Dan Duchaine
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Dan" Duchaine was a former American
bodybuilder
, author
, and two time convicted felon
. Nicknamed the steroid guru, Duchaine gained worldwide notoriety due to his outspoken opinions on the use of performance enhancing drugs, and made numerous television appearances discussing the subject on shows such as 20/20, Geraldo and 60 Minutes
. http://www.qfac.com/advice/dan.html
in 1977, however after he had no luck, (describing himself as a "miserable bodybuilder") he began using anabolic steroids. However after beginning their use he said "I still wasn't very good. Obviously something wasn't working, and the doctors and the pharmacists couldn't really answer my questions. So I started looking into steroids on my own." This was the start of the quest for knowledge that would eventually land him the title of "Guru" on the subject.
Duchaine initially claimed that he wouldn't sell steroids because he didn't know where to get them. But after a messy divorce from his first wife left him broke, he met a supplier and began selling. He started by undercutting the local dealers, then moved into wholesale. Eventually, he became part of a major trafficking ring from Mexico
, and co-founded Laboratories Milano in Tijuana
, which was the largest black market steroid manufacturing plant in Mexico at the time.
In mid-1987, Duchaine was caught and indicted on conspiracy
and mislabeling charges. He pled guilty to the two counts and was sentenced to a maximum of three years in Federal prison
with five years of probation
by Judge J. Lawrence Irving of San Diego Federal Court.
Duchaine was released after ten months. In 1991, while still on probation he met up with a friend who was selling Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (commonly known as GHB) and began working with him. One of their customers however, was an undercover Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) agent, and Duchaine was convicted a second time and sentenced to 36 months in prison. While in prison, he says he learned to make money through legitimate avenues.
In 1988, Duchaine introduced Clenbuterol
to bodybuilders. Duchaine is also credited with introducing dinitrophenol (DNP) into bodybuilding through an interview on one of ten cassettes included with bodybuilding magazine Muscle Media 2000 (better known as MM2K).
' magazine MM2K writing a monthly Q&A
column called Ask the Guru. By this time Duchaine had published several books in his Underground Steroid Handbook series (see below) and referred to himself as a Human Performance Theorist http://www.qfac.com/books/daniel_duchaine.html
. Examiners established Duchaine died the day before, aged 47, due to kidney failure caused by hereditary polycystic kidney disease
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bodybuilder
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and two time convicted felon
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
. Nicknamed the steroid guru, Duchaine gained worldwide notoriety due to his outspoken opinions on the use of performance enhancing drugs, and made numerous television appearances discussing the subject on shows such as 20/20, Geraldo and 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. http://www.qfac.com/advice/dan.html
Duchaine and steroids
Duchaine began competitive bodybuilding whilst at college in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in 1977, however after he had no luck, (describing himself as a "miserable bodybuilder") he began using anabolic steroids. However after beginning their use he said "I still wasn't very good. Obviously something wasn't working, and the doctors and the pharmacists couldn't really answer my questions. So I started looking into steroids on my own." This was the start of the quest for knowledge that would eventually land him the title of "Guru" on the subject.
Duchaine initially claimed that he wouldn't sell steroids because he didn't know where to get them. But after a messy divorce from his first wife left him broke, he met a supplier and began selling. He started by undercutting the local dealers, then moved into wholesale. Eventually, he became part of a major trafficking ring from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and co-founded Laboratories Milano in Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
, which was the largest black market steroid manufacturing plant in Mexico at the time.
In mid-1987, Duchaine was caught and indicted on conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
and mislabeling charges. He pled guilty to the two counts and was sentenced to a maximum of three years in Federal prison
Federal prison
Federal prisons are run by national governments in countries where subdivisions of the country also operate prisons.In the United States federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In Canada the Correctional Service of Canada operates federal prisons. Prison sentences in these...
with five years of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
by Judge J. Lawrence Irving of San Diego Federal Court.
Duchaine was released after ten months. In 1991, while still on probation he met up with a friend who was selling Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (commonly known as GHB) and began working with him. One of their customers however, was an undercover Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
(FDA) agent, and Duchaine was convicted a second time and sentenced to 36 months in prison. While in prison, he says he learned to make money through legitimate avenues.
In 1988, Duchaine introduced Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier...
to bodybuilders. Duchaine is also credited with introducing dinitrophenol (DNP) into bodybuilding through an interview on one of ten cassettes included with bodybuilding magazine Muscle Media 2000 (better known as MM2K).
Career
In 1992 after being released from prison for a second time Duchaine began working for Bill PhillipsBill Phillips (author)
William Nathaniel "Bill" Phillips is an American entrepreneur and author. He is the author of the fitness book Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength. He is the author Eating for Life, founder and former editor in chief of Muscle Media magazine and the former CEO of EAS, a...
' magazine MM2K writing a monthly Q&A
FAQ
Frequently asked questions are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. "FAQ" is usually pronounced as an initialism rather than an acronym, but an acronym form does exist. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual...
column called Ask the Guru. By this time Duchaine had published several books in his Underground Steroid Handbook series (see below) and referred to himself as a Human Performance Theorist http://www.qfac.com/books/daniel_duchaine.html
Death
Duchaine was found dead on January 13, 2000 by his close friend Shelley Hominuk in his apartment in Carlsbad, CaliforniaCarlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
. Examiners established Duchaine died the day before, aged 47, due to kidney failure caused by hereditary polycystic kidney disease
Polycystic kidney disease
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is an inherited systemic disorder that predominantly affects the kidneys, but may affect other organs including the liver, pancreas, brain, and arterial blood vessels...
.
Quotes
- "If you can't grow on DecaNandroloneNandrolone is an anabolic steroid that may be present naturally in the human body, albeit in minute quantities of less than 0.4 ng/ml. Nandrolone is most commonly sold commercially as its decanoate ester and less commonly as a phenylpropionate ester...
and DbolMethandrostenoloneMethandrostenolone is an orally-effective anabolic steroid originally developed by John Ziegler and released in the US in the early 1960s by Ciba. It was used as an aid to muscle growth by bodybuilders until its ban by Congress under the Controlled Substances Act...
, you can't grow on anything!" - taken from Duchaine's Dirty Dieting Newsletter in 1997
Duchaine's books
- Duchaine, Dan. The Original Underground Steroid Handbook, 1981
- Duchaine, Dan. Underground Steroid Handbook, 1983
- Duchaine, Dan. Underground Steroid Handbook II HLR Technical Books, 1988.
- Duchaine, Dan. Underground Body Opus: Militant Weight Loss & Recomposition XIPE Press, March 1996. (ISBN 0-9653107-0-1)