Nutritional ergogenic aids: chromium, exercise, and muscle mass.

Athletes who want to develop muscle mass have sought various ways to reach this goal. We are all too familiar with the abuse of anabolic steroids and growth hormone. Given the concern for such abuses, athletes and coaches are seeking new and safer means to achieve the same end. Within the last couple of years, advertisements for chromium supplements have been prominently displayed in body-building and strength-training magazines. These supplements are purported to be a safe alternative to anabolic steroids and are said to promote an increase in muscle mass. This brief review will focus on the theoretical basis for believing that chromium supplements will increase muscle mass, and on the current research regarding the relationship of chromium and exercise.