Grahamstown, renowned for fierce rivalry between its schools, and particularly on the sports field is seeing increased pressure on its young sportsmen and women to take performance enhancers.
Grahamstown, renowned for fierce rivalry between its schools, and particularly on the sports field is seeing increased pressure on its young sportsmen and women to take performance enhancers.
New Street’s Muscle Mania, a supplier of performance supplements is frequented by school boys and other customers. Teachers, parents and medical personnel are concerned that these supplements are being taken by scholars without sufficient knowledge of the products.
According to The Athlete, “Performance enhancing supplements come in various forms, such as powders, shakes, pills, and bars, and are used to achieve better results in a given sport or activity.”
Reactions to performance enhancing supplements differ but there are reports that users have died from their consumption. It is essential that potential users consult a trainer or doctor about supplements and thereafter monitor the effects on their own bodies.
President of the South African Sports Medicine Association, Dr Jon Patricios, says the problem is that the supplement industry is unregulated. They are not required to undergo the normal testing procedures of other medical products.
“The result is that we do not truly know what is in the bottle, whether it is effective and what the potential negative properties and interactions are,” said Patricios.
In his view, any pharmaceutical substance should be proven effective and safe before being stocked on the shelves.
Elite schools
It’s a concern shared by local schools – particularly about boys who use such supplements without supervision.
A local school nurse who wishes to remain anonymous states that use of performance supplements by male pupils for muscle building is rife and could pose a serious threat to growing boys.
She said that although there are no observed side effects of these supplements, “too much of anything can be harmful to a growing child’s body”.
Most performance supplements are protein-based and could have harmful effects on the kidneys and the liver. She believes that supplements should be used only under professional supervision and should not be freely available to teenagers.
Peter Andrew, the Director of Sport at St Andrew's College said the use of supplements at schools was difficult to control and pupils could not be reprimanded for consuming these products, as they were legal. "We can’t really confiscate them,” Andrew said.
With supplements being so freely available, Andrew said, “the only effective route is to try and educate youngsters.” St Andrew's College has hosted many guest speakers, such as Patricios, to inform students about the dangers of and misconceptions about supplements.
Andrew and Patricios said that the use of supplements by school children stems from image and peer pressure.
Muscle Mania
Muscle Mania owner Jade Bowles, 19 says his products are “sport-friendly” and are “made from natural products and designed to improve performance naturally, not artificially.” He also reassured teachers from local schools that none of his supplement ranges at the shop are banned.
Bowles warns, however, against any form of resistance training under the age of 16, because it affects growth. According to Bowles, some pupils abuse the dosage requirements and this can be harmful.
“It’s up to the individual to be responsible and stick to the requirements," Bowles says. "For example, creatine is a product that puts a lot of water in the system and passes through your kidneys and your liver. If you don’t hydrate properly, it can affect your liver.”
There’s also an increase in the number of adult sportsmen and women using performance supplements to increase their strength, improve endurance or overcome injury.
But, the controversy around performance enhancers is not limited here. According to expert opinion quoted on the SA Rugby website this is mainly because the multi-million-rand industry is unregulated and the long-term effects of many supplements are unknown.
The advice of doctors quoted on the SA Rugby website is that young athletes should follow a structured training programme, along with a well-planned diet that will provide accurate amounts and timing of food intake. If athletes have any doubts, they should talk to gym teachers and/or sports coaches for information about nutrition, exercise, and other training techniques for improving performance.
Additional information
For information on steroids, visit the National Drug Intelligence Center website
For more information on numerous ergogenic aids (supplements) that claim to enhance sports performance are used by amateur and professional athletes, read thisarticle from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
