by KYW's John McDevitt
Phillies' reliever JC Romero is being suspended for the for the first 50 games of the 2009 Major League Baseball season after testing positive for a banned substance (see related story). He says he didn't know until it was too late that the ingredients in the diet supplement "6-OXO" were banned.
Dr. Ara DerMarderosian is a professor of pharmacognosy and medicinal chemistry at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. He says 6-OXO is an estrogen blocker and increases testosterone:
"So what it doing is allowing the body's natural testosterone levels to rise, and in that way allowing you to build body mass or perform better on a short term basis in athletic events."
Area personal trainer Robb Baban, the owner of "Train with Rob Personal Training," does not recommend supplements like 6-0X0.
"It's that time year where you listen to the radio or the television and there's ads for magic pills and magic potions. Your very basics are a multivitamin and a whey protein shake."
And he says nothing can beat a good old-fashioned exercise routine and a healthy diet.
Matt Shuebrooke, a personal trainer in Philadelphia, also doesn't recommend the supplement:
"We live in America, where everyone wants stuff done, like, yesterday. The truth is, with a good workout program and a good nutrition program, within six weeks you're going to see some body changes."
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