Sports supplements are often unregulated and carry health risks like hormone imbalances, organ damage, and failed drug tests. Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, eggs and soy are safer alternatives that provide essential nutrients to support an active lifestyle and top athletic performance without harmful side effects.

2. An Overview of Sports Supplements
Type of dietary supplement used to enhance athletic
performance
Can include vitamins, minerals, herbs, plants, and/or amino acids
Most are available as OTCs and do not require FDA approval
Expected to follow FDA’s good manufacturing practices to ensure
quality and safety of the product
Not enforced as well as the quality control of prescription drugs
NFL, NCAA, and IOC have developed polices about sports
supplements
Have banned use of steroids, ephedra, and androstenedione

4. Androstenedione and DHEA
Prohormones: broken down into testosterone in the body
Research shows that they do not increase muscle size, improve
strength, or enhance overall athletic performance
Side effects include ones similar to those of anabolic steroids:
Cause hormone imbalances
Lead to testicular cancer, infertility, stroke, and an increased risk of
heart disease
Teens may not reach full adult height if they use prohormones
Can cause breast development and shrunken testicles in males

5. Creatine
Formed in protein metabolism by the liver, kidneys, and
pancreas
Supplements are taken to improve strength
Majority of users are teens
Has not been found to increase endurance or aerobic
performance
Most common side effects are weight gain, diarrhea, and
muscle cramps
Can effect kidney function in people with kidney problems

6. Fat Burners/Thermogenics
Act as stimulants that increase metabolism
Ephedra-based products are extremely
dangerous & have been known to cause
heart problems, stroke, and death
Has since become banned due to the severity
of its side effects
Ephedra-free products are still known to
cause high blood pressure, heart attack,
stroke, and seizures
Many also contain high amounts of caffeine

7. Stimulants: Caffeine
Caffeine
Commonly used, but is regulated: limit is 12mg/mL
in urine (approx. 3 to 6 cups of strong coffee)
Side effects include increased heart rate, cardiac
output, metabolic rate, and urine output
High doses cause anxiety, insomnia, nervousness,
and a decrease in EPO production

8. Stimulants: Amphetamines
Used to increase muscular strength and
endurance, acceleration, aerobic enzyme activity,
as well as to play through painful injuries
Side effects include headaches, sleeplessness,
anxiety, cardiac rhythm disturbances, stroke,
hypertension, coronary events, coma, and
sometimes death
These risks are increased in high temperatures due to
the body not being able to cool itself effectively

9. Androgenic Anabolic Steroids
Synthetic version of testosterone
Prescribed to treat medical conditions such as muscle atrophy or delayed
puberty
Not allowed to be prescribed to enhance athletic performance
In 2005, AAS were classified as a controlled substance if held without
prescription
Male side effects: breast development, shrunken testicles, decreased sperm
count, and increased risk of becoming infertile or impotent
Female side effects: excessive facial and body hair, reduced breast size,
deepened voice and increased risk of masculinized female fetus
Both genders can experience acne, oily skin, jaundice, balding, tendon
rupture, heart attack, enlarged heart, increased bad cholesterol levels, mood
swings, rage, delusions or paranoia, and increased risk of liver
disease/cancer

11. Banned Substances and
Restricted Procedures
Substances: Other Drugs and Procedures:
Stimulants Blood doping
Anabolic agents Local anesthetics
Alcohol and beta blockers Manipulation of urine samples
(banned for rifle only)
Beta-2 agonists permitted by
Diuretics and other masking prescription and inhalation
agents
Caffeine concentration in urine is
Street drugs regulated
Peptide hormones and
analogues
Anti-estrogen
Beta-2 agonists

12. NCAA Nutritional Dietary
Supplement Warning
Review the product and its label with your AD staff
Supplements are not well regulated, some may cause a
positive drug test result
Many dietary supplements are contaminated with banned
drugs that are not listed on the label
Any product containing a dietary supplement ingredient is
taken at your own risk
If a student athlete tests positive for drugs as a result of taking a
dietary/nutritional supplement, the athlete puts their eligibility,
reputation, and their future in jeopardy

13. Drug Testing by NCAA
Director is not notified any earlier than 2 days before testing
Athlete usually only finds out the day before or just hours before they are tested
Student athlete must sign a compliance form after being tested
Confirm they understand the drug policy and consequences of failed drug tests
Failure to turn the form in results in deeming the athlete as ineligible
Must be accompanied by a witness during testing
What if the student athlete tests positive?
Suspension from athletic participation
Second offense results in a year’s suspension from participation
Third offense results in athlete being banned from NCAA competition

14. US Anti-Doping Agency
$9.5 million in funding since 2001 in attempts to deter the
use of prohibited sport supplements:
Detection of exogenous growth hormone and its analogs,
mimetics, and secretagogues
Detection of O2 transport-enhancing substances and methods
Detection of synthetic anabolic steroids
Doping with genetic technology
Ethical considerations
Improved detection of naturally compounds
Any many other facets of the field

16. Misrepresentation of
Active Ingredients
Underrepresentation
Unsafe because level of true intake is unknown
Done in an attempt to get repeat customers because of effective product
Overrepresentation
Financial loss
Done to cut production costs and increase profit
Example:
Quality Control of Dehydroplandrosterone Dietary Supplement Products
Less than 50% contained 90-110% of amount on label

17. Unintentional Contamination
Not following Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP)
set by the FDA
~20% of OTC supplements in the US contain
adrogens
Mostly prohormones in low concentrations
Health risk still relatively low
Major risk is for athletes in terms of failing drug tests

18. Intentional Contamination
Classified as containing more than 1mg/g of androgens
Health risk is high, especially for pregnant women, women, and children
spontaneous abortion, solidifying of growth plates, deepening of voice, and
sterilization
Example: Parabolan-S (fizzy tablets) by Senesco-Pharma
Said to contain prohormones, contains 17mg of Metandienone (Dianabol)
per tablet
More than 3 per day would total to a higher load than what intentional steroid users
view as the highest acceptable daily dosage (50mg/day)
Example: Gaspari Nutrition by Novedex Extreme
Claims to be “non-anabolic and non-androgenic supplement”
Contains androstatrienedione and 6-oxo-androstendione
Converted to 1,4,6-testosterone
Aromatase inhibitors and androgen receptor agonist

19. DSHEA
Regulates dietary supplements for the FDA
Can remove dietary supplements from the market
The DSHEA is responsible for:
Dietary supplements on the market that do not label all
of the contents within them
Supplements that have non-FDA approved ingredients

20. Obtaining “Clean” Supplements
Purchase products that are certified by US Pharmacopeia
Ensured that it is produced under GMP
Tested for quality, purity, and potency
CONTENT tested
National Science Foundation supplement certification
Developed with NFL and NFLPA
Product is produced under GMP
Does not contain substances and/or
metabolites banned by the NFL

21. FDA Recommendations
Consumers should protect Avoid the following claims/phrases:
themselves from harm
“Easy” fix for problems like excess
Supplements are DRUGS weight, hair loss, or impotency
“Scientific breakthrough”,
Consult Health Care Professional “miraculous cure”, “secret
before and during use ingredient”, and “ancient remedy”
Check the FDA’s Tainted Weight Impressive-sounding terms, such
Loss Supplements list as “hunger stimulation point” and
“thermogenesis”
Product is safe because it is
“natural”
Undocumented studies or personal
testimonials by consumers/doctors
Promises of no-risk, money-back
guarantees

23. Labeling of Multivitamins
Not very accurate
Percentages on label do not reflect absorption
Absorption does not reflect biological effect and
function at active site
Lack of labeling of bioavailability makes it
impossible to compare products
Bioavailabilty is not standardized over all
multivitamins or specific MVMs
Due to inaccurate labeling, assumed dietary
intake can be off by 25-50%

24. Compromisers of Bioavailability
Homeostatic control
To maintain homeostasis, the body will react to
large doses of minerals/vitamins by increasing
excretion
Ingested amount will not effect utilization at site of
action positively
Definitions of bioavailability vary by individual
Sex, age, physiological state

25. Inactive Ingredients
Fillers, coatings, surfactants effect:
Release of Ca, folic acid, and B12
Absorption
Metabolic processes
Nutrient-nutrient reactions:
Vitamin C with inorganic iron increases iron absorption
Decrease magnesium and calcium to increase iron
absorption

26. Testing of Vitamins
Human testing is required
Dissolution and disintegration standards are set by USP
Not mandatory to abide by standards
Acid solubility
Not all vitamins and minerals apply to this test
Lack of coverage, i.e. calcium solubility
Drug interaction
Little testing or research completed in this area
Not required
Interactions are not required to be posted or reviewed by the FDA

28. A Quick Comparison…
Whole Foods Supplements
Advantageous for athletes Little variety
Support an active lifestyle
Isolated nutrients
Contain essential nutrients to
maintain optimal health and Can do more harm than
top performance during an
endurance event good
More complexity and variety
“Food Synergy” – whole foods
influence our health in
complex and highly interactive
ways

29. Whole Foods to Support
an Active Lifestyle
Diverse and nutrient-dense sources of proteins and carbs
Proteins
Major structural component of muscle and other tissues in
the body
Help produce hormones, enzymes, and hemoglobin
Carbohydrates
Energy currency of the body
Fuel muscle contractions

30. Whole Food Sources of Protein
Eggs
Complete protein
BV = 100
Thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folic acids, vitamin B12, biotin,
vitamin D, vitamin E, and phosphorus
Soy:
Complete protein
Fiber, iron, calcium, zinc, B vitamins, antioxidants
Others
Fish, chicken, beef, and milk are also great source of food protein
Contain essential amino acids and many useful vitamins and minerals

31. Whole Food Sources of Carbs
Best sources are:
Whole grain foods
Whole fruits and whole vegetables
Whole food carbs can be used to:
Provide the energy the body needs during
exercise
Support hydration of the body
Contain electrolytes, fiber, and an array of
vitamins and minerals

32. Summary
Most of the popular sports supplements carry heavy health
risks and bad side effects
Many sport organizations have banned a number of sports
supplements; if an athlete tests positive for a banned
substance they put their eligibility and their future in jeopardy
Lack of regulation of these supplements results in even
higher risk due to misrepresentation of the products and
contamination
Whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are a great
alternative to manufactured supplements and are much safer