Anabolic steroids get the bulk of attention. Yet, the main focus of a new state drug testing program for high school athletes won't be illegal steroids, but the shakes, powders and pills available at drug stores, nutrition retailers and gyms across the suburbs -- and for purchase by any teen with cash. "It's difficult for high school kids to get their hands on anabolic steroids," said Marty Hickman, executive director of the Illinois High School Association. "The over-the-counter substances are really the main concern." Dietary supplements -- which include vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes and organ tissues -- are legal, largely unregulated, and highly alluring to teens looking to boost athletic performance. Best-selling supplements advertise themselves as "legally insane." They promise to "immediately flood muscles with pump-inducing vascular expanders," stimulate "chilling gains in muscle size and strength" and induce "an anabolic insulin spike." One label lists "internal combustion" as an ingredient.
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