Use of Supplements Among High School Athletes
By Tavis Piattoly / Contributor
High school athletic programs, notably in sports like football, have grown rapidly, with athletes seeking any advantage to achieve their dreams of winning state championships or securing college scholarships. Research from the Taylor Hooton Foundation reveals that 35% of middle and high school athletes are utilizing protein supplements. Even more alarming is that 5.9% of male high school athletes and 4.6% of female high school athletes are using anabolic steroids to enhance their performance. Additionally, popular over-the-counter products such as pre-workout boosters that contain significant doses of caffeine and other stimulants, which may be prohibited by the NFL, are prevalent in many high school locker rooms. In 2016, three coaches and three athletic trainers reached out to me after discovering 20 of their players using pre-workout supplements containing the banned substance Synephrine (commonly known as Bitter Orange), which is forbidden by the NFL, NCAA, and other professional sports organizations.
The main motivations behind athletes turning to supplements include increasing body mass and weight, enhancing strength, reducing body fat, and boosting energy levels. However, what concerns me more than the reasons athletes use supplements is the information sources they rely on. Research indicates that the most influential recommenders of supplements are coaches, teammates, and friends.
Where is the Research?
At present, there is limited research on the safety of dietary supplements for healthy teenage athletes. One of the most commonly used supplements that has been extensively studied (more than 2,500 studies) and is considered safe is creatine. Unfortunately, only two studies have specifically included athletes younger than 18, both showing no side effects, but they were short-term studies lasting 6-8 weeks. This does not suggest that a person under 18 should avoid creatine, as numerous clinical studies have examined creatine supplementation in infants, children, and teenagers with medical conditions (like muscle-wasting diseases, muscular dystrophy, and creatine synthesis deficiency) without showing adverse effects. The challenge for consumers is identifying reputable companies that produce clean products with high-quality raw materials. Supplement companies often use cheaper ingredients to increase profit margins, knowing that many consumers lack sufficient knowledge about product quality. For instance, there are 7-8 different forms of creatine found in dietary supplements. Although many companies mix various forms of creatine, creatine monohydrate is still regarded as the gold standard according to scientific literature. Moreover, a reputable company committed to quality will use branded Creapure™ from Alzchem in Germany, which is considered the highest quality of creatine monohydrate.
Lack of Knowledge Among Supplement Store Staff
A crucial piece of advice I share with athletes, coaches, and parents is the importance of caution when purchasing products from a supplement store. The 20 athletes previously mentioned who acquired a pre-workout supplement containing the banned substance Synephrine did so based on the advice of store staff, who typically do not have formal training in nutrition, biochemistry, chemistry, or pharmacology. When making other purchases, like a car, television, or furniture, I wouldn’t expect salespeople to hold MD, RD, RPh, or PhD qualifications. However, when it comes to products that may impact health, cancer risk, cardiovascular well-being, sleep quality, or muscle strength and performance, I would certainly prefer to consult a medical professional instead of a sales associate. Would you rely on a salesperson for guidance regarding prescription medications? Most supplement store staff are trained to promote the most popular products or those that yield the highest profits.
Assessing Your Supplements for Banned Substances
One would think that pills, powders, or capsules would undergo some form of regulation before being consumed, especially if they claim to enhance health or athletic performance. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, however, allows dietary supplements to be marketed without prior evaluation. Consider the difficulties individuals experienced with Ephedra before the FDA intervened in 2004 to ban all products containing it, a decision made only after the deaths of well-known athletes Kory Stringer and Steve Bechler.
Currently, attention has shifted to anabolic steroids and growth hormone use due to increased testing across all sports levels. Alarmingly, a study conducted by Informed Choice Labs, which randomly sampled 58 protein powders from prominent supplement stores, discovered that 25% of those powders contained anabolic steroids. Additionally, 11% tested positive for stimulants that were not listed on the label. What worries me even more is that high school athletes are relying on supplement store representatives for advice on which products are effective for building muscle, shedding body fat, and enhancing performance. I urge parents to consult their child’s physician and/or a board-certified sports dietitian before they begin any dietary supplement regimens.
To check whether your dietary supplements are safe and free from banned substances, I recommend visiting the leading testing lab for banned substances: NSF – www.nsfsport.com
Are Dietary Supplements Safe for High School Athletes?
In general, dietary supplements can be safe for high school athletes if they adhere to some straightforward guidelines:
1.) Discuss the reasons for wanting to take supplements with their parents.
2.) Assess their eating habits to identify potential changes that can lead to immediate performance improvements (e.g., eating at the right times).
3.) Choose a supplement that is well-researched and proven to be safe.
4.) Follow the dosage that has been studied in scientific literature.
5.) Only use supplements that have been certified by a third party from an accredited lab (see above).
6.) Consult with their doctor, a board-certified sports dietitian, or a certified athletic trainer before taking any supplement.
Editor’s Note: Tavis Piattoly, MS, RD, LDN is the Education Program Manager and Sports Dietitian for the Taylor Hooton Foundation where he educates young individuals and their adult influencers about the dangers of Appearance and Performance Enhancing Drugs and Dietary Supplements.
Learn more about Tavis on page 11 and more about the Taylor Hooton Foundation at taylorhooton.org.
