HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Here are some products / ingredients / claims of particular concern to look out for :
• ‘ Pro-hormone ’ products / ingredients such as ‘ DHEA ’, ’ 19-nor ’, ‘ adrostene-dione ’ or - ‘ diol ’. o Claims of ‘ hormone-like ’ effects – the words ‘ anabolic ’, ‘ mass builder ’, ‘ steroid- ‘, ‘ testosterone- ‘, ‘ growth hormone-like ’ effects .
• Products that claim to have ‘ super energy ’ and / or fat-burning effects ( rapid weight loss , ‘ cut ’ or ‘ ripping ’) – these are likely to contain high doses of stimulants like caffeine / ephedrine / methylhexaneamine * which are harmful to your health ; o * Methylhexaneamine has a long list of different names – DMAA , MHA , geranium oil , etc . etc ., making it difficult to recognise when reading a label .
• Watch out even if it says ‘ natural ’ or ‘ herbal ’ forms of pro-hormones or metabolites or fat burners ( e . g . Tribulis terrestris , guarana , ephedra , mahuang etc .) – these are dangerous and have been linked to several cases of toxicity , deaths and severe disability .
• Products like creatine and caffeine are not banned substances and there is a good body of research on it , done ON ADULT ATHLETES . So , for the adults we have a good sense of their indications , dosage efficacy and safety limits , side-effects and contra-indications . They do not work for everyone , in some they may negatively affect performance , and in some they may be harmful to health . Be aware that there is very little research done on their efficacy and safety for children and adolescents . Why ? For ethical reasons scientists ( from credible research institutions ) are very cautious using under 18 ’ s as ‘ guinea pigs ’ due to the potential risk of causing harm to aspects of health , growth and development .
• – NOTE that these types of supplements , though not banned in itself , could be mixed or contaminated with banned / harmful substances , which may or may not be indicated on the label …
• Products that claim to produce ‘ incredible results ’ – if it sounds too good to be true , then it normally is ! The risk to benefit ratio is simply not worth it .
What about supplement-use in youth ? ( Under 18 years of age )
• Due to the substantial risks ( known and yet unknown ) related to supplement use , SAIDS supports the international consensus that sports supplements ( including creatine , caffeine , prohormones , herbals etc .) should not be used in persons under 18 years of age ( see SAIDS position paper for YOUTH ).
Proven facts
• Optimising one ’ s training , overall dietary intake , rest , recovery and sleep patterns are proven to have a far bigger impact on physique , performance and health than any sport supplement ( or ingredient or formulation ) tested to date can .
• ‘ Skimping out ’ on any of the important aspects of nutrition and training cannot be replaced by the use of supplements .
• Nutrients from supplements are not better than those you get from food , especially to build muscle , reduce body fat , enhance recovery , immune function and maintain overall health and performance short- and long-term .
• A well-balanced diet can boost performance and eliminates the many risks that one faces when using supplements .
• There are only a small number of supplement ingredients proven to assist exercise performance under certain specific conditions , mainly in adults , but even so , it is NOT a one-size-fits-all approach and one still cannot guarantee that it is 100 % safe and risk-free , especially in youth !
• Supplements are expensive – rather invest time and money in seeing a registered dietitian , who specializes in sports nutrition . This would be the best person to devise an individualized sport nutrition programme for you and , where appropriate , guide you on the correct use of supplements and how to minimize risks .
Do you need supplements to perform at your best ?
The simple answer is NO ! The science gurus have conclusively proven that the cornerstone of optimal performance is to eat a wellbalanced diet ( with a variety from all food groups ) and eat enough of it to meet your energy needs , to properly time your food intake ( before / during / after workouts ), to train intelligently and to allow for sufficient rest and recovery .
In some situations there might be a valid reason to use a particular dietary supplement . But a person ’ s age , circumstances , type of supplement , dosage and timing thereof should be established on an individualized basis and then constantly re-evaluated . It remains critical to follow a risk minimizing approach when selecting the applicable supplement . A registered dietitian with sports nutrition experience is the best equipped health professional to help you with this process .
How to minimise the risks
• A dietitian can help you identify and implement a scientificallyproven nutritional and supplement programme based on :
1 . Firstly , optimising your overall dietary intake , in a practical way that suits your needs and circumstances , and then secondly , assessing whether you need / could benefit from supplementation , then ,
2 . The type and amount of supplementation should be individualised to ‘ fill the gaps ’ if / when needed , it should be appropriate to complement your training and competition , rest and recovery goals .
It is not a one-size-fits-all approach !
3 . The choice of supplement ( s ) should be critically evaluated – whether it has sound scientific proof with direct , supportive and wellexecuted research showing its effectiveness and safety for that individual ; aspects of the product manufacturing process should be investigated to help identify low-risk supplements . o Note : Certain products or retailers may provide a ‘ stamp of approval ’ or logo indicating that their supplement ( s ) have been independently tested for ‘ quality and / or safety ’ and certified to be ‘ free of banned substances ’. Such testing is expensive and it invariably means that only some aspects of safety are being tested for , and in most cases , only on a random , infrequent basis . Though this helps to reduce some of the safety risks , it is important to know that :
1 . the claims of efficacy of the formulation are not being tested for ; 2 . important safety aspects e . g . dosage , contra-indications , side-effects in young vs old are not being tested for ; and 3 . there might still be banned or harmful substances in the product that are not being tested for .
The level of testing therefor still does not provide a guarantee that taking the product will not harm your health or performance , or that an athlete wont test positive for a banned substance – so taking such products are still not risk-free .
A registered dietitian who specialises in sports nutrition is a valuable resource to help you maximise your health and sporting performance .
Click here to download the SAIDS Parent ’ s Guide to support CLEAN SPORT
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