by DW St. John
According to high-placed sources who have asked not to be named, deep in the Rocky Mountains is Biotest's super-secret underground Research and Development facility. Here, teams of scientists huddle over beakers of glowing solutions, the silence of their intense concentration punctuated only by occasional shouts of "Eureka!"
Somewhere in the Rockies, a Biotest scientist perfects the next Biotest supplement.
While we can't confirm or deny the existence of this facility at this time, Testosterone's DW St. John was able to pull Chris Lockwood and Dr. Tim Ziegenfuss, two of Biotest's top researchers, away from their Bunsen burners long enough to conduct this interview.
Thanks for agreeing to do this interview, guys. Now, you've both published articles here on T-Nation, but for some of our readers who might not be familiar with you, why don't you tell us a little about yourselves?
All right, I'm a doctoral student in exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma, studying under Dr. Jeff Stout. My focus is on dietary supplement and nutritional interventions and the effects on metabolic function, human performance, and body composition. I have an MS degree in Exercise and Sports Science, and a BS in Business.
I was the senior Category Director of the Diet, Energy, Food and Beverage division for GNC, Senior Brand Manager of American Body Building/Science Foods (before selling the company to Optimum Nutrition). I was a staff writer for Muscle & Fitness, I've authored and edited over a hundred articles in consumer publications, and have authored two science-book chapters. I'm CSCS certified, and was the General Manager of a couple Gold's Gyms while paying my way through my Master's program.
All in all, I'd say that I've led a very blessed life. I've learned much from my many mistakes. I like to learn every aspect of the playing field so that I can make the most informed decisions possible, and I generally find that very few people in this industry have as diverse a portfolio as I do.
I tend to get myself into a crap-load of trouble because of my ideology. I love the perspective that my life experiences — faith, fascination with history, being a father and husband, and the jambalaya of successes and failures — afford me.
I'm an exercise scientist and sports nutritionist, with experience as a university professor and industry scientist. I've lectured extensively across the U.S. and Canada, written more science-textbook chapters than I care to remember, and am a Fellow of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. I received my Bachelor of Science from Lock Haven University, my Master of Science from Purdue University, and my Ph.D. from Kent State University, where I was trained by the eminent scientist, Dr. Peter Lemon. In case you don't recognize the name, Dr. Lemon also trained the good doctors Lonnie Lowery and John Berardi.
As for my other interests, I like guns, beer, mixed-martial arts, and lifting weights, though not necessarily all at the same time.
Agreed, doing all four at the same time generally results in a SWAT team showing up. Okay, so tell me: just what does a Biotest researcher do?
Put simply, my job is to stay informed of any and all research in the areas of exercise science and sports nutrition. When I come across something interesting, I shoot the idea to Tim Patterson and he decides whether or not to develop it further. Most of the time, I provide ideas on new ingredients that enhance fat loss, muscle gain, or improve performance. When Tim decides to fund a clinical trial, I'm usually the guy who designs the study and oversees the project. I've been working with Biotest for almost five years now, and thankfully, every day is different! I dig change.
That thing about huddling over glowing beakers in the underground lab? That's exactly it. I'm sort of kidding, but that sounds like the perfect science-nerd life. And what better location than in the Rockies?
Actually, because of my marketing and management background, I guess you'd say that I lend support across a wide spectrum. To be perfectly honest, if Tim Patterson and TC need me for a project, I'll do whatever I can. From a science perspective, one of my roles is exploring new ingredients, especially those that seem interesting, but may take time to develop.
Tim Patterson sorts through the projects that have the best fit for the short- and long-term strategy of the Biotest brand. I feel it's my job to propose ideas that fit within those goals, to propose other opportunities that may be of interest, and to let Tim decide their value and their ultimate fate.
Secondly, I support Tim Patterson in providing some of the dosing information. In that process, I always seem to find myself playing human lab rat with the various concoctions. Whenever possible, I'll run pilot tests on our products to provide some clarity of the mechanisms involved, as well.
For example, I recently completed a pilot project (on myself and another grad student) that looked at whether Surge Workout Fuel affects central, versus peripheral, fatigue.
This involved multiple MVCs (maximal voluntary contractions), as well as supra-maximal involuntary contractions (in other words doublet shocks to my femoral nerve, right next to my junk), while analyzing EMG data.
I suppose you guys didn't just wake up one morning and decide to be hotshot-supplement researchers and human lab rats, right? How did you get into this business, anyway?
To be completely honest, I got into exercise science for selfish reasons. As a kid, I played almost every sport, and once I hit high school, I realized learning all I could about how Anatomy and Physiology could help me become a better athlete. I almost got talked into joining the Air Force and nuclear-power school for the Navy because I smoked the ASVAB (the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery), but I bailed at the last minute and decided to head to college, chase women, and study health and exercise science. Ten years and lots of textbooks later, I'm "Dr. Z."
Actually, the waking-up-one-morning part isn't that far from the truth. December 12th, 1993 was the day my life changed forever. I was driving home from setting up champagne and wine displays all day (I was a territory rep for Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery), when I fell asleep behind the wheel of my company Chevy Astro van. I felt a bump and when I opened my eyes, I was airborne and heading straight into a freshly formed highway overpass that was under construction. I swear I heard the General Lee horn playing Dixie, as my van flew 30 or 40 feet before impact.
Shortly afterward, Bo Duke pulled himself from the wreckage and reassessed his life.
To this day, I still vividly recall the sounds of the crunching metal, of my teeth and facial bones breaking, and of my right hand kung-fuing the dashboard. By God's grace, none of the logging truckers drove over me, and the hard rains had softened the mound of dirt upon which is today a paved overpass.
You're one fortunate individual. So then what happened? Did you take that as a sign that you should change your career path?
Well, people talk about their lives flashing before their eyes. It's this surreal moment when you face the possibility that your legacy will be defined at that very moment. At best, I would be remembered as a reasonably good guy who peddled Boone's Farm, Thunderbird, and Night Train Express. I was horrified at the thought of this on my tombstone, so I decided to go back to school.
Soon after, I fell in love with biomechanics and exercise physiology, thanks in large part to an excellent mentor named Dr. Cynthia Tant. While presenting my thesis at an NSCA conference, I went to pick up a piece of trash on the casino floor. It was a flyer from Muscle & Fitness, looking for contributing writers. A year later, my wife and I left Pensacola, Florida and transplanted ourselves in the LA area. I started out editing and writing mostly training articles, but as time passed I got more and more into the supplement literature.
After a couple of years on the editorial assembly line, I transferred to Weider Nutrition and was soon put in charge of the ABB line, which I thought was the coolest job that any guy in love with the sports nutrition industry could ever have.
I was hooked. On the road over half the month, formulating and reformulating, trips to our plant in Walterboro, SC, trade shows, trade shows, and more trade shows. Late night calls from Joe Weider and spur of the moment meetings at his Lake Tahoe or Bel Air home. I was living the sports-nutrition dream.
And the rest is history. Now, let's talk about the state of that dream today. The sports-nutrition industry has exploded in the past decade, and it's a far cry from the desiccated-beef liver and brewer's yeast days of my distant youth. Athletes are spoiled for choice, with hundreds of brands and thousands of supplements. But what percentage of supplements out there would you say is worthless crap, and how can we tell the difference?
I've been involved in the sports-nutrition industry since 1992, and back then creatine was just starting to make a name for itself. Around the same time, newer forms of protein were coming out (ion exchange whey, micro-filtered whey, etc.), as was CLA, insulin mimickers like vanadyl sulphate, and of course ephedra. The sad fact is, creatine is probably the only supplement that worked the way the ads claimed.
Fast forward to today, and I see many other legitimate supplements out there, including essential and branched-chain amino acids, glucosamine, omega-3s, various antioxidants, beta-alanine, green tea, lycopene, acetyl L-carnitine, various "adaptogens" (Rhodiola, ginseng, echinacea), and, well, I could go on and on.
The problem is, just because research supports the effect of a certain supplement on health, that doesn't mean that all forms of the supplement are created equal. In the supplement industry, you get what you pay for, and well-established companies with good reputations and "street cred," like Biotest, are successful precisely because they use only the best available ingredients.
So while I can't really tell you what percentage of supplements out there are worthless crap, I can tell you that in the case of some companies, even though there may be solid science on the ingredients, all they sell is worthless crap. There. That's my answer and I'm sticking to it.
Buyer beware: It's hard to say which supplement companies sell nothing but worthless crap.
The Achilles heel in this industry is the large number of self-proclaimed science experts that either have no concept of formulation costs and constraints, or have no real understanding of the science involved. Any shyster can work an agreement with a manufacturer to get a brand started on a shoestring initial budget.
In other words, there are no real barriers to enter the market. Given the billions of dollars that flow into this industry every year, there's always going to be shady characters that see an opportunity but don't give a crap about efficacy, or the long-term effect on customers or the industry as a whole.
How do you spot them?
Outrageous claims, fairy-dusted formulations, no scientific advisory team of researchers (that have actually been published: go to PubMed and do a search), no dollars going back into exploratory or efficacy and safety studies, and direct knock-offs of more successful brands (at drastically reduced prices). These are all good indicators that any consumer can quickly identify, and that should raise red flags.
I've noticed that a lot of people confuse "supplementation" with "substitution," erroneously thinking that a pill or a powder will make up for poor training or dietary habits. But what about the other extreme, those people who think that they can get by with no supplementation at all? Do you think it's practical, or even possible, for an athlete to get the same benefits with diet alone as he would with a supplement protocol?
This one is easy: even John Berardi uses supplements. The better your diet is (regular, nutrient-dense meals that meet your energy requirements), the fewer supplements you need, and vice versa. But even with a perfect diet, I truly believe that an athlete who wants to reach their full-genetic potential still needs to supplement.
Is it possible? Yes. Practical? No. I think the reality is that, with the exception of former Weider-sponsored bodybuilders, people who want to remain physically fit also have jobs and lives outside of the gym. At the very least, a high-protein supplement that also contains a moderate amount of carbs and healthy fats should be a mainstay in almost everyone's physique strategy, and this includes using extra protein at key time periods or when a meal doesn't provide a minimum of 30 grams.
A strong antioxidant cocktail and some probiotics round out what I believe are the standards. From there, it's based upon individual goals as to what, if anything else, needs to be included. The caveat I tell anyone, however, is that before you start turning immediately to a supplement, learn how to eat properly, and this includes food choices, preparation, and timing.
It brings to mind the guys who come up to me and ask me what they should take to get bigger, yet their exercise training is absolutely horrible. Learn the basics, so that you can build upon a stable foundation.
Don't miss the conclusion of our interview, in which the scientists weigh in on the anabolic-steroid/performance-enhancing-substances controversy, divulge their personal favorite supplements, and give us a few clues about the Next Big Things in the sports nutrition business.
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