Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Proposed Benefit (s) Side effects, other issues

Allow consumer to meet nutritional demands; no evidence that exercise improves with supplementation

Megadoses of some can be harmfulCostly!Best to eat balanced diet and get naturally occurring v and m

Protein and Amino Acids

Proposed benefit(s) Side effects or other issueUsed by athletes desiring increased muscle mass, strength, powerDebate as to whether they are effective

CostlyMost people can get enough protein through diet; excess protein may be a wastePossibly digestive issues, kidney problems with too much protein 

Creatine

Proposed benefit(s) Side effects or other issue-produced naturally, and found within skeletal muscle – helps produce ATP/Energy rapidly- therefore, useful for short-term, high intensity bursts of activity (ie. powerlifting, wrestling and sprinting)

VIDEO LINK

possible side effects: stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and muscle cramps.- high doses of creatine may be associated with kidney, liver or heart problems-there is a limit to the amount of Creatine that can be stored excess is excreted.  

Caffeine

Proposed benefit(s) Side effects or other issue- stimulant that is found in tea, coffee, colas, chocolate- increases alertness, and possibly helps to utilize fat stores during long duration exercise  

- acts as a diuretic, therefore potential for dehydration.

Hydroxycut (“fat burners”)

Proposed benefit(s) Side effects or other issue- advertised as a product that promotes the loss of fat/weight through increased metabolic rate

- one of the main ingredients is Caffeine (stimulant) and formerly Ephedrine (now illegal to be sold with that ingredient). Possible side effects include: increase in B.Pressure, Heart Rate, restlessness, loss of appetite. VIDEO CLIP 

Anabolic Steroids

Proposed benefit(s) Side effects or other issue- help to decrease amino acid breakdown, increase protein synthesis and increase lean body mass- therefore, commonly used by athletes in strength/power sports

- illegal and banned by most sportsPOTENTIAL harmful side effects include:-- liver damage, erectile dysfunction, and impotence; Gynecomastia (growth of the breasts); atrophy of the testicles; increase in aggressiveness-- high blood pressure- cardiovascular & kidney problems- stunted growth- Virilization (Development of male characteristics in women)

Human Growth Hormone

- produced naturally in the body- Anabolic effect on various tissues -- muscle, skeleton (increase in height)- synthetic versions of HGH are used by some athletes to replicate/increase these anabolic effects

- nerve, muscle, joint pain- risk of diabetes- may be linked to certain cancers-illegal in most sports

Erythropoietin (EPO)

- natural protein hormone, produced in kidneys- causes an increase in Hemoglobin, improves the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, and is therefore beneficial to endurance athletes

difficult to test for (since it's a naturally occurring hormone)- side effects may include high blood pressure, headaches, nausea

Blood Doping

- involves the intravenous administration of blood, RBC's, and related blood products- used to increase the bloods oxygen carrying capacity, and enhance performance in aerobic/endurance activities

- banned by sport governing bodies - difficult to detect (b/c hemoglobin levels are only slightly altered)-this method is being replaced by the use of EPOBanned by most sports-