Q. How did your interest in steroids start? Were you somebody who was looking to use compounds and just became engrossed in them?

WL. That is a very good way to sum it up.

My interest began as a teenager, when I first considered the use of anabolic steroids. I really wanted to understand how these drugs worked, their risks and benefits, before taking such a leap. The more I read about steroids, the most interested I became in them.

They are fascinating drugs. Technically speaking, there is so much to learn about them. This interest eventually evolved into a career researching health and performance enhancement.

Q. How did you come across Arachidonic Acid and discover its anabolic activity? How many ‘nearly’ hits did you get before you stumbled upon what you were looking for?

WL. I’d like to tell you that the compound only came to me after years of trial and error. That’s not how it happened though. The idea came to me in a flash actually. I wasn’t even consciously thinking about it at the time. My wife Catherine and I were relaxing, watching TV.

Days before, I had been reading studies examining the localized effect of prostaglandin (PG) inhibition on muscle protein synthesis. Blocking the production of these chemicals had completely inhibited the basic mechanism of muscle growth. Mymind must have been processing this in the background. Something just clicked; why not intensify this reaction by supplying more of the basic substrate for PG synthesis, arachidonic acid.

I had enough of the puzzle pieces in my head from other studies to pull the basic idea together without focusing on it.

On the other hand, the work to research, test, refine, and validate arachidonic acid as a sports nutrition ingredient took a very long time. I’d say it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done professionally. It was the most rewarding too though.

I know that long after Molecular Nutrition has been forgotten, my work on arachidonic acid will remain. The understanding of how arachidonic acid influences muscle growth and performance is a genuine contribution to the scientific body… this is something I am very proud of.