Eat, Drink and Be...WARE! What supplements are your kids ingesting?

 Just in time for THANKSGIVING!!!!

One of the most pressing concerns for parents and coaches SHOULD be what types of food, drinks and supplement their young athletes are consuming.

Parents and coaches should have major concerns about the information and sources of information on supplements and energy drinks that are easily available to young athletes. As I noted in past posts on supplements and energy drinks, many contain dangerous mixes of stimulants, steroids and herbs that can cause a variety of harm to liver, heart and overall health.

What should parents and coaches do? 

First, be aware of all sport or energy drinks, supplements or “powders” your athletes are consuming. Then follow the simple guidelines below to insure your athletes are practicing beneficial dietary practices.

 NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR YOUNG ATHLETES

First, you need to limit ALL sport and energy drinks to ONLY those that contain water and some lower concentration of carbohydrate. Eliminate any drinks with herbs, caffeine or supplements OTHER than electrolytes (mainly sodium, magnesium, potassium). 

If you are exercising for less than 75 minutes, water is the only fluid your body really needs and let thirst be the guide for intake before, during and after exercise of competition. Exercise less than 45 minutes do not require any carbohydrates for performance but exercise from 45 to 75 minutes MAY, if intensity is high, require small amounts of carbs like the 30-35 grams of carbs in one of the 20 ounce sports drinks like Powerade, Gatorade, etc. 

Competitive sports like soccer, basketball, rugby, field hockey, etc. that last from 60 to 120 minutes should try and consume between 30-50 grams of carbs from sports drinks at various intervals over the duration of the contest.  20 ounces of Powerade, Gatorade or 16-32 ounces of water, mixed with ¼ the amount of white grape juice, unsweetened orange or cherry juice WILL MEET the ENERGY requirements of the athletes providing they consumed a pre-competition meal 2-3 hours prior to the game.

The only additions to the daily diet of carbs, fats and protein needed by young athletes would be a MultiVitamin and perhaps Vitamin D, Calcium and Iron. For teenage athletes, who are strength training in addition to their sport practices, additional protein may be needed if their diet does not contain .6 to .9 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. The protein should be a mix of proteins, such as Whey, Egg and Milk proteins with Amino Acids being the only other additives to the protein mixture.

Athletes who compete in “high intensity, intermittent sports” and/or engage in “high intensity” strength training or interval training CAN greatly benefit from CREATINE supplementation. The supplementation should be in the consistent but “low dose” protocol of 3-5 grams per day for 3-4 week periods with one week of non-supplementation between supplementing periods.
Realize that diets and the way each individual processes the food and nutrients IS EXTREMELY INDIVIDUALIZED.THERE IS NO ON WAY OF EATING THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE!

There are, however, some very good recommendations for everyone that can be very beneficial for ATHLETES OF ALL AGES. First, make sure you get 6-8 fist sized servings of vegetables EVERY DAY. Some of the vegetable servings can be replaced by fruits and at least 32-48 ounces of water should be included daily. 

Try to consume 75-80% of your daily intake in “whole” or unprocessed foods. Also, foods are BETTER sources of nutrients than “meal replacement” bars, energy bars, gels and sport drinks and should be used in place of these sport products whenever possible. For example, chocolate milk and/or Peanut Butter and Honey sandwich on whole grain bread is more preferable after workouts or a game than sports bars or drinks.

When in doubt about supplements, bars, herbs, etc. it IS WISE TO CONSULT National Sports Governing Body websites for information.
Probably the most clear and concise website for sports supplement classifications would be the AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SPORT (AIS) website.

I believe it is up to parents of teens to make sure they are aware of the products their children are taking. It should NOT be surprising that in the Alex Rodriguez investigation into PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT DRUG USE concerning BIO-GENESIS LABS that the majority of the clients using Bio-Genesis for illegal steroids and Performance Enhancing Drugs were Florida teen-agers.

Young athletes in search of performance enhancing methods would benefit more by:
1) GETTING MORE SLEEP.

 2) Train consistently under a well-designed program that is balanced in intensity, volume, density and proper recovery methods. Both proper and regular training, in conjunction with 8-10 hours of Sleep, can elevate testosterone naturally to aid in recovery, growth, regeneration and maturation processes.

3) Make sure the daily diet is consistent with “unprocessed” foods that deliver quality Fats, Carbohydrates and adequate Protein. Note: avocados, cashews, almonds and eggs are some of the whole foods that support testosterone production.

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Here is the short form of an article that should SIMPLIFY the daily diet to something that everyone can manage…if they choose!

(Only) Two Rules for a Good Diet

Selected information from the full article by Marc Bittman/ New York Times /Oct. 21

To a large extent, you can fix the food system in your world today. Three entities are involved in creating our food choices: business (everything from farmers to PepsiCo), government (elected and appointed officials and their respective organizations) and the one with the greatest leverage, the one that you control: you.

There are two big decisions that can put you on the right path and help you largely steer clear of antibiotics, excess sugar, unwanted chemicals, animal cruelty, and more.

Here then, is your two-step guide for an unassailably powerful personal food policy.

1. Stop eating junk and hyper-processed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as “food.”

 2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

If you add “Cook your own food” to this list, it’s even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you’re consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on.

The power lies with you.

 PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL AND BENEFICIAL INFORMATION ON THE DANGERS OF SUPPLEMENTS

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Being a long time Track and Field coach, this recent press release is one of many concerning athletes who “unknowingly” ingest banned substances. In all sports, YOU are responsible for what GOES into your body, knowingly or unknowingly!!!!! 

Energy drink to blame for Montsho’s drug mishap

Gazette Sport has established that 400m sprinter Amantle Montsho consumed an energy drink containing the banned substance prior to the Commonwealth Games. A source close to the athlete informed this publication that the former women’s 400m world champion unknowingly consumed the substance and that she was not aware that she was consuming Methylhexaneamine. One of the energy drinks believed to contain the banned substance is named Anabolic Nitro Extreme Energy Surge.
HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN?-----READ THE ARTICLE BELOW and be more cautious.

Dangerous Dietary Supplements Return to Store Shelves

By Anahad O'Connor

October 21, 2014 

The Food and Drug Administration frequently recalls dietary supplements that are found to contain banned substances. But a new study suggests that many of these products return to store shelves months later with the same dangerous ingredients.

The findings suggest that health authorities may be fighting an uphill battle against a small number of supplement companies that repeatedly sell contaminated products. The new study, published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that out of more than two dozen supplements that were pulled from shelves after they were found to contain anabolic steroids or powerful prescription drugs, roughly two-thirds were back on the market a year later with the same illicit ingredients.

Most of the supplements were marketed for weight loss, exercise and sexual enhancement, and they were sold across the country at convenience stores, in health food shops and over the Internet. They were found to contain steroids and prescription drugs like Viagra and Prozac, an antidepressant.

The study also found that several of the weight-loss products contained Sibutramine, an amphetamine-like drug that was removed from the market in the United States, Asia and Europe after a clinical trial showed it increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Since 2004, about half of all F.D.A. drug recalls have involved dietary supplements found to be contaminated with banned pharmaceutical ingredients. Supplement industry trade groups say that these products are usually manufactured and sold by a few bad actors who represent the fringe of the roughly $33 billion a year supplement industry. 

Under a federal law enacted two decades ago — the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, or Dshea — dietary supplements can be sold and marketed with little regulatory oversight. Companies do not need F.D.A. approval to sell supplements to consumers, and they do not have to provide proof that their products contain the ingredients listed on their labels.

Unlike prescription drugs, dietary supplements are considered safe until proven otherwise, and generally they are pulled from shelves only after complaints of serious injury.

In recent years, research has shown that herbal supplements such as echinacea, Ginkgo biloba and St. John’s wort are frequently mislabeled or diluted with cheap fillers like powdered rice. Last year, a nationwide study by a network of liver specialists found that the number of liver-related injuries linked to bodybuilding and weight-loss supplements was on the rise.

Jennifer Dooren, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, said that supplement companies “are legally responsible for marketing a safe product that is not adulterated.” But because companies do not need approval to sell their products, she said, the agency cannot identify tainted supplements before they reach consumers. And even supplements that are identified as contaminated can be difficult to pursue.

“The supply chain for these products is extremely fragmented,” she said. “One product manufactured by an unknown company overseas may be sold by dozens of different distributors in the United States. The individuals and businesses selling these products generally are difficult to locate, operate out of residential homes, and distribute via the Internet, small stores and mail.”

Between January 2009 and the end of 2012, the F.D.A. recalled at least 274 dietary supplements. Many of these products returned to the market a short time later. In the new study, Dr. Pieter A. Cohen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues purchased 27 of these products on average about one year after they had been recalled.

Although many of the previously recalled products returned to the market with slight changes to their labels or brand names, Dr. Cohen and his colleagues limited their study only to those products that returned to shelves or websites with identical packaging.

“We excluded anything that wasn’t exactly the same as it was when the F.D.A. recalled it,” he said. “But a sizable percentage of these products that are recalled, about 25 or 30 percent, are still available.”

The study found that two-thirds of the 27 supplements analyzed contained at least one unlisted anabolic steroid, prescription drug or banned substance. A majority contained the same drug or illicit ingredient that led to them being recalled by the agency. And in some cases, the products contained not only the previously identified substance, but additional drugs as well.

Twenty of the supplements that were analyzed were manufactured in the United States. Out of this group, 13 contained banned ingredients, suggesting that the problem is not limited to unscrupulous companies overseas, Dr. Cohen said.

“This is the problem with supplements: They can be introduced without any vetting at all by the F.D.A.,” he said. “These products are recalled, and then the companies keep selling the pills without making one iota of change to the product. We’re talking about very blatant flouting of the F.D.A.’s requests.”

The authors of the study called for changes to the federal law to better protect consumers from such products.

Dr. Cohen, who has published a number of studies identifying dangerous or illicit ingredients in dietary supplements, said that consumers should be particularly wary of products containing a mixture of herbs or ingredients — what he called “herbal cocktails.” Many of these products may be unadulterated, he said, but consumers usually cannot be sure, and often these are the sort of products that are most likely to be spiked with dangerous ingredients.

“If you want to buy herbal supplements, buy individual ingredients,” he said. “Buy echinacea or black cohosh separately. But don’t buy a mixture and don’t buy a supplement that’s sold to cause weight loss or improve your workouts. These are exactly the types of supplements that these drugs have appeared in.”