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U-M physicians warn athletes about the harmful side effects of sports supplements and steroid abuse
steroids and other drugs might seem like a quick fix but can harm your health Sports supplements may be a quick fix to add muscle, bulk and speed but physicians at the University of Michigan Health System say there's no telling what the long-term effects of pills and powders that are purchased over the counter will be on the body.
"A substantial problem with most supplements is the fact that they are not controlled by the government," says Edward Wojtys, M.D., director of the U-M Health System's MedSport and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the U-M Medical School. "So, many times when you buy something off the shelf, you really don't know what you're putting into your body. And to me, that's very scary." Athletes using steroids or hormones to add muscle are playing an even more dangerous game with their health, Wojtys says. And concerns are growing. One alarming study reported that adolescent use of steroids is on the rise, according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse. Sports enhancers, or ergogenics can include everything from steroids, to supplements and hormones. They are substances that can improve athletic performance and make muscles work more efficiently. "When you see an athlete who gains 20 pounds of muscle-mass very quickly, over eight to ten weeks in the summer, while that doesn't have to be steroid use, it certainly could be," Wojtys says. "And if there's any doubt, a physician's exam and a drug test would be the way to go." |
Wojtys says he and his colleagues regularly see patients who use Creatine, a legal substance sold at many health product stores. Some studies show that under the right conditions Creatine can augment muscle function and improve performance.
"The supplements you can buy over the counter can be just as dangerous as a controlled substance," Wojtys says. "It's important to recognize, that many of these things have not been studied adequately. We don't have long term studies on what they do to the body. So it really is a little bit like Russian Roulette."
As athletes prepare for the fall sports season, coaches, parents and friends should keep an eye out for the telltale signs of sports supplement use.
"The problem with Creatine is we have only short-term knowledge of what it does," Wojtys says. "What something like Creatine will do to an athlete in the long term is really completely unknown." One of the more recent studies on Creatine shows alarming results. When Creatine is processed by the body, it forms formaldehyde, a very toxic substance, often used as a preservative, that can damage everything from artery walls to muscle, Wojtys says.
U-M physicians also see patients who use Glucosamine and Chondroitin, also legal substances found at health food stores. Those are often used by older people to protect joints, damaged knees and shoulders. Based on what researchers know so far, Glucosamine and Chondroitin won't do any harm to the body.
A University of Michigan Health System update on important health issues
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