Today’s athletes are
always seeking new ways to improve their performance. Any substance or
treatment intended to improve exercise performance – such as dietary
supplements – are termed as an ergogenic aid. Ergogenic aids can be nutritional,
psychological, mechanical, pharmacological, or any physiological substance.
Athletes everywhere are bombarded with sports supplement testimonials and
advertisements – the scary part is the supplement company does not have to
demonstrate any proof of efficacy or safety. This is due to the Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). This disables the Food and Drug
Administration from regulating supplements because they are classified as
foods. These unregulated supplement claims can present a lot of confusion to
athletes.
Many
athletes may turn to supplement store personal for advice in hopes of gaining
strength, power, or speed. However, it is most likely the employee working
behind the counter has no accredited qualifications to be recommending any
dietary supplement let alone derivatives of testosterone or growth hormone.
Collegiate athletes need to pay very special attention to what dietary sports
supplements they are taking. Taking a banned or “laced” supplement can leave
you with a failed drug test and a spot on the bench.
A major ongoing detrimental issue concerning supplements
is some contain excessive doses of potentially toxic ingredients or contain
ingredients that are not approved the World Anti-Doping Agency, the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), IOC, Major League Baseball (MLB), and
the National Football League (NFL).1 For high school and collegiate
level athletes, it is essential to be familiar with the NCAA guidelines – talk
with your designated athletics department staff or an RD. Do not use the label
as an accurate representation of the ingredients, as many dietary supplements
are contaminated with banned drugs that are not listed on the label.
Meal-replacement powders, ready-to-drink supplements, and
energy bars or gels are ideal for an athletes on the run. But, these should not
be regularly substituted in the place of whole foods as this may deprive the
athlete of a well-balanced diet. As the name insist, supplements are only to
supplement your diet. Do not cheat yourself, food has a greater impact on
athletic success. Sports Dietitians have the know-how to evaluate the
scientific merit of articles and advertisements concerning exercise and
nutrition product and separate the marketing hype from scientifically based
nutrition and training practices – your local supplement store clerk more than
likely does not.
Athletes
should make informed choices when taking dietary supplements. Referencing the
NSF and www.informed-choice.org can help educate athletes on what they are putting in their
body. The NSF meets the needs of safety and quality for the dietary
supplement industry. They ensure product and ingredient safety, while giving
both consumers and industry peace of mind through rigorous testing services,
GMP compliance, and training capabilities.2
Gavin Van De Walle is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, a NANBF Natural Competitive bodybuilder, and a dietetic student at South Dakota State University. Following graduation, Gavin will pursue his Ph.D. in nutritional sciences while aiming to make a positive impact on the over well-being and nutritional status of the American people along the way.
References
1.
Maughan RJ: Contamination of dietary
supplements and positive drug tests in sport, J Sports Sci 23: 8883, 2005.
2.
Services by Industry: Dietary
Supplements. NSF web site.
Accessed
December 4, 2013.
