Athletes are competitive. They go out there to win. But, at all costs? Why are
athletes willing to sacrifice their long term health in order to have one
outstanding season? Will it be worth it when they are hooked up to machines in
order to stay alive? Many athletes do not think that taking a supplement will
harm them. They are strong, tough athletes, nothing can harm them, right? So,
they start taking creatine or andro, or both. For most, they lose body fat, gain
strength and muscle. That sounds great, but that is not always what happens. The
use of over-the-counter sports supplements is dangerous and the FDA should take
them off the shelf. Supplements are supposed to be taken to make up for a
deficiency in some aspect of a person’s diet. For example, if someone does not
like milk and does not eat any foods that contain calcium, they could take a
calcium supplement. But, athletes use supplements to lose body fat and gain
muscle and strength. Once favored primarily by gung-ho body builders, products
that purportedly add muscle and increase strength are now being snapped up by
weekend athletes hoping to stay in top form, as well as older adults wanting to
stay toned and healthy as they age (“Drugs” 8). These sports supplements are
not being used correctly, and this causes problems down the road for users.
There are different types of supplements. Creatine monohydrate, generally known
as creatine is a popularly used supplement. Creatine occurs naturally in
muscles, but many athletes or body builders take it to increase their strength
and size. When using muscles, a chemical called ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is
broken down into ADP (adenosine DI-phosphate) and an inorganic phosphate. The
release of the phosphate is what gives the muscles energy. Creatine, the
naturally occurring kind, or the kind that comes in a jar, combines with
phosphate and can restore ADP back to ATP. Theoretically, this means more
energy. But it does not come without a price. The manufacturers and advertisers
for Creatine tell people they should use the product because muscles contain an
average of 3.5 to 4 grams of naturally occurring creatine per kilogram of
muscle. They say the good news is that up to 5 grams may be stored. So, by using
their product, you can use your full potential of muscle energy (“Creatine”
1). Basically what the company is telling you is to pay an outrageous amount of
money to add 1 gram on creatine to your muscles. Also, taking creatine has many
side effects, just as other supplements do. This is because this type of
creatine is pure. The body gets its natural creatine from red meat. But, red
meat is not one hundred percent creatine. The body cannot handle the potency of
this supplement. Androstenedione (Andro) is a hormonally based supplement that
is supposed to help weight lifters add muscle. Andro is taken orally and goes to
the liver. The liver destroys most of what is ingested, but what does survive
combines with various enzymes and temporarily boosts testosterone levels. This
boost in testosterone allows an athlete to perform at a level above what he
usually does. “Androstendione is an honest-to-goodness steroid and a precursor
to testosterone” (Gorman 246). If an athlete takes andro before he goes to the
gym, he will be able to lift more, and thus increase strength and size. Although
it is not legally considered an anabolic steroid at this time, andro acts
exactly as they do. “Many endocrinologists insist that the differences between
supplements like androstenedione and traditional steroids (which are legal only
for certain medical conditions) are trivial” (Zorpette 22). In Canada a
prescription is needed to get andro, but in the US it is an over-the-counter
drug (Sibbald 1). If they essentially have the same effects, then one should not
be illegal and the other legal. “The American College of Sports Medicine says
anabolic steroids such as androstenedione as well as other ‘dietary
supplements’ should be reevaluated and considered drugs” (Sibbald 1). Taking
steroids is known to cause many health problems. Yes, they do make people better
athletes, but they are illegal and athletes should not use them. DHEA is a
supplement in the same “family” as andro, called prohormones. DHEA also
raises the testosterone levels in the body. There is very little scientific
support of these prohomones. In fact, some preliminary evidence suggests that
they may be counterproductive. In a well-controlled study just published in the
American Journal of the American Medical Association, androstenedione failed to
boost muscle mass, strength and testosterone levels; instead, it hiked estrogen
levels, which could potentially boost body fat instead of muscle (“Drugs”
8). In that same study, the prohormone DHEA increased the risk of cardiovascular
disease and also raised the estrogen levels in the body. This could potentially
cause an enlargement of the breasts in men (“Drugs” 8). Why would an athlete
want to risk major health problems and developing breasts? Good old fashioned
hard work is the way to get ahead in sports. When things sound too good to be
true, they usually are. Advertisers initially said that supplements had no side
effects whatsoever. Basically, creatine and andro sounded like wonder drugs.
More strength and muscle mass, less fat, and no negative side effects! Wrong!
“Two companies that market muscle-building nutritional supplements … agreed
Tuesday to stop claiming they were free of side effects under a settlement
announced Tuesday by Federal regulators” (“Makers” 1). The companies were
originally claiming no negative side effects. But, they had no evidence to back
this up. Once scientists actually started conducting tests, they realized the
companies were claiming a lie. These supplements have many negative side
effects. “‘Steroid hormones, whether labeled as drugs or hormones, can have
side effects long after their use,’ says Dr. Gary Wadler, an American expert
in sports-related drug use” (Sibbald 2). Many doctors and experts in the field
of sports medicine are very concerned with the use of sports supplements. “Our
concern is that many of the newer substances have bot yet been tested for their
long-term physiological and potentially adverse effects” (Sibbald 2), says
Wadler. If these products are coming out onto the market with out previous
testing being done, the users are put at great risk for harm. It has also been
reported that once the athlete stops taking the supplement, all of the muscle
that they gained while taking the supplement will be turned into fat. If that is
not incentive to not take these things, then nothing is. These athletes should
realize that they will not be able to take the drugs forever without serious
side effects. The manufacturers do not even have to prove that their products
are safe before marketing them (Sibbald 2). There needs to be more regulations
on sports supplements in order to protect consumers. People who go out and
purchase sports supplements often later regret doing so. One man who took
creatine posted his story on an informational web site about creatine use. “I
took creatine and took the recommended dose and almost had a double kidney
failure from that crap…” (“Consumers” 2). Is it worth it to risk major
organ failure to be a little bit bigger and stronger? Another man, who works at
General Nutrition Center (the makers of creatine) wrote that creatine is stupid
to use and people should not put themselves in that kind of danger intentionally
(“Consumers” 1). People are realizing that creatine is dangerous and that
the initial claims made by the companies are false. It is not only people who
are realizing that these supplements are dangerous, states and governments are
also realizing this. …New Jersey is banning creatine and so will all the
states eventually and I am glad because it will save people from their own
ignorance. It is not FDA approved because it is dangerous and as long as it does
not state that it is a steroid on the bottle, it can be sold anyway
(“Consumers” 3). It should be illegal to sell products that are not FDA
approved. The companies are putting their customers at risk by selling dangerous
products. One of the most famous cases of sports supplements use was Mark
McGwire. Dr. Gary Wadler, an American expert in sports-related drug use said,
“baseball’s new Sultan of Swing, Mark McGwire, was ‘living on’ creatine
as he chased Babe Ruth’s home run record this summer” (Sibbald 1). McGwire
was also taking andro, and the combination of these two supplements probably
helped him to achieve his goal of the home run record. Even the people using it
know that it is wrong to take it. It gives them an unfair advantage over the
people who care about their health and body and do not want to harm themselves
on purpose. “McGwire was furious when word leaked out last season he was using
it” (Loony 12). Famous athletes who are role models to little kids should not
be doing things that they are going to be ashamed of, or want to cover up.
McGwire obviously knew that it was wrong to take the supplement, especially
since he is a role model. Once the season was over, and he broke the homerun
record and got his name in the books, McGwire stopped taking andro. “… a few
days ago he told reporters in St. Louis he stopped using andro four months ago.
The main reason for his behavior reversal: ‘Young kids take it because of me.
I don’t like that’” (Loony 12). McGwire was right, kids do take it because
of him, reports say that the sale of andro increased by over 500% after word
came out that he was using the supplement (Loony 12). One can only hope that the
kids will again follow his lead and stop taking this harmful drug. Mark McGwire
is not the only professional athlete who is taking dangerous supplements.
Michelle Smith de Bruin of Ireland won three gold medals in the Atlanta
Olympics. Quite an accomplishment? Maybe if she had done it without the use of
andro. She was banned from swimming for four years because of it. She ended up
appealing the drug charges, but was not taken seriously because she spiked her
urine sample with alcohol. In the end, she retired from swimming. (Cook 32). The
use of androstenedione is banned in almost every proffesional sport, the NCAA,
and the Olympics, but not in professional baseball. There needs to be a unifrom
drug policy throughout all sports, not just certain ones. The use of sports
supplements such as androstenedione or creatine is dangerous, and these drugs
should require a prescription to obtain. The people who are using them are
misinformed about the side effects that they might have. Athletes are willing to
sacrifice their health and well being by taking androstenedione or creatine, in
order to perform outstandingly for one season. The United States and the
professional sports organizations need to tighten up legislation reguarding
these drugs. If nothing is done about this, many people will develop serious
medical problems.