Experts are claiming popular vegetable is actually a performance-enhancing drug

Scientists from Freie Universität in Berlin have made new claims that spinach is a performance-enhancing drug - and want it banned for athletes.

The group contacted the World Anti-Doping Agency to claim the vegetable as a 'steroid', as it contains a type of hormone called ecdysterone.

A study of 46 athletes following the same strengthening program reportedly found that those who consumed the hormone developed more muscle mass and ended up three times stronger than those given a placebo version.

Click here to sign up for our newsletters