Cautions Using Supplements for Athletes

Every year the use of weight gain or strength supplements used by young athletes continues to increase.  Athletes think that by taking these supplements it will increase their ability to perform within their sport.    Unfortunately coaches in all sports and at all levels hunt for players that are bigger, stronger and faster. In this piece I want to give young athletes a bit of advice and caution about using supplements, from someone with experience. 

Cautions:

1.  Don’t start them at a young age .  Young athletes  bodies grow at such a high rate throughout their mid to late adolescence that supplements may not be needed.  It is difficult to tell how big and strong young players will be, because they are constantly changing.  There is no need to start using supplements of any kind before 16 years of age.  Even then the types of supplements used should be tempered.
2. Read the labels.  Before buying any type of supplement make sure you read what is in the product you are purchasing.  If you don’t know what one of the ingredients is, do your own research before putting it in your body .
3. Ignorance is not an excuse.  The sports media is quick to talk about an athlete who fails a drug test, then commenting they had no idea the “medicine” they took would result in a positive test.  Is this possible? …absolutely.  Some types of over the counter drugs can bring back a positive test.  However, ignorance is not an excuse.  If you are an athlete that must follow any type of drug program that has prohibited substances, it is your responsibility to become familiar with what is on that list.
4. Ask Questions.  In many ways this relates back to reading the labels .  Talk to your doctor about suggestions on which supplements to use, and how to do so safely.
5. Know how the supplement works.  I bring this up from personal experience, specifically with creatine.  When I was playing football creatine was the big rage to building body mass quickly and legally.  Creatine works by extracting water out of the surrounding muscles to add body mass.  Here lies the issue.  If a player is using creatine they are supposed to add three to four times the amount of water back into their body.  If that is not achieved it can result in a higher chance of cramping or pulling a muscle.  Despite drinking a lot of water I still pulled my hamstring, which sidelined me for a month.  One, in which scar tissue the size of a softball had to be worked out of my leg over a four week period.  Other supplements have other personal effects and it is important to understand how each supplement works.
6. Taking supplements doesn’t make you a better athlete.  Does an athletes size matter?  The obvious answer to this question is yes.  However, it does not and never will mean more than being able to run, make plays and understand what you are doing.  I have seen numerous young players get on supplements, work hard in the weight room and get physically bigger.  In doing so, these players get stiff and lose a step thus making it more difficult for coaches to play them. 
7. Money.   The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar a year business.  Where do you want to spend your money?  Would it be better to work hard in the weight room without supplements and pay for camps, a player development website and other things that will truly help make you a better player, or spend it on weight gain supplements? 

Advice

1. Whey and Protein.  If you are going to use supplements, and sometimes they are needed, focus on whey and protein supplements.  These supplements are easy to use and do not have many side effects like creatine.  Protein and whey products are specifically used to add weight rather than centering on muscle mass.   Therefore, allowing the athlete to develop muscle naturally.
2. Control what you can control.  Unfortunately we all grow at different rates, and we are different sizes.  Regardless of how many supplements I took I would never end up like my best friend who is 6-6 280 pounds.  Despite my lack of size there were things that I could do well, like run and catch.  Work on the parts of your game that you have control over.  If size is not something that you are going to have on your side, become the smartest player on the field.  Study the game harder than everyone else around you, and make it impossible for coaches to keep you off the field .
3. Addiciton.  If you use supplements do it in a responsible manner.  Supplements that you purchase at GNC or any other store does not automatically make that product good for you.  In addition, be careful not to get so absorbed up in taking certain supplements that you move onto dangerous supplements like steroids.
4. Work hard in the weight room.  Young players should put their focus on working hard in the weight room and on the practice field rather than ways to cheat their body. 
5. Set personal goals and work to achieve them.  Don’t get pre-occupied with what those around you are lifting, focus on what you are lifting.  Every person is different.  Some people see rapid gain in the beginning of their lifting cycle then plateau quickly, while others have to lift for a longer period of time then see rapid results. 

Supplements in general are a part of sports and I don’t foresee that going away.  I hope some of this will enable young athletes to use supplements responsibly.  An example of this is learning proper technique and on field recognition of plays through film study and learning the details of your sport.  These are the tools that are going to help a player succeed long before any supplement that you put in your body.