High School Sports Question--creatine/supplements/looking the other way

I asked about this just before the board crashed, now it's buried somewhere, so I try again........

Looking for opinion/feedback here...talking to some friends who have kids at the local high school, playing football and other sports--big school in an affluent community--and they asked me something I couldn't answer. Maybe some of you can shine a light on this.

The head coach and trainer is addressing the players and parents, and gets to the subject of nutritional supplements.

'As for creatine and Ripped Fuel and that category of supplements, enough isn't known about their effects and benefits to growing bodies, so we suggest you only use these with your doctor's and parents' advice and consent.'

The message seemed to be: do what you want, we don't want to know.

Is it naive of me to think high schools should just be saying 'We don't approve, don't do this...'? Are there high school programs that ban this stuff? Should they be? Is it reasonable to think that kids who get results with something will just go the 'more is better' route?

Isn't it incredibly hypocritical to grieve and wail over steroid abuse in sports, but allow this at the high school level?

Interested in what the norm is out there, I'll hang up and listen.

 

In football, it will always be.

At all levels.

Actually, to me, if that quote is accurate, those coaches are much more responsible than the ones in my neck of the woods.

If you are going to try tackling it at the HS level, there is only one way.

Taking it out of the levels of sport above HS. Will never happen.

 

If you watch "Super Size Me" you come away thinking most schools aren't terribly invested in knowing the truth about what their students are putting into their bodies, including from the very vending machines and "cafeterias" on campus.

 

In New Jersey they've started drug testing of student-athletes that make the state tournament.
A link to the list of banned substances can be found on the association's home page at www.njsiaa.org
At the top of the list of banned substances it says "Many nutritional/dietary supplements contain NJSIAA banned substances." It goes on to say that the FDA doesn't regulate them so their safety and purity can't be guaranteed. In regular type it says that "Impure supplements may lead to a positive NJSIAA drug test" followed immediately in bold type "The use of supplements is at the student-athlete's own risk" Then in regular type it goes on to say that the student-athlete should consult their trainer or physician for more information.

I don't know what coaches are telling the kids, but the list of banned substances with that note at the top is being giving to every student-athlete.

So the question becomes will the student-athletes risk a positive drug test if they're on a state tournament bound team (.500 record or better) or will they just lay off the supplements? Will they risk a possible college scholarship (positive drug test from an impure supplement) or will they gamble that if a positive test comes back the college coach will believe than an impure supplement caused the positive test?

 

It sounds like the coach was told to say that so his school/school board is legally covered in a worst-case scenario.

"Sorry, Mr. Smith. Coach Wilson warned young Johnny he shouldn't use that stuff without medical or parental supervision."

 

There's a name for high school football coaches who consistenly lose football games. Its called "former high school football coach".

Don't be naive, 21. High school coaches cheat like hell in skirting transfer and eligibility rules. Don't ask, don't tell isn't just for the Army.

 

Exactly. School boards don't care about the health of their students. They only care about not getting sued by parents.

 

Well, you know I'm not naive, so let me say what I meant in my first post:

Why are we wasting our time moaning about the 'loss of innocence' in professional (and Olympic) sports, the death of the game, the necessary purge of steroids and hormones--issues that affect adults, many of whom are paid millions to compete--when we won't even tell high school kids that it's unacceptable?

And yes, I know creatine is legal and easy to buy, and its dangers are unproven. But if a little of this works, why not try something else too?

This is like leaving a bowl of Halloween candy outside the door with a note that says 'Just take one.'

 

Are you saying you'd take more than one??? In what kind of a sick world do we live in that people take more than one piece of candy from the bowl? That's it, I'm moving to Burkina Faso.

 

Creatine is a supplement that is totally safe and is found in red meat. It's a natural supplement that has been proven to be safe. So IMHO, I think it's ok for high school athletes to take the stuff. We're not talking about steroids or HGH. I think if people are worried creatine use will lead to experimenting with banned steroids, then there has to be a thorough education program about the risks of such things. And if that is not enough, then those states that don't test should start testing. You can't stop or ban high school kids from taking creatine when a) it's a legal substance that has proven to be safe and b) the stuff actually works when used right.

 

I offer this up as some evidence for creatine being safe.

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/creatinesafety.htm

 

Creatine is a substance contained in the body that combines with adenosine diphosphate to manuafacture adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is what the body uses to expend energy. I won't bore you with the Krebs cycle.

I don't know if ingesting creatine will create energy because the body will metabolize it before it gets to the muscle cells. I suppose the breakdown into sugar will give you a rush, but if that's the case, you'd be better off just eating sugar IMO.