Post-Saddam, Bodybuilders Let 'Er Ripple

(NEWSER) - The FDA has issued a serious warning urging consumers to steer clear of bodybuilding supplements advertised as containing steroid-like substances, the Los Angeles Times reports. The products are unapproved drugs, not dietary supplements as claimed, and adverse effects include kidney failure and major liver damage, officials warn. More»

1952 Mr. Universe winner credits happy living for longevity

(NEWSER) - India's former Mr. Universe Manohar Aich turned 100 today, nearly 60 years after he won the bodybuilding award, reports the AP . Born in Bengal province, Aich had to overcome extreme poverty to become the bodybuilding champion. He joined the Royal air force in 1942, which is where he discovered bodybuilding. A few years later, he was thrown into jail for protesting British colonialism, which is when he stepped up his workout regime—despite having no equipment, he would exercise up to 12 hours a day. "It was in the jail that I began weight training seriously. This helped me prepare myself for the world championship," says Aich. More»

Brit firm founder an ex-soldier who removed section of toppled Baghdad statue

(NEWSER) - A British company official has been arrested after auctioning a buttock section of the massive Saddam Hussein bronze statue toppled when US forces stormed Baghdad in 2003. The arrest was made after the Iraqi government issued a complaint to British police following an auction in Derby, where the two-foot hunk of metal failed to fetch the minimum price of $375,000 set for the sale. Under a 2003 British law , all cultural property seized in Iraq must be handed over to police, reports the BBC . The bronze butt was offered for sale by Trebletap, a company that specializes in turning war memorabilia into art. Company director Jim Thorpe was busted and has been released on bail. More»

British soldier's cheeky keepsake is 'cultural property,' Iraq says

(NEWSER) - Iraq is fighting for the return of Saddam Hussein's giant bronze buttock. The 2-foot cheek was brought back to Britain by former special-forces solder Nigel Ely, who, with the help of US Marines, pried it off a toppled statue soon after the fall of Baghdad in 2003. Iraq's government says the buttock counts as "illegally removed Iraqi cultural property." More»

Animal-free dieters find ways to bulk up competitively

(NEWSER) - A new trend is sprouting in the sport of bodybuilding: veganism. A burgeoning group of competitive weight-lifters are turning to an all animal-free diet, reports the New York Times . It's a challenge because the vegan diet can be dauntingly limited for bodybuilders, who need a sufficient amount of amino acids, found in meat, in order to bulk up. “Is it possible to be a good bodybuilder and be a vegan? Yes,” says the chief executive of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. “But is it ideal? No.” More»