Jon Benninger is the vice president of business development for the Health & Nutrition Network at VIRGO. He works on new products, international efforts, industry outreach and advocacy, content development, partnerships and collaborations, and strategic planning. Jon volunteers for many industry associations, committees and initiatives, is a frequent speaker and moderator at industry events, and assists VIRGO clients with solutions and strategies.. He joined VIRGO in 1995 and has served as editor, publisher, and group publisher prior to his current position. He earned a degree in journalism at Arizona State University.
The Associate Press (AP) named the "steroids in baseball" story its 2009 Sports Story of the Year last week. And while the sport continues to deal with this problem, it may be our own supplement industry that takes the hit. Over the course of this evolving story, the finger has repeatedly been pointed at dietary supplements. Athletes have claimed that their failed test is due to tainted supplements. Sports leagues have suggested that DSHEA is part of the problem. And most recently, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency launched an initiative called Supplement Safety Now that has DSHEA square in its sites. And with the Olympics less than 2 months away, look for the steroid-supplement-DSHEA story to keep getting bigger. The smart move for our industry is to loudly and clearly state that we do not condone the sale of any products that are either intentionally or accidentally adulterated with steroids, and we will support any efforts to address this situation using the current law. In other words, leave DSHEA alone. It is already illegal to sell steroids, and it is already illegal to put steroids into a dietary supplement. My hope is that industry, USADA, and the sports leagues will realize they are allies in this, and not adversaries. Nutrition and dietary supplements have a legitimate place in sports. Steroids do not.