Supplements

Introduction In today’s world of sports and athletics, the pressure to compete and succeed as well as just to keep up with your competition has caused an enormous influx of dietary supplements into the marketplace. These dietary supplements are effective at improving strength and speed, gaining muscle mass, increasing energy and cutting weight at a quick pace. However, the potential side effects from these dietary supplements are extremely dangerous and have even caused death in several professional (Korey Stringer, Steve Bechler) and high school athletes looking to improve their performance.

Introduction It is estimated that virtually all college and professional athletes as well as a fair amount of high school athletes take some form of a dietary supplement. In 2002, the legal, over the counter dietary supplement business grossed approximately $17.7 billion in business. The problem with supplements is that they have not had to under go the scrutiny of the FDA. They have not been subjected to clinical trials, there is little known about their chemical composition, their future side effects or even how much they could improve your athletic performance. Currently, these products are only scrutinized by the FDA if they can be proven to cause harm.

Introduction The current trends for dietary supplement use have many boys taking them for the purposes of gaining strength, adding muscle and increasing their speed while the girls have primarily taken these supplements to lose weight. These supplements cone in many forms: gum, candy bars, gel, drinks, and powders. In years past if an individual wanted to gain any sort of performance enhancer, they would have to meet the local steroid dealer in the back alley behind the gym but now there is a wide variety of of supplements available at any vitamin center, the grocery store or a GNC.

Ephedra  Stimulates the body’s cardiovascular system and central nervous systems which help burn fat off.  Found in: Weight loss, energy boosting and body building product including Stacker 2, Metabolife 356, and Hydroxycut.  Risks: can cause elevated blood pressure. When taken in excessive doses or people with certain medical conditions, car result in cardiac arrhythmia, heart attack, seizure or stroke.  Banned by: NFL, NCAA, Olympic committee.  **Ephedra can cause the heart to pump at such a high rate it will give out.

Synephrine .. an extract taken from orange peel and used as a substitute for ephedra; sometimes call bitter orange. Also aids the body in burning off fat.  Found in: Weight loss, energy boosting and body building products markedas “ephedra free” including Stacker 2 Ephedra Free, Xenadrine EFX, Ephedra Free and Metabolife Ephedra Free.  Risks: Could cause an athlete to test positive for Ephedra as well as some similar effects as Ephedra.  Banned: NCAA

“Andro”  …stimulates the body’s production of testosterone which is used to increase lean muscle mass.  Found in: Andro 100 Poppers plus most supplement companies make their own version of an Andro product.  Risks: Can produce side effects similar to anabolic steroids: breast enlargement and testicular atrophy in men; breast shrinkage and and deepened voice in women; growth retardation in teens.  Banned by: NBA, NFL, NCAA, Olympic committee.

Human Growth Hormone Booster  …chemical equivalent of hGH ( a substance made by the pituitary gland for growth and cell repair) taken by individuals who are looking to increase their strength.  Found in: Ultimate hGH and Secretagogue-One which contain amino acids that in turn help the body to release more hGH.  Risks: High levels of hGH can damage heart and liver. It can cause the jaw, forehead, hands and feet to grow. May cause diabetes.  Banned by: NFL, NCAA, Olympic committee

Creatine  …a natural compound created from 3 amino acids which is produced by theliver and kidney and used by the muscles as an energy source. Often taken to improve workouts and and build strength.  Found in: Supplements designed to increase muscle mass and build strength and endurance. All major dietary supplement companies make their version of a creatine product. It is also found in red meat and fish.  Risks: Can cause dehydration, stomach cramps and muscle and ligament tears.  Banned by: NONE

Caffeine  …stimulant which causes temporary alertness.  Found in: Coffee, tea, chocolate, colas, energy drinks such as Red Bull. It is also found in some supplements and drinks such as SoBe Sports System drinks that contain guarana, a caffeine rich plant.  Risks: mildly addictive, in extremely large quantities can effect the heart.  Banned by: NCAA, Olympic committee( in amounts roughly equivalent to consuming 8 cups of coffee in a 2 hr time.)