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Winnipeg's bodybuilding and fitness circles have been shaken since a local competitor was stripped of a title after testing positive for two anabolic steroids at an event in late May.
Fitness model and trainer Julie Coram is banned from FAME World Tour events and was stripped of her FAME pro card but has hired a New York-based law firm to defend her.
Several people who work in the fitness industry or work out in city gyms have contacted the Winnipeg Sun to talk about the drug test's impact.
"The gyms are just buzzing. Everyone is being scrutinized," said a man who works at a local supplement store.
The man said some steroid users are concerned about serious health risks and the possibility of being caught by a competitive body and identified.
"I know a couple of people who have decided to quit after reading the articles in the Sun," the man said. "Some people decided to go to the doctor and get their bloodwork done to check their health."
Steroids aren't hard to find, the man said.
"You can go into a typical gym, ask around and in five minutes have information on where you can get steroids and how much," the man said. "It's cheaper to get a stack of steroids than going to (a store) and buying a stack of supplements."
Plus steroids produce quick results, making them even more attractive, especially to young people, the man said.
A one-month cycle costs about $100, he said.
The man said he believes steroid use is high among male bodybuilders and weightlifters but much lower among women.
Coram gave a urine sample after winning the female muscle model category at the Ainsley McSorley FAME Model Search Championships in Winnipeg on May 24.
A week later, before the drug test results were known, she was named 2008 Miss Fitness Manitoba at the Manitoba Body Building Association's (MABBA) provincial championships.
MABBA is awaiting legal advice on what action it should take.
Coram has hired law firm Collins, McDonald & Gann to "defend her rights," according to a statement from the firm.
The firm questions the validity of the drug test.
"We are reviewing the drug testing program and procedures available online to athletes who compete in the World Natural Sports Organization's FAME competition, and are not finding any of the safeguards that other sports federations have implemented to protect their athletes and insure the integrity of the testing specimen and the reliability of the results," firm partner Rick Collins said in the statement.
winnipegsun.com - Winnipeg News - Gyms abuzz over juice
Fitness model and trainer Julie Coram is banned from FAME World Tour events and was stripped of her FAME pro card but has hired a New York-based law firm to defend her.
Several people who work in the fitness industry or work out in city gyms have contacted the Winnipeg Sun to talk about the drug test's impact.
"The gyms are just buzzing. Everyone is being scrutinized," said a man who works at a local supplement store.
The man said some steroid users are concerned about serious health risks and the possibility of being caught by a competitive body and identified.
"I know a couple of people who have decided to quit after reading the articles in the Sun," the man said. "Some people decided to go to the doctor and get their bloodwork done to check their health."
Steroids aren't hard to find, the man said.
"You can go into a typical gym, ask around and in five minutes have information on where you can get steroids and how much," the man said. "It's cheaper to get a stack of steroids than going to (a store) and buying a stack of supplements."
Plus steroids produce quick results, making them even more attractive, especially to young people, the man said.
A one-month cycle costs about $100, he said.
The man said he believes steroid use is high among male bodybuilders and weightlifters but much lower among women.
Coram gave a urine sample after winning the female muscle model category at the Ainsley McSorley FAME Model Search Championships in Winnipeg on May 24.
A week later, before the drug test results were known, she was named 2008 Miss Fitness Manitoba at the Manitoba Body Building Association's (MABBA) provincial championships.
MABBA is awaiting legal advice on what action it should take.
Coram has hired law firm Collins, McDonald & Gann to "defend her rights," according to a statement from the firm.
The firm questions the validity of the drug test.
"We are reviewing the drug testing program and procedures available online to athletes who compete in the World Natural Sports Organization's FAME competition, and are not finding any of the safeguards that other sports federations have implemented to protect their athletes and insure the integrity of the testing specimen and the reliability of the results," firm partner Rick Collins said in the statement.
winnipegsun.com - Winnipeg News - Gyms abuzz over juice
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