Supplement Users Beware!

All college athletes, and some non-athlete students, have the drive to become bigger, better, and stronger. Many people will do anything to have bulging muscles and leaner bodies. Supplements are a broad category, with many types and forms. They are taken to build stronger and bigger muscles, as well as to burn fat to lose weight. Supplements have one definite thing in common – all are drugs. The supplement industry seemingly provides a simple solution to the common stress of becoming better: take a pill or add a scoop of powder to your drink. However, this “easy” answer is not so safe.

Many supplements across the board are not approved by the NCAA due to their ingredients and potential safety.  Athletes nationwide can lose scholarships and the ability to play because of unknowingly consuming a substance that happened to be in a supplement. Not only are some supplements detrimental to one’s athletic career, but also to overall health. Medications are sent to the liver when consumed in the human body. Taking supplements puts more stress on the liver, and can cause serious liver damage. Other side effects are possible, which can be as serious as death. Consider who formulates and markets these products. Some of the people who create supplements have had multiple criminal lawsuits and charges against them because of unsafe products and results/side effects from taking these medications. One designer of popular supplements (discussed in this video) had to lie about his profession (he said he was a construction worker) in order to purchase compounds he wanted to use for his product. If this isn’t a red flag, nothing is.

Sometimes, supplements may be recommended for certain situations. However, it is important to ensure that they are safe, effective, and NCAA approved. If you are an athlete or even a typical student, consult your sports dietitian, athletic trainer, or local RD to figure out what is safe and best for you.

USA Today Supplement Video

Blog post submitted by Penn State Dietetic Senior: Lauren Marucci

Failing NCAA Drug Tests: Who's To Blame

Being in the business of evaluating an evergrowing volume of nutritional supplements, it is important to understand many of the implications that surround the use of these performance enhancing drugs. The NCAA has a general list of the types of supplements and classes of drugs that are considered banned substances, but the problem is that the market is just flooded with thousands of banned supplement ingredients that can hide behind chemical names. Recent examples of this are the use of products like Jacked3D and Pure Power that make claims of increased endurance and improved recovery without the disclosure of it's NCAA banned substance DMAA. This makes it hard for even the qualified individual to know what athletes might be taking. In this article found in The Sports Digest, you will read about collegiate athletes that have fallen victim to the ever confusing world of nutritional supplementation and how the NCAA governs its use.
Click here to read more...

NCAA 2012-2013 Banned Substance List

Ever year the NCAA furnishes its member institutions with the most current list of banned substances. This list is meant to educate the student-athlete on the classes of drugs and some of their compounds that are deemed illegal in the collegiate sports arena. Some of these drugs or medications are considered to be performance enhancing while others are simply illicit drugs that can be a danger to one's health and well being.

Please click here for the NCAA's 2012-2013 Banned Subsance List.

Fueling Champions: Top Sports Nutrition Ingredients

"Hundredths of a second can separate a gold medal winner from someone who doesn’t make it to the Olympic medal stand. Therefore, athletes are looking to gain every performance advantage they can get their hands on."

What and how an athlete eats is just as important as the time spent training and lifting. In a NewHope360.com article titled "Nutrient Timing Key to Sports Nutrition", Sports RD, Marie Spano, MS, RD, explains how different nutrients work to fuel athletes and promote optimal performance.

Athletes should remember that proper NUTRITION is an essential part of their training regimen and to meet with a Sports RD with any food & nutrition related questions.


Click HERE to read the full article.


Reference: http://newhope360.com/sports-amp-fitness-performance/nutrient-timing-key-sports-nutrition?page=1

Coming Soon...New i-Tunes App

Pennington and tech partner launch website, app targeting body image issues

A new Web-based platform and smartphone app designed to promote healthy body image, as well as address eating disorders and obesity prevention, was unveiled today at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The new platform, called Emer.ge, and the app, called The Body Image Voice, were launched today by Body Evolution Technologies in collaboration with Pennington. "The vision of Emer.ge is to empower individuals to shift focus from unrealistic appearance ideals and move toward health, balance, and optimal performance," says Dr. Tiffany Stewart, director of the Behavior Technology Laboratory at Pennington and co-founder/chief scientific officer of Body Evolution Technologies. "It seems basic, but science supports the idea that until we regard our bodies better, we won't treat them better," she says. The Body Image Voice app focuses on a single component of body image: the role media and advertising play in shaping our ideals of health and beauty. App users rate the impact of images and ads they see to assess which messages they think are helpful or harmful. The app will soon be available as a free download in the iTunes store. Check out the website here for more information and demos on how the website and app work.

Baton Rouge Business Report Story
May 2, 2012

Sugar in Powerade ION4 - Indispensable & Defensible

Many consumers are confused about sugar. Is it good for me? Bad for me? “Will it make me fat?” Should I follow Ellen DeGeneres and go on a “sugar cleanse”? Should my kids eat sugar? In the media, sugar is regularly blamed for childhood and adult obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, and even cancer. Lost in all this confusion is the simple fact that our bodies run on sugar. Sugar (glucose to be precise) is the only fuel that our brain and nerves can use under normal circumstances. If all we did was lie in bed and watch TV all day, our brain would still need about 100 grams (400 kcal) of glucose to fuel its activity.

Improved performance is the most important benefit of drinking Powerade ION4 during exercise, a benefit that results from preventing dehydration and supplying energy to muscles. That energy is sugar. Sugars (carbohydrates) such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose are quickly digested in the intestine (in the case of sucrose), rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, converted into glucose by the liver (in the case of fructose), and immediately transported to muscles, brain, nerves, and other tissues throughout the body. Active muscles take up glucose
(blood sugar) from the bloodstream and break it down to produce the energy required to keep active bodies going longer and stronger, one reason why sports drinks consistently beat plain water when it comes to performance.

There is absolutely no reason to apologize for or be defensive about the sugar in Powerade ION4. To the contrary, Powerade ION4 contains sugar for reasons rooted in strong science:
• The sweetness of sugar encourages voluntary fluid intake during exercise and that reduces the risks associated with dehydration;
• During exercise, sugar is such a powerfully positive signal to the brain that just the presence of
sugar in the mouth improves performance, even if the sugar is not swallowed;
• Sugar stimulates rapid water and nutrient absorption, an important attribute during exercise when sweat loss is high and the body needs energy and electrolytes;
• Sugar in the intestine and bloodstream provides feedback to the brain that the body is adequately fueled and that helps make exercise feel easier;
• The sugar in Powerade ION4 is used by muscles to produce energy and improve performance;
• Consuming sugar during prolonged, intense exercise actually reduces the stress hormone response to exercise and maintains the activity of certain immune cells;
• Finally, active consumers wary about sugar have a great option: Powerade ZERO.

Sugar critics often cite sugar intake as a cause of obesity. As evidence, they point to the fact that both obesity and sugar consumption in the US rose markedly from 1980-2003. But in the UK and Australia, sugar intake has fallen in that same time period, yet obesity rates in those countries have continued to rise. There is no doubt that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing; that’s true of sugar as it is of protein, water, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. For sedentary people who are overweight or obese, consuming a diet high in sugar may well contribute to negative health outcomes. But for healthy, physically active people - and especially for athletes in training - sugar presents no risk to health and is absolutely essential to fuel physical and mental performance. And that’s certainly true for the relatively small amount of sugar in Powerade ION4.

Powerade: Sports Drink Science, Feb 2012

Supplement 411: a Great Resource for Information on Dietary Supplementation

Take some time, perhaps as much time as you would spend shopping aimlessly for your dietary supplements, and navigate to a website called Supplement 411 . USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) has created this website to help guide athletes in their never ending search for the magic supplement...the pill or powder that will elevate their game to the next level. The site is designed to do the following:

• Designed to give facts about the supplement industry,
• Suggests what is the best thing to take,
• Explains why athletes often choose to take dietary supplements,
• Discusses the serious health and safety risks that athletes are exposed to when using dietary supplements,
• Warns the consumer about the possibility of ingredient mislabeling and/or product contamination of banned substantces, and
• Helps to identify risks and red flags when purchasing these supplements.

Click on the Supplement 411 link above or simply cut and paste this link into your browser and start educating yourself of the hidden dangers of dietary supplement use and abuse.
http://www.usada.org/supplement411

New App: NSF for Sport

I wanted to make you aware of a new App that is available for your iPhone or Android devices. It is from NSF Certified for Sport. To meet the growing demands of athletes, coaches and all those concerned about banned substances in sports supplements, NSF International created the new NSF Certified for Sport® Program. This new NSF program is a focused solution designed to minimize the risk that a dietary supplement or sports nutrition product contains banned substances.

The program objective is to certify that participating manufacturers of sports supplements have met NSF's stringent independent certification process guidelines, which were developed through a consensus process involving regulatory, industry and consumer groups. A key component of this program will be a specially designed NSF Mark on each product label to show athletes, coaches and consumers that a sports supplement has met NSF's comprehensive program guidelines.This program, which focuses primarily on the sports supplement manufacturing and sourcing process, provides key preventive measures to:

1. Protect against adulteration of products
2. Verify label claims with product contents
3. Identify athletic banned substances in the finished product or ingredients
   
Use this App in addition to talking with the medical staff and dietician to determine if the supplement that you want to use will best help you reach your peak performance as well as keep you compliant with the NCAA rules and regulations regarding banned substances

Buyer Beware: DMAA in Your Supplements

A widely used ingredient that is found in commonly purchased nutritional supplements to aid in "leaning or cutting" as well as enhancing muscle development is considered a banned substance by many governing bodies that govern intercollegiate athletics as well as professional and international athletics. This product has a number of names that are used to disguise itself on an ingredient label. The most commonly seen names is 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA), also referred to as methylhexanamine, Geranamine, and geranium oil, extract, or stems and leaves from its stores. In addition to its ban as a performance enhancing supplement ingredient it has also been increasingly associated with serious adverse events.

Here is a list of products to avoid as they contain this banned substance. This list is NOT ALL INCLUSIVE. Meaning that DMAA and its alias' are found in a great number of supplements. Some of these products are sold at stores such as Walmart and GNC...

USPlabs Jack3d (Tropical Fruit and Lemon Lime)
USPlabs OxyELITE Pro
Nutrex Research Lipo-6 Black (his and hers)
Nutrex Research Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate (his and hers)
Nutrex Research Hemo-Rage Black Powder, Punch, Berry
iSatori PWR
Muscletech NeuroCore
Muscletech HydroxyStim
Fahrenheit Nutrition Lean EFX
Muscle Warfare Napalm
SNI Nitric Blast
BIORhythm SSIN Juice
MuscleMeds Code Red
SEI MethylHex 4,2
Gaspari Nutrition Spirodex

Supplement Contamination = Positive Drug Test

Athletes must be very cautious with any type of dietary supplement. Even though the ingredient label may not list any known banned substances, contamination with banned ingredients is still possible. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements, which means the supplements’ manufacturers are the ones responsible for ensuring the ingredient list is correct, not the government. This has led to many problems with athletes and positive drug tests.

In the following NUTRAingredients.com article: CLICK HERE for the full article

2 athletes were tested positive for the substance DMAA, also known as: 1,3-dimethlyamylamine, dimethlyamylamine, dimethlypentylamine, forthan, forthane, floradrene, geranamine, geranium oil, and geranium flower extract. These athletes argued that the product they took was contaminated and the DMAA was not listed on the ingredient list.

It is extremely important to remember that not all supplement products are safe, even if they are sold over-the-counter and have an ingredient list that seems okay. Before buying or trying any supplement, be sure to check FIRST with Sr. Associate Athletic Trainer, Shelly Mullenix, Head Strength Coach, Tommy Moffitt, and/or Sports Dietitian, Jamie Mascari. Being SAFE is always better than being SORRY.

Supplement Caution

Red Flag Supplement Words


Athletes are presented with a multitude of information about supplements, from many different sources. These may include the supplement's manufacturer, online stores, health stores, gyms, or friends and family.


Here are some RED FLAG indicators to watch out for if you are considering a supplement. 
**Please know that this is NOT a complete list and should only be used for reference.


Make sure to filter all potential supplements and any questions in regards to a particular product first with Shelly Mullenix- Athletic Trainer, Director of Wellness BEFORE you take it. 
Tommy Moffitt- Head Strength Coach and Jamie Mascari- Registered Dietitian can also answer your questions.

You should avoid any product that list or makes reference to any of the following:

All natural	Not for human consumption	Testosterone booster	Aromaste inhibitor Anti aromatase
Natural testosterone booster	Estrogen suppressor	Natural HGH/IGF-1 booster	Reformulated
Stimulant free version	Only FDA approved pro-hormone	Ephedrine free	Get our product before it is banned

Red Flag Supplement Ingredients

If any one of these ingredients or something similar is present in the supplement, we suggest not purchasing or using. You could have short-term or long-term negative health risks and/or fail a drug test.

7-Keto (DHEA)	Synephrine
Diuretic	Etioallocholen
Colostrum (bovine)	Superdrol (2a-17a-dimethyl-5a-androst-3-one)
Pro-hormone	Trione or Dione
19-nor	19-norandrosta
Androstene	Halodrol (4 chloro-17a methyl-androst-1-4 diene-3-17b-diol)
1, 3-dimethylamylamine (Most common)	Geranium oil extract
Geranium extract	DMAA
Geranamine (trademarked by Proviant Technologies)	Forthan
Ephedrine	MaHaung
Etiocholan	Estra
6 OXO (4-etioallocholen-3,6,17-trione)	Dianabol
17beta-hydroxy	17a-methyl
4,9-estradiene-3-one-17b-ol	Andro
Epistane (2a 3a epithio-17a-methyl-5a-androstan-17b-ol)	5a-androstano 2 3-c furazan-17b-tetrahydropyranol
Geranuim oil	Methylhexanamine
4-methyl-2-hexanamine	Pentylamine, 1, 3-dimethyl-
2-amino-4-methylhexane	2-Hexanamine, 5-methyl-

Source:

DrugFreeSport.com

REC (Resource Exchange Center)

Nutritional Supplement Ingredient Warning: Geranium

American tennis player Robert Kendrick tests positive...

Health experts and anti-drug enforcers are scrambling to warn athletes and the general public about a potentially dangerous supplement ingredient with a harmless name: Geranium. In this article, you can read about the banned supplement ingredient that is commonly found in energy drinks and energy capsules that has resulted in competition suspension for a number of athletes.

There is additional concerns about the use of Geranium. Research has shown Geranium to have similar or potentially stronger effects than ephedrine, a nutritional substance that had been banned by most agencies overseeing collegiate, professional and international athletics. Geranium, coupled with the effects of the extreme heat of the South, makes for a lethal mix.

Click the link below for the full article:

http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201108/geranium-products-might-pose-serious-risk-athletes

NCAA 2011-2012 Banned Drug List

The NCAA has released it's 2011-2012 Banned Substance List. Please take some time to read over the entire list so that you are familiar with the medications and some of the ingredients found in nutritional supplements that are banned. Remember that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the dietary supplement industry; therefore purity and safety of nutritional supplements can not be guaranteed. Student-athletes take nutritional supplements at their own risk. The only supplements that LSU student-athletes can safely consume are those supplied by the Strength and Conditioning Center. Click the link below to see this years Banned Substance List from the NCAA.

http://www.lsusports.net/fls/5200/assets/docs/ad/pdf/2011-12_Banned_Drugs_Educational.pdf

Please Note: Synthetic THC Cannabinoids (eg: Spice, K-2, JWH 018, JWH 073) have been added to the NCAA Banned Substance List. Testing positive on a NCAA test for this substance or any other substance on their list will result in a one-year suspension from competition.

Energy Drinks: More Than Just a Drug Testing Issue

For years, the Athletic Training Department and it's Team Physicians have been warning about the use of energy drinks. During drug education meetings, supplements and energy drinks are thoroughly discussed because they are often the source of NCAA banned performance enhancing drugs: guarana, caffeine, and citrus aurantium to name a few. The use of these energy drinks becomes even more troublesome when combined with stimulant medications that are commonly used for the treatment of ADD/ADHD.

Consuming even one of these energy drinks could result in some negative side effects such as: increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, irregular heart beats, and sleep distrubances. With the hazards of heat illness and dehydration in the southern region of the United States, consumption of energy drinks could spell disaster.

The New York Times and MSNBC have interesting articles regarding the dangers of consuming energy drinks. To read these articles in their entirety, just click below:

New York Times: Scientists See Dangers in Energy Drinks...

MSNBC: Energy drinks can be dangerous for teens, report says...

Cranberries Can Cure...

True or False:

Drinking cranberry juice may offer some protection to millions of women each year who suffer from Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).

Answer: TRUE!!

Leading research institutions have been reporting the latest findings regarding the cranberry's antibacterial and anti-adhesion properties, as well as promising new areas of research in anti-aging, anti-cancer and protection against cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. Click here to read the full article about the health benefits of cranberries.

Supplement Watch: What Not To Buy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently issued a public health advisory warning consumers of nutritional and body building supplements from American Cellular Laboratories Inc. This company has been marketing and distributing body building products containing synthetic steroid substances. However, they are being marketed as dietary supplements.


Many of these products would certainly fall under the NCAA's Banned Substance list. Click on the link below to read the full story:

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm173739.htm

Top Ten Nutritional Tips For Athletes: Part 2

Below is Part 2 of my top 10 nutritional guidelines for athletes. As you recall, my top five emphasized:

1. Nutrition is your Secret Weapon
2. Develop a habit of Eating Frequently
3. Breakfast is for Champions
4. Time Nutrients for Best Muscle Gains and Recovery
5. Skip or Minimize the Alcohol

To round out the Top 10, here are some additional guidelines to help you on a path to developing a lifestyle of healthy eating in addition to becoming a healthier and more productive athlete.

6. Be smart about Nutrition Supplementation – Learn how proper supplementation and timing can greatly impact your performance

a. 90% of Supplements do not work and will make your wallet smaller. In addition, many supplement companies do not practice Good Manufacturing Standards (GMP), therefore, making the supplement industry a “Buyer Beware” market. Informed Choice testing 58 products for banned substances and 25% contained Steroids. Bottom Line: You can’t trust the local GNC sales staff on what to buy.

b. On the other hand, proper supplementation with high quality products can be extremely beneficial for your strength, performance, and recovery goals. Supplements do not replace the intake of food as most supplements designed to improve strength, power, or recovery do not contain calories, therefore, will not give you an immediate boost of energy unless it contains a wide variety of stimulants + caffeine, which is not on my “RECOMMENDED” list for collegiate athletes.

Here’s a list of the top 5 supplements I recommend that have been scientifically proven by the top nutrition researchers in the country to enhance strength, performance and muscle recovery.

1. Creatine
2. Beta Alanine
3. Chocolate Milk
4. Whey and Casein Protein
5. Glutamine

To ensure you are taking products that are free of banned substances, please visit www.informed-choice.org for a list of tested supplements. Informed Choice performs the highest quality of testing of dietary supplements.

7. Have a plan in place to achieve success with good nutrition

Athletes who eat well have a plan in place to achieve their goals. Planning involves:
• Having healthy food in your house/apartment
• Bringing nutritious snacks to class for between meals
• Having healthy snacks when traveling to road games
• Knowing your eating schedule (times) for the day
• If trying to lose weight, those who have the most success keep a food diary

Having a plan and being organized is one of the most important principles when sticking to a smart eating plan.

8. Be Smart when dining out, particularly Fast Food

Whoever told you that you can have a cheat day doesn’t know very much about practicing good nutrition. It’s ok to have a cheat meal once or twice a week but eating whatever you want for an entire day can disrupt six days of quality eating. I realize Fast Food is a favorite in the majority of diets of college athletes but if your goal is to maximize performance and improve overall quality of life, I don’t recommend you eat fast food too often, if ever. I’m a realist and realize you’re going to eat it so if you do, BE SMART.

Instead of eating a Value Meal, choose these options:

• 2 Small or Jr. Hamburgers (hold mayo and cheese), substitute a salad with light dressing instead of Fries with a Water
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich with a side salad or fresh fruit
• Single Hamburger with a small or large chili (i.e. Wendy’s)
• Egg Mcmuffin or 2 Breakfast Burritos with low fat milk or juice
• 2 Chicken or Steak Soft Tacos with a Bean Burrito
  

9. Stay Hydrated

a. Especially with the humidity Louisiana during the summer, hydration is critical for the management of many elements.

b. Body temperature, electrolyte balance, and absorption of key vitamins and minerals are altered depending on your hydration status. It is important to go into any active event (practice, lifting, game) hydrated. Dehydration can significantly impact your performance as well as contribute to muscle cramps, especially if you’re only drinking water during long events or training sessions. Drink at least ½ your body weight in ounces of fluid + any losses with sweat.

c. CLEAR URINE = hydration (excluding caffeine and alcohol)

d. DARK YELLOW URINE – Dehydration (unless taking a B-Vitamin)

10. Don’t Underestimate The Importance of Snacking

What I mean by snacking are the meals in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A snack could consist of a protein shake, peanut butter sandwich, fresh fruit and a sandwich. Remember how beneficial it is to eat every 3-4 hours. A quality snack will help you achieve this. CAR ANALOGY: You cannot expect your gas tank to remain full for 6-8 hours so refill it every 4 hours with a small meal or snack.

If you have any questions regarding this BLOG or general nutrition questions, feel free to email me at tpiattoly@gmail.com

Tavis Piattoly, MS, LDN, RD
Team Dietitian, New Orleans Saints
Team Dietitian, St. Amant High School
Nutrition Consultant, New Orleans Hornets