1. What is a steroid?

2. What is an anabolic steroid?

3. What is a stimulant?

4. What is the Prohibited List, maintained by the World
Anti Doping Agency (WADA)?

5. Why do supplements need to be tested?

6. How can supplements be inadvertently contaminated?

7. What detection levels should supplements be tested at?

8. What is required to test at levels in the nanogram per gram range?

9. Why can supplement products not be subjected to testing against "everything" on the WADA prohibited list?

10. What list of substances should be looked for within a supplement testing program?

11. Why can products not be subjected to the standard WADA test?

12. What are the important things to look for within a testing program?

13. How can I learn more about testing supplements and the associated science?

14. What if I need general help to understand the issue of contamination?

6. How can supplements be inadvertently contaminated?

In many cases the presence of a banned substance in a supplement product arises from inadvertent contamination. Such contamination can come from a number of sources e.g.

1. cross-contamination between raw materials within the supply chain
2. impurities within the raw material (particularly herbals)
3. cross-contamination within the manufacturing process
4. contamination at the third-party (sub-contract) manufacturer