Nutrition, Supplements and Fitness

By Bruce Cohn
Concord Journal, April 2003
 
We live in a world filled with promotions for nutritional and dietary products that promise us quick results for improving our health, fitness and performance. You can’t pick up a magazine or watch television without coming across these types of ads. Dietary supplements have grown into a $12 billion industry. And few of these products are regulated by the government.

I am amazed by the number of people--youngsters and adults alike—who ask me about using creatine, ephedra or other supplements. Some want to get bigger and stronger while others just want to look and feel better. Perhaps it is time to revisit the whole issue of training, nutrition and supplements.

Recently, one of my young athletes asked me whether he should begin using a weight gaining product to help build more muscle and strength. My first question to him was, “What do you eat for breakfast?” When he told me that he didn’t eat breakfast I reminded him that his body had its greatest need for fuel at the beginning of the day. Since he was not providing his body with the necessary fuel in the morning, it was essentially breaking down his muscle mass to provide it.

There is no point in trying to supplement your diet if you are not eating properly in the first place. I have said before that it is important to get the majority of your nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins and water) from eating whole foods. Protein drinks, energy bars and vitamins are no substitute for eating balanced meals.

But there are other products which are more troublesome. The recent death of a Baltimore Orioles pitcher who was taking ephedra to lose weight has increased concerns about this substance. This “herbal” supplement, known as Ma Huang, contains ephedrine alkaloids which are similar to amphetamines and increase both heart rate and blood pressure. Since 1998, the Food and Drug Administration has reported over 800 adverse reactions to Ma Huang including strokes, heart palpitations, seizures and heart attacks.

Ma Huang is found in both weight loss products and sports drinks. The adverse reactions described above affect people with no apparent risk factors and often occur within one week of taking these supplements. They should be avoided whether you are trying to lose weight or get more fit.

Creatine is another popular product which is marketed as a muscle-enhancing chemical. It is made in your liver, stored in the muscles and used to provide muscular energy for the first 7 to 8 seconds of explosive activities like sprinting and jumping. Since your body makes creatine from amino acids found in fish and meat, the question becomes: why do we need more?

In Olympic-caliber athletes, higher stores of creatine in the muscle may make the difference between a gold and silver medal. But most of us do not need to perform at Olympian levels. There are reports of gastrointestinal and muscular cramping associated with creatine and there are no long-term studies on the effects of its usage. I take a cautious view of creatine and encourage my athletes and clients to focus their attention on proper training.

We have come a long way in our understanding of nutrition, supplements and conditioning. But there are no shortcuts to losing weight, getting in shape or improving performance. A proper diet along with appropriate training remains the key.

Bruce Cohn is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Middlesex School in Concord. He runs FIT-TO-GO Total Sports Conditioning and is a nationally certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Bruce can be reached at 781-316-0061 or brucegym@rcn.com.