Common Supplements and their potential health hazards

Whether you hear about sports supplements from your teammates in the locker room or the sales
clerk at your local vitamin store, chances are you're not getting the whole story about how
supplements work, if they are really effective, and the risks you take by using them.

Androstenedione and DHEA

Androstenedione (also known as andro) and dehydroepiandrosterone (also known as DHEA) are
prohormones or "natural steroids" that can be broken down into testosterone. When researchers
studied these prohormones in adult athletes, DHEA and andro did not increase muscle size,
improve strength or enhance performance.

The side effects of these "natural" steroid supplements like DHEA and andro aren't well known.
But experts believe that, when taken in large doses, they cause effects similar to stronger
anabolic steroids.

What is known is that andro and DHEA can cause hormone imbalances in people who use them.
Both may have the same effects as taking anabolic steroids and may lead to dangerous side
effects like testicular cancer, infertility, stroke, and an increased risk of heart disease. As with
anabolic steroids, teens who use andro while they are still growing may not reach their full adult
height. Natural steroid supplements can also cause breast development and shrinking of testicles
in guys.

Creatine

Creatine is already manufactured by the body in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. It also occurs
naturally in foods such as meat and fish. Creatine supplements are available over the counter,
and teens make up a large portion of the supplement's users.

People who take creatine usually take it to improve strength, but the long-term and short-term
effects of creatine use haven't been studied in teens and kids. Research in adults found that
creatine is most effective for athletes doing intermittent high-intensity exercise with short
recovery intervals, such as sprinting and power lifting. However, researchers found no effect on
athletic performance in nearly a third of athletes studied. Creatine has not been found to increase
endurance or improve aerobic performance.

The most common side effects of creatine supplements include weight gain, diarrhea, abdominal
pain, and muscle cramps. People with kidney problems should not use creatine because it may
affect kidney function. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people
younger than 18 years old do not use creatine. If you are considering using creatine, talk with
your doctor about the risks and benefits, as well as appropriate dosing.
Fat burners

Fat burners (sometimes known as thermogenics) were often made with an herb called ephedra,
also known as ephedrine or ma huang, which acts as a stimulant and increases metabolism. Some
athletes use fat burners to lose weight or to increase energy — but ephedra-based products can be
one of the most dangerous supplements. Evidence has shown that it can cause heart problems,
stroke, and occasionally even death.

Because athletes and others have died using this supplement, ephedra has been taken off the
market. Since the ban, "ephedra-free" products have emerged, but they often contain ingredients
with ephedra-like properties, including bitter orange or country mallow. Similar to ephedra, these
supplements can cause high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and seizures.

Many of these products also contain caffeine, along with other caffeine sources (such as yerba
mate and guarana). This combination may lead to restlessness, anxiety, racing heart, irregular
heart beat, and increases the chance of having a life-threatening side effect.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Sports supplements haven't been tested on teens and kids. But studies on adults show that the
claims of many supplements are weak at best. Most won't make you any stronger, and none will
make you any faster or more skillful.

Many factors go into your abilities as an athlete — including your diet, how much sleep you get,
genetics and heredity, and your training program. But the fact is that using sports supplements
may put you at risk for serious health conditions. So instead of turning to supplements to
improve your performance, concentrate on nutrition and follow a weight-training and aerobic-
conditioning program.

Advertisements for sports supplements often use persuasive before and after pictures that make it
look easy to get a muscular, toned body. But the goal of supplement advertisers is to make
money by selling more supplements, and many claims may be misleading. Teens and kids may
seem like an easy sell on supplements because they may feel dissatisfied or uncomfortable with
their still-developing bodies, and many supplement companies try to convince teens that
supplements are an easy solution.

Don't waste your money on expensive and dangerous supplements. Instead, try these tips for
getting better game:

 Make downtime a priority. Studies show that teens need more than 8 hours of sleep a
night, and sleep is important for athletes. Organize time for sleep into your schedule by
doing as much homework as possible on the weekend or consider cutting back on after-
school job hours during your sports season.

Try to relax. Your school, work, and sports schedules may have you sprinting from
activity to the next, but taking a few minutes to relax can be helpful. Meditating or visualizing
your success during the next game may improve your performance; sitting quietly and focusing
on your breathing can give you a brief break and prepare you for your next activity.

 Choose good eats. Fried, fatty, or sugary foods will interfere with your performance.
Instead, focus on eating foods such as lean meats, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and
low-fat dairy products. Celebrating with the team at the local pizza place after a big game
is fine once in a while. But for most meals and snacks, choose healthy foods to keep your
weight in a healthy range and your performance at its best.
 Eat often. Sometimes people skip breakfast or have an early lunch, then try to play a late
afternoon game. Not getting enough food to fuel an activity can quickly wear you out —
and even place you at risk for injury or muscle fatigue. Be sure to eat lunch on practice
and game days. If you feel hungry before the game, pack easy-to-carry, healthy snacks in
your bag, such as fruit, trail mix, or string cheese. It's important to eat well after a
workout.
 Avoid harmful substances. Smoking will diminish your lung capacity and your ability
to breathe, alcohol can make you sluggish and tired, and can impair your hand-eye
coordination and reduce your alertness. And you can kiss your team good-bye if you get
caught using drugs or alcohol — many schools have a no-tolerance policy for harmful
substances.
 Train harder and smarter. If you get out of breath easily during your basketball game
and you want to increase your endurance, work on improving your cardiovascular
conditioning. If you think more leg strength will help you excel on the soccer field,
consider weight training to increase your muscle strength. Before changing your
program, though, get advice from your doctor.
 Consult a professional. If you're concerned about your weight or whether your diet is
helping your performance, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian who can evaluate
your nutrition and steer you in the right direction. Coaches can help too. And if you're
still convinced that supplements will help you, talk to your doctor or a sports medicine
specialist. The doc will be able to offer alternatives to supplements based on your body
and sport.

PROBLEMS RELATED TO USE OF are yet to be fully elucidated. In any case,

ERGOGENIC DRUGS information
The absence of compelling regulation has from medical registers21 shows that while
lead to the overall
considerable variation in concentrations, risk to public health from the use of
terminology supplements is
and combinations of supplements, even low, cases of toxicity and side effects
within the include allergic
same country, making it extremely difficult reactions to some products (i.e. royal jelly),
to conduct overexposure
detailed studies commensurate with as a result of self-medication and poisoning
pharmaceutical due to
industry type clinical trials. Thus, side effect
profiles
contaminants. During the 1980s, deaths and substances present in otherwise innocuous
medical dietary
problems resulted from the use of supplements.21 In any case, sport
tryptophan supplements; practitioners have
22 products containing Ephedra and particular responsibilities in addressing this
caffeine are issue, and
a more recent source of medical problems, athletes need to be aware of the problems
sometimes that can
causing deaths in susceptible individuals.23 follow supplement.25 Athletes should make
Moreover, enquiries at
the problems of doping in sport and the the anti-doping agencies within their
increasing use countries for
of nutritional supplements by athletes are advice on the specific risks identified with
issues that supplement
intersect, and there is evidence that some of use, and any initiatives to reduce this risk.26
the apparently Although there is some evidence of
legitimate dietary supplements on sale deliberate adulteration
contain of products, presence of undeclared banned
ingredients that are not declared on the label products may be the result of contamination
but that or poor
are prohibited by the doping regulations of labelling within lax manufacturing
the International processes. In a
Olympic Committee and of the World Anti- study carried out some years ago,27 634
Doping Agency.24 These include pro- supplements
hormones (steroid- from 215 suppliers in 13 countries were
related compounds such as androstenedione, analysed, with
DHEA, 19-norandrostenedione) and products being sourced from retail outlets
stimulants such as (91%), the
ephedrine or related substances. Athletes Internet (8%) and telephone sales. Although
consuming none of
such supplement products may jeopardize these supplements declared pro-hormones as
their sporting ingredients,
status, and their health. The principle of ninety-four of the supplements were found
strict liability to
that applies in sport means that innocent contain hormones or pro-hormones that
ingestion were not stated
of prohibited substances is not an acceptable on the product label, and a further 10% of
excuse, samples provided
and athletes testing positive are liable to technical difficulties in analysis such that the
penalties. Although absence of hormones could not be
it is undoubtedly the case that some athletes guaranteed. Of the
are “positive” supplements, 68% contained pro-
guilty of deliberate cheating, some positive hormones
tests are of testosterone, 7% contained pro-hormones
likely to be the result of inadvertent of nandrolone,
ingestion of prohibited
and 25% contained compounds related to analysis for doping substances, preferably
both. In repeated for every new batch. The most
relation to the total number of products important educational
purchased per message, however, is to use a nutritional
country, most of the positive supplements supplement
were bought only if it is deemed of benefit by a
in the Netherlands (26%), in Austria (23%), nutritional
in the UK expert.29
(19%) and the USA (19%). According to the An additional risk of reliance on
label, all supplements is the
positive supplements were from companies displacement of the athlete’s real priorities.
located in Long-term
only five countries: the USA, the training, optimal nutrition, adequate sleep
Netherlands, the UK, and recovery,
Italy and Germany. More recently, products state-of-the-art equipment and other factors
intentionally on
faked with high amounts of “classic” which depends a successful performance
anabolic cannot be
steroids such as metandienone, stanozolol, replaced by the use of supplements.
boldenone, However, they
dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone, often appear less exciting or more
oxandrolone etc. demanding than
have been detected on the nutritional claims made for many nutritional
supplement market. supplements. Athletes
The sources of these anabolic steroids are can sometimes be side-tracked from the true
probably elements
Chinese pharmaceutical companies, which of success in search of easy short-cuts from
sell bulk nutrients and drugs. Most sports physicians
material of anabolic steroids. In the last few and dietitians
years new are familiar with individual athletes who fail
‘designer’ steroids such as prostanozol, to
methasterone, address some of the basic elements of good
androstatrienedione etc. have been offered training
on the nutritional and lifestyle while are reliant on
supplement market, and in the near future supplements.17 The
also reasons for taking supplements should be
cross-contaminations with these steroids are further investigated
expected. in relation to psychological factors such as
28 Paper-based quality systems are still blocked or unattainable goals and the extent
prone to to which
possible contaminations, which leads to the supplement use is perceived as a transitional
conclusion milestone
that the best possible solution for athletes on the road to becoming a serious
who wish to athlete.
use nutritional supplements must include
laboratorybased
BENEFIT FOR SPORTS

One of the best ways that a person can benefit from a healthy diet and exercise routine is the
addition of sports nutrition in the form of extra protein. Protein is found naturally in many of the
foods we eat.

But a person who exercises often should get one gram of protein per pound of their body weight.
This presents a problem in our fast breakfast (or no breakfast) and fast food lunch lifestyles. We
don't always get the protein our body needs to benefit from our daily workouts. This needed
protein can be acquired safely from sport supplements promoting extra protein.

Protein nutritional sports drinks and mixes can provide many benefits other than increasing
muscle mass and body tone.
Proper protein sports supplements can help your body repair damaged cells, such as repairing
muscles and bones that may get damaged during a workout. Like carbohydrates, protein can give
you energy throughout the day, but unlike carbohydrates, protein offers a lower level of energy
that last much longer, keeping the weight off that generally comes from a high carbohydrates
diet.

Getting the right amount of protein, even through sports nutrition supplements, can help the body
make essential amino acids as well.

One type of protein sports nutritional supplement you may see is one called whey protein. Whey
comes from milk and is one of the highest quality forms of protein with a rich amount of amino
acids. And unlike other forms of protein (red meat for example) whey offers protein in a low fat
and low cholesterol form.

Whether you just run every other day or you are a professional athlete, protein sports
supplements can help increase your body's energy and strength. Most athletes consume a protein
shake of some kind before and immediately after exercise or an event to help repair and rebuild
damaged muscles.

CONCLUSIONS

Performance enhancing drugs consist of a variety of substances, including medications,

procedures and even devices that are intended to improve athletic sports performance. Some of
these substances are naturally occurring, easily available and completely legal while others are
manufactured, illegal, or banned by many sporting organizations. Many athletes, coaches,
politicians and fans feel the use of certain substances is unethical in sports.

Determining which substances are regulated, however, is an area of constant debate. Many
performance enhancing substances classified as supplements are widely marketed as "health
aids" yet have limited research on their safety or effectiveness. Being classified as a supplement
means the contents of the product and the claims on the label have not been evaluated by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may not have any scientific basis.