to the relevant medical authority.

D. Corticosteroids

The use of Corticosteroids is banned except

(a) for topical use (aural, opthalmological and dermatogical)but not rectal;

(b) by inhalation;

(c) by intra-articular or local injection.

E. Beta-blockers

Some examples of beta-blockers are:

 * acebutalol
   * alprenolol
   * atenolof
   * labetalol
   * metoprolol
   * nadolol
   * oxprenolol
   * propranolol
   * sotalol 

EXPANDED LIST OF EXAMPLES

Caution: This is not an exhaustive list of banned substances. It is provided only to give the reader a more comprehensive list of banned substances.
         Many substances that do not appear on this expanded list are considered banned under the term "and related substances".

A. Stimulants

amfepramone metamfetamine

amineptine methoxyphenamine

amfetamine methylendioxyamfetamine

cathine methylephedrine

cropropamide nikethamide

crotetamide norphenfluramine

etamivan parahydroxyamfetamine

etilamfetamine pemoline

etilefrine phendimetrazine

fencamfamin phentermine

fenetylline phenylpropanolamine

fenfluramine pholedrine

heptaminol prolintane

mefenorex propylhexedrine

mephentermine pseudoephedrine

mesocarb salbutamol

strychnine

B. Narcotics

dextropropoxyphene

ethylmorphine

hydrocodone

morphine

pentazocine

pethidine

propoxyphene

C. Anabolic Agents

(1)Anabolic steroids

(2)Beta2-agonists

boldenone metenolone

clenbuterol methandriol

clostebol methyltestosterone

danazol mibolerone

dehydrochlormethyltest nandrolone

dihydrotestosterone norethandrolone

drostanolone oxandrolone

fluoxymesterone oxymesterone

formebolone oxymetholone

Insulin stanozolol

metandienone testosterone

trenbolone

Winstrol