On October 8th, 2004 after months of delays and political maneuvering, the US Senate passed Senate Bill 2195 also called the "Andro Ban" This bill was signed into law by President Bush. This new law made it illegal to manufacture or buy most of the supplements we have all known as "andro". As of January 2005, all of these products were deemed illegal for sale or possession.

What Exactly Is "Andro"?

The term "andro" is a very loose term that was used to describe a large selection of what are known as prohormones or steroid precursors.

When taken, these products convert into testosterone via an enzymatic pathway in the liver. Elevated levels of testosterone can lead to increased strength and muscle mass.

The first andro supplement that most people became aware of was Androstene (androstedione). This was the supplement that Mark McGwire had sitting in his locker that pretty much started the whole concern in major league baseball about supplements. After Androstene, another "andro" product called AndroDiol (androstenediol) became very popular because it was much more anabolic and had fewer side effects.

As the supplement industry progressed, these prohormones became more and more potent to where they were basically legal steroids.

While there were many brands and different compounds, most guys still referred to all of these prohormones as "andro".

What Did This New Law Do To Andro?

When the new law was signed by President Bush, it basically made all prohormones illegal. Items such as Andro Poppers, Nor-Andro, 1-AD, Methyl 1-Test (M1T) and others were banned and all of the companies who made these "andro" items stopped production.

But I've Seen Supplements Being Sold That Still Sound Like Andro

True. Shortly after the President signed the law into effect, most of the companies who made these products quickly started to develop new products that were legal. The law listed many ingredients that were declared illegal so the manufacturers simply found new ingredients that were not on the list

Some of these products became even more potent and anabolic than the items that were banned! However, once again the FDA declared these new products illegal and they too have been discontinued. Items like Superdrol, Methyl 1-P and Masterdrol are also out of stock and no longer sold by almost everyone.

Okay, So What Is Left To Take That Will Help Me Get Bigger?

At this time there are currently a very few items that would be considered "andro" that are still legal. These will also probably be banned as well in the near future and are all in very limited supply. Items such as Methyl 1-Alpha, Methyl 1-D and Phera-Plex are all fairly anabolic supplements that many online retailers still have limited amounts of however many of these items have already been discontinued by their respective manufacturers so supplies are limited virtually everywhere.

So What Else Is Out There To Help Me Build Muscle?

In the second part of this series I'll help you get through the hype and confusion regarding other supplements.