Supplement Sales Swing: Should Dealers Beware?

NEW YORK- It may not help someone chase a home run record · l· Mark McGwire or win a Super Bowl like the 1997 Denver Broncos, but everyone from homemakers to weekend warriors are walking into retail in search of supplements that have been credited (rightfully or not) with playing part in the success of these and hundreds of other athletes.
Fueled by athlete use, sales of creatine monohydrate and androstenedione (andro), which are currently marketed by EAS and Met-Rx, among others, are breaking records at retail, with Met-Rx recently launching a subsidiary, Substrate Solutions, specializing in testosterone boosting supplements like andro, to help it cash in on the boom.
While more fitness retailers are stocking supplements such as creatine and andro-which can also be found in growing numbers at local supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies and mass-merchants as well as more traditional health food outlets-questions remain surrounding their safety and long-term viability on shelves.
One specialty fitness chain, Fitness 2000, based in Lawrenceville, NJ, has seen the category boost total sales for the chain. "Supplements are a profit center and keep customers coming in," said Remy Feniello, sales manager. "And once they are in they often buy equipment and accessories so we sell more product overall."
However, according to Jeff Stier, an attorney and associate director of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), a New York-based consumer advocacy group, the risks may outweigh the benefits when carrying some of the more unproved supplements. "There is a blank sheet out there right now, we just don't know enough about the supplements," he said. "There has to be caution among retailers who may be exposing themselves to liability with these types of supplements; there just aren't enough regulations placed on them."
Feniello, for one, is unconcerned. "We get the product from a distributor. The products are tested and they are legal. Why shouldn't we sell them?" said Feniello, who added that sales of both andro and creatine have boomed since the Mark McGwire link was made last month.
But beyond the legal questions surrounding the supplements are those concerning their effectiveness.
"There have been more studies of creatine than andro," said Majid Ali, L.Ac., a certified personal trainer and nutritionist. "I use creatine myself and have seen results, but like any supplement, nutrition or workout plan they have to be individualized. About 20 to 30 percent of people won't notice a thing."