Athletes should ask themselves numerous questions before taking ergogenic acids.  Ergogenic acids are substances that are supposed to enhance one’s physical performance, but few actually do, and could be in the form of protein powders, amino acid supplements, steroid replacers, “muscle builders,” etc.  The first question an athlete should ask himself or herself is: do I really need to take this?  The answer should be no, since most athletes can get the nutrients and energy they need through eating properly; especially ensuring they are receiving a sufficient amount of carbohydrates to supply them with an abundant supply of glucose their body can use for energy.  An athlete should also ask him/herself what claims is product making, and is there sufficient evidence this actually works?  Many products will claim that it can “enhance performance” or “build muscle,” but are they just saying this because they are a manufacturer trying to make money off of their product?  Most of the time this is the case, and the producers of the product cannot be trusted since such products are not evaluated, and are left up to the consumer to evaluate on safety and effectiveness.  Athletes also need to keep in mind that ergogenic aids are created to be sold and to make money, not necessarily to help the athlete perform.  Another question athletes should ask themselves before taking ergogenic aids is, can I get the same health benefits that this product claims to provide through diet?  It has been said over and over that people should get the vitamins, minerals and energy they need to perform activities via their diet.  Out bodies were not made to take in synthetic nutrients, but rather to obtain them from food; furthermore, supplemental aids may not have the same beneficial effects that a nutrient or energy from foods will have since our bodies are made to absorb the energy from foods, not man-made products.

 

          I have heard many stories of people taking performance-enhancing nutritional supplements, but one story stands out to me.  There was a boy on my friend’s baseball team who took steroids.  These supplements definitely “bulked” him up and he felt as though he played a better game when he was on them.  One year later when the team reunited for the summer league, the same boy who had previously taken the steroids was now a scrawny, little guy.  Everybody’s speculations of him taking drugs were now solidified, but nobody expected to see what had happened to him now that he was off of them.  The boy was more embarrassed than ever about his appearance and the fact that it was very clear that he had taken an enhancing drug.  If the boy had gone to the gym and eaten properly, he would have been able to sustain the muscle that he had without taking such supplements.  Many athletes do not realize that they are not going to be on such performance-enhancing products forever, and when they come off of them, there will be consequences.

 

          I do not think that any supplements should be used of any kind, and should be banned from all athletes to use.  I think that it gives that athlete an unfair advantage.  It does not show what the athlete can do, but it shows how the drug can enhance a person’s performance.  In other words, when people are on such drugs, their performance is not due to the hard work and dedication they put into training for whatever sport or event they are participating in, but it is all because of the money they spent on a pill that made them perform that way.  Everybody should put the time and hard work into training for the activity they are participating in, and the event should show this dedication to the sport they are playing.  If everybody took performance-enhancing drugs, than everybody could possibly be playing with the same energy and intensity, so then why would people train if they could just take a pill?  And not only are people just taking drugs, but they are using blood as a performance enhancer!  I was unaware that people actually do this.  It is crazy to me to think that people would even store their own blood, or other’s, in order to enhance their performance since it would fuel the body with more red blood cells to carry an increased amount of oxygen through their body.  These drugs and performance-enhancing activities take the appreciation away from the sport or event, which is truly a sad thing when those who are not taking any sort of drugs actually have put time into preparing for the event.  It is good that there are so many devices and ways that can detect such drugs and blood enhancements, but new “bio similar” hormones are going undetected.  Because people know such hormones are undetected, are they taking them to increase their performance and getting away with it?  I have faith that there will be a new way to detect all acts of performance enhancing drugs and various things that have the same affect, and hopefully there will come a time when it will be banned for athletes to use, or misuse, any ergogenic aids.

 

          Not only were the supplements bad enough as they were, but now there are methamphetamine in supplements that are used as ergogenic aids, specifically in an enhancing drug called, “Craze.”  Since these drugs are so new, there is no guarantee of the quality of such substances and what they will actually do to the body, especially since the substance has never been studied in humans (CNN Health).  An athlete’s body is like their “temple” and they should not want to put drugs in it of any kind, especially ones that could have detrimental affects to their health.  The methamphetamine-like products had the same effect on people as the drug, which was concluded in the study performed by the National Forensic Service in South Korea and the National Institute for Public health and the Environment in the Netherlands.  And even more frightening is the fact that this ingredient in the drug was not even listed on the label (USA Today).  So how can Sport Driven claim that the product is “legal” and “safe when used as directed?”  To my knowledge there is no “safe” or “legal” amount of methamphetamine usage.  It seems as though this isn’t Driven Sports’ first surveillance regarding one of their products, which should make people not purchase their products (CNN Health).