UA Scientist Says Popular Fitness Supplement Builds Mutations Not Muscle

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A popular sports supplement, chromium picolinate, can damage DNA and cause lethal mutations and sterility, according to new research outlined in an article publishing in the March 18 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (paper #6646), said Dr. John Vincent, chemistry professor in The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The finding may increase doubts about the safety of this supplement, which currently boasts annual sales of about $500 million. Chromium picolinate has become a mainstay among fitness and bodybuilding gurus for purportedly reducing fat mass and increasing lean body mass. However, recent studies have linked the supplement with higher rates of DNA damage and other health problems that could lead to cancer.

Dr. Janis O’Donnell, professor of biological sciences in UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, also was involved in the research along with Dion D. Hepburn, graduate student in chemistry, Jiarong Xiao, graduate student in biological sciences, and Sharell Bindom, chemistry undergraduate student.

Seeking to resolve the debate, Vincent and colleagues tested the effects of chromium picolinate on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The scientists allowed adult flies to mate on a medium containing the supplement, then monitored the progress of the resulting offspring. In each successive generation raised on the chromium picolinate medium, the number of progeny reaching the pupal stage of development was reduced by at least 20 percent. Surviving offspring exhibited developmental delays, with individuals reaching pupation and hatching from the pupal case at least 24 hours later than control flies.

In a parallel study, when the scientists examined the first two generations of offspring from male flies feeding on chromium picolinate-containing media, they observed fewer male progeny and increased numbers of sterile females. These effects must result from increased numbers of inherited deleterious mutations because the offspring had never been exposed to chromium picolinate.

Vincent suggests, “In light of chromium picolinate’s extreme popularity, the supplement should be further evaluated to test its safety or lack thereof.”

The March 18 issue of PNAS will contain the paper: “Nutritional Supplement Chromium Picolinate Causes Sterility and Lethal Mutations in Drosophila Melanogaster.”

The College of Arts and Sciences is UA’s largest division and the largest public liberal arts college in the state, with approximately 5,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. The College has received national recognition for academic excellence, and A&S students have been selected for many of the nation’s top academic honors, including 15 Rhodes Scholarships, 13 Goldwater Scholarships, seven Truman Scholarships and 15 memberships on USA Today’s Academic All-American teams.

Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, March 18, the best times to reach Dr. Vincent in his office are between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Contact Elizabeth Smith for a copy of the research article.