Eight short years ago, Marion Jones was the pride of the US -- raking in medals at the Sydney Olympics. Then things fell apart when it was revealed that Jones took performance-enhancing drugs. She was stripped of her medals and was sentenced to time in prison for lying to federal prosecutors. In her first interview since her release, Jones spoke to Oprah about what really happened.

According to Jones, her former coach, Trevor Graham, gave her pills he described as flax seed oil. Jones, who took numerous substances such as vitamins and creatine, didn't question what he was giving her. Jones said she was instructed to put the tablet under her tongue for a while and then swallow it. Later, during the investigation, prosecutors showed Jones a vial of a designer steroid nicknamed "the clear." Jones now admits that she recognized it immediately as the substance her coach had given her. "I made the decision I was going to lie and try to cover it up," explained Jones. "I knew that all of my performances would be questioned."

There's a lesson for all athletes here. From the average Joe to the high school quarterback to elite athletes -- we're all responsible for what we put into our bodies. Supplements such as whey protein and creatine are frequently used by athletes. But even legal supplements shouldn't be used without knowledge and caution. Proper nutrition, consistent exercise, and appropriate training are your best bets for keeping your body in peak condition.

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For the serious lifters out there (and I know there are at least a few of you), you've almost certainly at least heard of creatine. And, there's a good chance you've used this nutritional supplement. Nevertheless, you may find the following tips helpful, as may the lifting newbie who may, at some point in his or her illustrious career in the weight room, consider trying creatine.

First of all, regardless of the type of creatine you take (monohydrate, ethyl ester, alpha-ketoglutarate), you should take it every day for a cycle of five to six months, according to Muscle & Body magazine. Then, stay off creatine for a month to provide your body with the chance to reduce its muscle creatine saturation. This way, if you decide to start using it again, your body will respond with better results.

Also, if you weigh less than 200 pounds, it's not necessary to take the bottle-suggested 5-10g (or 3g if you're using the more potent ethyl ester or alpha-ketoglutarate kinds). You will do just fine with around 3-5g (or 2g ethyl ester or alpha-ketoglutarate), and you'll save yourself a little bit of coin in the process. The best time to take creatine, experts say, is about 30 minutes before a workout and then again 30 minutes after a workout. On non-training days, take with a meal or protein shake at any convenient time of the day.

**Before trying creatine or any nutritional supplement, first check with your doctor to see if it's safe for you.

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I wrote recently on the topic of nutritional supplements. The gist of that post was that supplements should never be considered a substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise. To reiterate, they are designed to provide you with an additional boost -- providing the supplement itself is efficacious.

When it comes to building muscle, there are few supplements that everyone agrees are worthwhile. One that always makes the cut is creatine, a nitrogenous organic acid that, in addition to being available in supplement form, occurs naturally in vertebrates and helps supply energy to muscle and nerve cells. But like most things, when it comes to creatine, more is not always better. Doctors recommend a dosage of three to five gram a day, taken just prior to working out or, on non-workout days, with the largest meal of the day.

Follow a four week on/four week off protocol, and be sure to drink plenty of water to remain properly hydrated. But, before doing any of this, be sure to check with your doctor to learn if supplementing with creatine is right for you.

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With the Olympics coming up, the use of supplements to enhance performance is big business. I asked my pal Jose Antonio, PhD, Sports Nutrition expert what was hot and gave me this scoop. Besides safe and effective supplements like creatine, protein powders, and even fish oil, there's a new kid on the block. It's called beta-alanine!

Beta-alanine is basically an amino acid that has been shown to help fight off the fatigue-promoting effects of lactic acid. When muscle pH drops from intense exercise, beta-alanine helps buffer this increased acidity. Technically, it is muscle carnosine (which is made from beta-alanine) that does the buffering.

What could beta-alanine help as far as Olympic events? Sports like wrestling, the long sprints such as the 400 meter dash, boxing, and team sports in which there is a lot of sprinting can be helped. In fact, a recent study from the International Journal of Sports Medicine proved that beta-alanine significantly improved muscular endurance. So for those of you seeking that extra performance edge, look out for beta-alanine!

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The nutritional supplement industry is an economic juggernaut, one that continues to thrive even during these tougher financial times. Unlike prescription medications, supplements do not have to undergo a vetting process by the FDA, which serves to explain why manufacturers are able to make many unsubstantiated claims with relative impunity.

Does this mean that all supplements are worthless? I certainly wouldn't go as far as to say that. What I would say, however, is that it is wise to speak with a medical professional before taking a supplement to find out: a) If it is safe for you to take it, and b) If it will help you achieve your specific health and fitness goals. In efforts to expedite that conversation (doctors are busy people), at least narrow your options down to supplements that have shown promise in peer-reviewed studies.

Here are 5 of them:

5 - Protein Shake. While it's entirely possible to get enough daily protein from your regular diet, it's sometimes quite difficult to do so. Protein shakes provide you with a convenient and tasty way to get at least 20-25 grams of protein and a substantial amount of amino acids with each serving.

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Creatine has long been a favorite supplement of weightlifters and professional athletes alike. Unlike dozens of other so-called fitness performance enhancers, which have never actually produced data to substantiate their oftentimes outlandish claims (gain 15 pounds of muscle in a half an hour!!), creatine has stood up time and time again during clinical testing.

More and more research is also being conducted on this naturally-occurring substance and, in particular, how it may benefit more than just your muscles. Creatine, it seems, may also benefit your brain.

Mounting evidence shows that creatine supplementation may improve memory and enhance overall brain function. A recent study out of the University of Sydney found that the relationship between creatine and cognition "underline a dynamic and significant role of brain energy capacity in influencing brain performance."

Disclaimer time: be sure to check with your doctor before using creatine or any nutritional supplements. Though certain supplements may offer benefits to some, they can sometimes be harmful to others.

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It's always a good idea to mix up your workout routine every so often; ideally, changing it every 4 to 6 weeks. If you don't, your body will become so accustomed to the workload that it will no longer show results. Day after day, week after week, month after month of working out, and you'll have the same body to show for your effort then as you do now. That is, as I said, unless you change your workout every so often.

Never one to not practice what I preach, I realized yesterday that I have been following the same workout for just over a month. Purposely using the past five weeks as a bit of bulking-up phase (upping my caloric intake, training with heavier weights for fewer reps, cutting back on cardio a bit, and supplementing with creatine), I've now adjusted my training and diet to help show better definition in the little bit of extra size I threw on.

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What was at one time a product relegated to the small ads that appear in the back of fitness magazines, creatine has since become one of the most widely used nutritional supplements by bodybuilders and casual fitness folks alike. But what exactly is it?

Creatine monohydrate is a naturally occurring nitrogen compound found primarily in skeletal muscle. Increasing creatine levels through supplementation has been found to prolong skeletal muscle activity, thereby enhancing work output of muscles.

Is creatine for everyone? Frankly, I don't think anything is right for everyone. That's why it may be in your best interest to speak with your physician before dolling out forty bucks (yeah, it can sometimes be that expensive) for a bucket of the stuff.

There are literally thousands of nutritional supplements on the market today for consumers to choose from. Some are worth far less than their sticker price, while some are just plain worthless. But, if there's one supplement that is pretty much accepted universally as being legit, it's creatine.

Widely touted by the weightlifting set as one of the 'Kings of Supplements" for years, creatine has in the past few years become part of many athletes nutritional regimen. From football players to golfers, creatine users feel that this supplement provides them with a measurable boost in performance. Is it all in their heads? Not at all, according to researchers from the University of Oklahoma.

In a study on the effects of creatine, researchers found that three days of isokinetic training combined with eight days of creatine supplementation (consisting of 21 grams per day) increased strength and speed in 25 college-aged men. The details of this study can be found in a recent issue of the Journal Strength Conditioning Research.

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What to GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World and Fitness Technology all have in common? The answer: My money. Just like the millions of Americans who this year who will visit one of these retailers and purchase a nutritional supplement of some kind, I too have contributed to each of their respective businesses on a number of occasions.

Am I just a nice guy, one who wants to see a multi-million (billion?) dollar industry continue to thrive? Not really. I suppose that if I was actually a nice person, I would use the money I typically spend on supplements to sponsor a child in need or even donate money to help Screech from TV's "Saved by the Bell" save his house. No, I am not a nice guy -- or at least it would seem. I am instead nothing more than a selfish, rotten, and self-serving fitness enthusiast who spends some of his surplus funds on supplements.

Since I'm such a bad person, spending my money on making my body healthier, I have to be sure that what I am buying is worth my neglecting-a-Screech-in-need money. For guys like me -- those who are looking to gain lean muscle mass -- these Men's Health Top 5 Supplements are pretty solid choices:

5 - Protein Shake. While it's entirely possible to get enough daily protein from your regular diet, it's sometimes quite difficult to do so. Protein shakes provide you with a convenient and tasty way to get at least 25 grams of protein and a substantial amount of amino acids with each serving.

4 - Creatine. The king of muscle-building supplements, clinical tests show that creatine can help increase muscle size and strength, in addition to speeding up recovery time after a workout.

3 - Multivitamin. About 80-percent of men don't get their RDA of vitamins and minerals. A simple fix is one of these babies. Be sure to buy a 'complete' multivitamin; such as GNC's Mega Men or even Centrum. Also, men should be sure to avoid multivitamins that contain extra iron, as it can increase the risk of heart disease.

2 - Green Tea. I know - tea isn't exactly the toughest thing in the world for a guy to drink. Nonetheless, you're going to have to suck it up and drink it down if you want to obtain the benefits of its natural antioxidants and fat burning properties.

1 - Fish Oil. It's certainly no mystery by now that Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely important to help stave off heart disease and myriad other maladies, which is why adding fish oil to your diet is a must.

I recently restocked my cabinet at home with all of these supplements, as well as a Glutamine powder. I'm a bad, bad man.

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