Last month the New York Times reported that Met-Rx, a Californian company, is developing a new chewinggum that has "testosterone three times more effective than the stuff Mark McGwire (left) takes".

McGwire, who hit 70 home runs in the season just ended for an all-time record, takes androstenedione, or ANDRO, to develop his considerable out-of-the-stadium muscles. ANDRO is on the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) list of banned substances, but that seems to carry no weight in baseball. McGwire, and others like him, take the stuff in spoonfuls diluted with water. Now they need only lean over to the bubblegum stand at the checkout and chew their way to bulk.