Bulking up
Use of nutritional supplements routine among young athletes
By Dolly A. Butz, Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, September 24, 2005
East High School football player Ryan Lessman bench presses after football practice Wednesday in the school's weight room as teammate David Ebner spots for him. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
They come in various flavors and forms. Some promise to increase strength, others weight or endurance.
Nutritional supplements, along with other sports nutrition and weight-loss products brought in $15.7 billion in 2004, and young athletes are among their consumers.
A recent survey conducted by the National Institutes of Health and cereal-maker Kellogg Co. found that 8 percent of girls and 12 percent of boys age 12-18 said they used nutritional supplements in order to obtain a better body. The percentage for competitive athletes may be much higher.
In a sport where the competition is tight and bigger is better, East High School lineman Ryan Lessman is feeling the pressure. The son of University of Nebraska All-American Randy Lessman, Lessman is determined to make his dream of playing Division 1 football a reality.
"I use protein," he said. "It helps you build muscle and it's good for you."
Lessman's teammate, David Ebner, a senior strong safety and wide receiver, said he tried protein shakes his freshman year, but has not used them since. Ebner said he finds working hard in the weight room works just as well.
"There is a certain pressure to get stronger," he said. "They push you to work harder. As long as you push harder, you should gain weight."
Most protein shakes, powders and capsules are made of whey, soy, egg or casein, or are a combination of any or all of those ingredients. Creatine, found in lean meat, fish and human muscle, is also widely used among athletes.
Tina Shelleda, owner of Nutrition Village, said creatine is popular because it helps build muscle mass. Although most consumers of her products are in their 20s and 30s, she said younger athletes also are taking a look.
"I have some young guys that just look at it and then maybe come back later," she said. Shelleda said she thinks cost may be a factor in their decision to purchase some nutritional supplements.
At some online stores, the price for one bottle of creatine ranges from $13 to $79 .
Nutritional supplements, such as creatine, are legal and unregulated by the FDA. The effects of their long-term use also remain unknown.
"It's something they need to research," said Jesse Wavrunek, director of physical enhancement at St. Luke's Medical Center.
Wavrunek said that creatine is "relatively safe" and helps the body retain water weight, allowing athletes to get a better work out. Because it helps the body recruit water, he said that an athlete can expect to gain 5 to 10 pounds while taking creatine.
Toxicologist Dr. Edward Bottei, medical director of the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center, said the athletic edge gained from taking creatine is minimal at best.
"There are a lot of people who swear by it, but when it comes to strong, hard statistics, it's a little more difficult," he said.
However, Bottei said he can understand the use of protein supplements.
"I think it's well accepted that anyone who does strenuous training or exercise does need more protein than the average sedentary person," he said. "That's not such a problem, provided it's done in moderation."
Bottei said athletes who get too much protein may end up with unwanted fat rather than muscle. If protein supplements are overused, the body will store the excess protein as fat.
For sports such as football, baseball and weightlifting, bulking up is routine, but after the death of San Francisco 49ers lineman Thomas Herrion following an August preseason game, experts are once again cautioning players and coaches about the dangers of being too big. An autopsy released Sept. 6 revealed that the 6-foot-3, 330-pound 23-year-old died of a heart attack.
Dr. Rex Rundquist, a pediatrician at Prairie Pediatrics and Adolescent Clinic, said a body mass index (BMI) of 20-25 would be ideal for a high school football player. A BMI over 25, he said, would be considered overweight. Although there is some disagreement about whether BMI is an accurate measure of health, Rundquist said there are no exceptions for athletes.
"It is considered unhealthy," he said. "In the long term, it's unhealthy."
Sara Ronning, assistant athletic trainer at the University of South Dakota said that problems can also result when athletes gain weight too fast.
"They have muscle tenderness or other problems," she said.
Those problems can include an elevated heart rate and an increased susceptibility to illness.
"They have a much higher rate of developing those things," she said.
Using nutritional supplements may be helping some young athletes bulk up, but it is not being encouraged by local high school coaches.
"I'm sure that some kids are taking supplements," said East High School football coach Steve Zediker. "We're not at all urging that as coaches."
Bishop Heelan High School head wrestling coach John Yoder is just as adamant about the use of supplements.
"I don't want anything to do with supplements," he said. "Do it naturally."
Athletes don't have to look to nutritional supplements to bulk up, according to Ronning. She said a good balanced diet with carbohydrates and proteins, along with their work out should work for most athletes, although she said results are limited by genetics.
"If you can avoid supplements, that's the safest way," she said. "People are limited by their genetics. We have to educate our athletes on that all the time."
Nutritional supplements, along with other sports nutrition and weight-loss products brought in $15.7 billion in 2004, and young athletes are among their consumers.
A recent survey conducted by the National Institutes of Health and cereal-maker Kellogg Co. found that 8 percent of girls and 12 percent of boys age 12-18 said they used nutritional supplements in order to obtain a better body. The percentage for competitive athletes may be much higher.
In a sport where the competition is tight and bigger is better, East High School lineman Ryan Lessman is feeling the pressure. The son of University of Nebraska All-American Randy Lessman, Lessman is determined to make his dream of playing Division 1 football a reality.
"I use protein," he said. "It helps you build muscle and it's good for you."
Lessman's teammate, David Ebner, a senior strong safety and wide receiver, said he tried protein shakes his freshman year, but has not used them since. Ebner said he finds working hard in the weight room works just as well.
"There is a certain pressure to get stronger," he said. "They push you to work harder. As long as you push harder, you should gain weight."
Most protein shakes, powders and capsules are made of whey, soy, egg or casein, or are a combination of any or all of those ingredients. Creatine, found in lean meat, fish and human muscle, is also widely used among athletes.
Tina Shelleda, owner of Nutrition Village, said creatine is popular because it helps build muscle mass. Although most consumers of her products are in their 20s and 30s, she said younger athletes also are taking a look.
"I have some young guys that just look at it and then maybe come back later," she said. Shelleda said she thinks cost may be a factor in their decision to purchase some nutritional supplements.
At some online stores, the price for one bottle of creatine ranges from $13 to $79 .
Nutritional supplements, such as creatine, are legal and unregulated by the FDA. The effects of their long-term use also remain unknown.
"It's something they need to research," said Jesse Wavrunek, director of physical enhancement at St. Luke's Medical Center.
Wavrunek said that creatine is "relatively safe" and helps the body retain water weight, allowing athletes to get a better work out. Because it helps the body recruit water, he said that an athlete can expect to gain 5 to 10 pounds while taking creatine.
Toxicologist Dr. Edward Bottei, medical director of the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center, said the athletic edge gained from taking creatine is minimal at best.
"There are a lot of people who swear by it, but when it comes to strong, hard statistics, it's a little more difficult," he said.
However, Bottei said he can understand the use of protein supplements.
"I think it's well accepted that anyone who does strenuous training or exercise does need more protein than the average sedentary person," he said. "That's not such a problem, provided it's done in moderation."
Bottei said athletes who get too much protein may end up with unwanted fat rather than muscle. If protein supplements are overused, the body will store the excess protein as fat.
For sports such as football, baseball and weightlifting, bulking up is routine, but after the death of San Francisco 49ers lineman Thomas Herrion following an August preseason game, experts are once again cautioning players and coaches about the dangers of being too big. An autopsy released Sept. 6 revealed that the 6-foot-3, 330-pound 23-year-old died of a heart attack.
Dr. Rex Rundquist, a pediatrician at Prairie Pediatrics and Adolescent Clinic, said a body mass index (BMI) of 20-25 would be ideal for a high school football player. A BMI over 25, he said, would be considered overweight. Although there is some disagreement about whether BMI is an accurate measure of health, Rundquist said there are no exceptions for athletes.
"It is considered unhealthy," he said. "In the long term, it's unhealthy."
Sara Ronning, assistant athletic trainer at the University of South Dakota said that problems can also result when athletes gain weight too fast.
"They have muscle tenderness or other problems," she said.
Those problems can include an elevated heart rate and an increased susceptibility to illness.
"They have a much higher rate of developing those things," she said.
Using nutritional supplements may be helping some young athletes bulk up, but it is not being encouraged by local high school coaches.
"I'm sure that some kids are taking supplements," said East High School football coach Steve Zediker. "We're not at all urging that as coaches."
Bishop Heelan High School head wrestling coach John Yoder is just as adamant about the use of supplements.
"I don't want anything to do with supplements," he said. "Do it naturally."
Athletes don't have to look to nutritional supplements to bulk up, according to Ronning. She said a good balanced diet with carbohydrates and proteins, along with their work out should work for most athletes, although she said results are limited by genetics.
"If you can avoid supplements, that's the safest way," she said. "People are limited by their genetics. We have to educate our athletes on that all the time."
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