The problem that you face in promoting fat loss is evolution. The human body just loves to store fat. We use it for protection, insulation, and most important, as a source of fuel when we run out of food. This later point is highly unlikely in Western countries, but your body doesn't know that. It still follows those storage mechanisms that have been developing over the past 4 or 5 million years. The problem for bodybuilders is that the body will burn just about anything else for fuel (i.e. muscle tissue, stored carbohydrate, etc.) before digging into the fat reserves.

The first thing your body turns to for fuel is carbohydrate in the form of stored glycogen. The next is muscle tissue, in the form of amino acids. Only when glycogen stores are depleted and a good degree of muscle wasting has occurred will the body start tapping into its stored fat supplies. Its because of this reason that most fad diets don't work, especially those ill-conceived "starvation" diets. When nutrient supplies are drastically reduced, a survival mechanism kicks in causing the body to convert just about everything it receives into fat.

For a bodybuilder trying to get ripped for a contest, its a never-ending battle to turn off these fat-storing mechanisms and speed up fat loss. At one time cardio and intelligent dieting were more than enough to achieve the desired results. But with each passing year the judges started awarding first place to the bodybuilders with the lowest body fat percentages. 12 percent became 10, 10 dropped to 6 to 8, and its now down in the 2 to 3 percent range. Few but the most genetically gifted or pharmacologically enhanced can ever hope to get this lean.

Faced with this ripped is everything mentality, many bodybuilders have succumbed to drugs to shed their bodies of body fat. The drugs of choice are usually thyroid medications. Its been known for decades that the thyroid gland, a small gland located just behind the Adams Apple in the neck, contributes to body fat storage by controlling the bodys metabolism. When people develop thyroid problems they immediately start gaining fat. To combat this scientists have developed numerous drugs that either boost the thyroids natural output of hormones (called T3 and T4) or actually mimic the hormones.

As with steroids, when bodybuilders first heard about the fat-burning properties of these thyroid medications, they immediately began to add them to their precontest training arsenals. The results were spectacular. Thyroid drugs turn a bodybuilders body into a fat burning furnace. In fact the drugs are so effective that many pro bodybuilders can eat junk food right up to contest day.

Fat loss but at what risk?

In theory, thyroid drugs sound great. But bodybuilders and fitness competitors who abuse these drugs for fat loss, especially over long periods of time are at great risk for developing chronic thyroid problems. As a result, the individuals might become dependent on the drugs for the rest of their lives. Other side effects attributed to thyroid drugs include:

trembling hands
irregular heartbeat
shortness of breath
excretion of sugar through the urine
excessive perspiration
diarrhea
weight loss
psychic disorders
trembling of hands
nausea
headaches
high perspiration

We are not going to continue to preach to you about the evils of thyroid drugs. You now know the risks so think twice about travelling down this dangerous road. With the science of supplementation becoming so advanced there are now products that promote fat loss just as effectively as thyroid drugs. Bodybuilders are reporting that most of these steroid alternatives will produce fat burning effects that are similar to thyroid drugs. They also have the added benefit of building muscle at the same time. Consider it a one-two punch. These safe and legal products have been designed with the best pharmaceutical grade ingredients available to maximize your bodybuilding potential. Check them out!

The previous information has been created by experts to help you increase your knowledge base about bodybuilding training and drugs. Be knowledgeable. Be informed. Make the right choice!