The Ohio High School Athletic Association

Nutritional Information

Nutritional Supplements: Educate Yourself and Your Student Athletes

It is easy for coaches and athletic administrators to say, “That does not happen here” when it comes to a discussion on student athlete drug and nutritional supplement use. The increased availability of these products on the Internet, by mail order, or from nutritional supplement retailers, allows student athletes access to a wide variety of supplements that are highly marketed in fitness and strength training magazines with promises, endorsed by faulty research claims, of extraordinary weight loss, explosive power, or tremendous strength gains. Athletes consume supplements in addition to their normal diet because of the belief that these substances will live up to these claims. Unfortunately, supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and, therefore, may include undisclosed ingredients (click here for more information), have negative side effects, may be harmful when combined with other substances, or are impure and may, therefore, be potentially unsafe and harmful to the consumer.

As a coach, athletic administrator, or parent it is important to be aware of what substances your student athletes may be using or exposed to by his or her peers. It is essential to educate oneself and the student athlete about the potential risks involved with uneducated supplement use. Before considering the use of a nutritional supplement - do your research and talk to your physician. Some websites that offer unbiased, scientific information about a wide variety of nutritional supplements are www.supplementwatch.com, www.consumerlab.com, and www.gssiweb.com. Athletes should always notify the team physician and athletic trainer if taking a supplement.

Most importantly, nutritional supplements are expensive! Emphasize to your student athletes the importance of eating a well-balanced diet, practice, and being physically fit and healthy for the upcoming sport season over taking nutritional supplements.

Be informed. The following chart includes basic information about popular nutritional supplements that may be used by athletes. Click on the appropriate links to find more information about a specific supplement.

SUPPLEMENT/DRUG	ATHLETES USE FOR	SIDE EFFECTS & SIGNS OF USE
Ephedra (ephedrine, ma huang) *Illegal Substance*	Weight loss Appetite suppressant Improved athletic performance	Rapid heart rate Heart arrhythmia Increased blood pressure Tremors *Possible:* heart attack, stroke, death, seizures, psychosis
Creatine	Aids in muscle regeneration Assists in anaerobic activity Increase muscle mass	Nausea Stomach discomfort Muscle cramps Muscle strains/ sprains Weight gain Dehydration *Possible:* suppression of natural creatine production in liver, pancreas, & kidneys; death when combined with high heat and high humidity
Androstenedione "Andro" Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)	Increases testosterone levels Allows for harder training Helps a quick recovery	Decrease in natural testosterone production Testicular atrophy/infertility Increase hair growth Premature closure of growth plates Amenorrhea Anxiety/Mood swings *Possible:* heart disease, pancreatic cancer, liver dysfunction

Nutritional supplements are not the only thing readily available for athletes looking to improve performance. Illicit drugs are also used with the goal of aiding performance. Anabolic steroids and prescription medications (e.g., pain killers, stimulants, and depressants) are widely used by athletes. The following chart provides information about these illicit drugs. Click on the links to learn more about each.

SUPPLEMENT/DRUG	ATHLETES USE FOR	SIDE EFFECTS & SIGNS OF USE	LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION
Anabolic Steroids Illegal Substance	Increase muscle mass	Liver tumors/ Cancer Jaundice Fluid retention High blood pressure Increases in LDL cholesterol Decrease in HDL cholesterol Kidney tumors Sever acne Tremors Testicular atrophy/infertility Baldness Insomnia Aggression Breast development (males) Increased risk of prostate cancer (males) Growth of facial hair (women) Amenorrhea (women) Deepening of voice (women) Premature closure of growth plates (adolescents) Accelerated puberty (adoles.)	NIDA - Research Report Up-to-date Information
Prescription Medication Abuse Illegal Use	Pain relief (e.g., morphine, codeine, Oxycontin) Insomnia/Sleep Disorders (e.g., Valium, Nembutal) Increase alertness, attention, and energy (e.g., Dexedrine, Ritalin)	Tolerance for the drug Addiction/Withdrawal (e.g., restlessness, bone and muscle pain, insomnia, vomiting) Death when combined with certain drugs, medications, and/or alcohol Tolerance for the drug Physical dependence/Withdrawal Combined with other depressants decreases rate of breathing and heartbeat, possibly leading to death Increased blood pressure, heart rate, respiration High body temperature Irregular heartbeat *Possible:* cardiovascular failure, lethal seizures	NIDA Research Report Vicadin Information Demerol Information Oxycotin Information Valium Information

References
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (www.amssm.org) (2003)
Gatorade Sport Science Institute (www.gssiweb.com) (2003)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (www.nida.org) (2001)

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? Contact: webmaster@ohsaa.org