MHSAA Library
The Reality of Performance-
Enhancing Supplements
(August 2004)
Caution by parents, coaches and trainers should be used in the general surveillance of their athletes. Information by manufacturers about performance enhancing supplements is readily available on the Internet, and athletes can purchase these substances without supervision.
We urge all coaches and trainers to educate their athletes regarding these substances, and then most importantly, prohibit their use.
Coaches and athletes need to understand that supplements are not considered a "food or drug" and that the FDA does not regulate these substances, unlike anabolic steroids. Most supplements are labeled as dietary supplements and, based on a 1994 law, are beyond the jurisdiction of the FDA.
Supplement marketing claims many performance improvements for athletes, yet the medical and research community is divided on these claims and the safety of using supplements. "Natural - Herbal" does not mean safe. In April 1996, the FDA issued a warning not to buy products containing ephedra/ephedrine/Ma huang,
"Natural - Herbal" products. Six years later, these products have now been banned for sale in California.
The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar commerce, thus advertising aimed at athletes can be expected to increase.
Based on review of the current medical literature, we believe that these substances should not be used by high school athletes for the following reasons:
CREATINE
• A 1998 study involving Navy Seals using creatine showed no significant differences in obstacle course performance time or decrease in body fat;
• At the 1998 American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, six out of seven trials presented, showing no increase in performance by using creatine;
• Endurance athletes have been shown to decrease performance when using crea- tine;
• There is no assurance that athletes are using appropriate dosing, and using amounts that exceed those used in scientific studies may cause problems that are not known at this time;
• Risks of worsening of pre-existing kidney disease, dehydration and poor performance resulting from dehydration exist. Long-term side effects from both brief and long-term use remain unknown at this time;
• While some laboratory studies show a benefit of increased body mass and improved ability to sustain short bursts of explosive exercise, the studies have several flaws and results seen in the lab may not be the same as those seen on the field;
• A 1993 study showing increased strength from creatine use was repeated in 1998 using more test athletes and showed no increase in strength from using creatine;
• Studies showing benefits are usually small, done in exercise labs, and do not address long-term use or on-field performance. The longest trial lasted only 51 days;
• Increased body mass associated with creatine is from increased total body water and has not been proven to come from increased lean muscle mass. Percent body fat is not decreased by creatine.
ANDROSTENEDIONE ("ANDRO")
• Broken down by the liver into testosterone, a compound made in the body which can help increase muscle mass, it also causes decrease in natural production of testosterone and can lead to testicular atrophy;
• High levels of testosterone increase hair growth, cause premature closure of bone growth plates leading to short stature and may have adverse effects on the liver and cardiovascular system;
• Banned by the NCAA, NFL and the International Olympic Committee;
• Testosterone is already at maximal production in teens and dietary supplementation is unnecessary;
• Manufacturers may recommend these substances not be used by young adults due to already elevated testosterone levels, but such warnings do not always appear in advertising efforts;
• Advertisements in print media and on the Internet, as well as by word of mouth between athletes, claim that "andro" and similar compounds are safe. We are currently unaware of any long-term studies conclusively supporting this claim. We are aware of the adverse effects seen in people with prolonged elevated testosterone levels and consider such conditions to be unhealthy.
— Reprinted from the California Interscholastic Federation
