A new University of Minnesota study found that 5% of middle and high school students from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area used steroids to bulk up. Fox News highlighted the study in a November 19th article. Over one-third of boys and one-fifth of girls stated that they used protein powder, and five to ten percent said they used non-steroid substances like creatine to boost muscle mass. While athletes were more likely than non-athletes to utilize some method of muscle building, steroid use was the same among athletes and non-athletes. Researchers pointed to the media's propagation of the muscular body as an ideal aspiration as well as the drive to perform better in sports as factors contributing to the popularity of muscle-building products.
