Young teens turning to protein powders, steroids to bulk up: Survey

More young teens are turning to muscle-enhancing behaviors like extreme dieting, taking protein powders and even using steroids, a new study warns.

The researchers behind the study, published Nov. 19 in Pediatrics, say the trend is "cause for concern" and of "considerable public health importance."

For the study, researchers surveyed nearly 2,800 adolescents from middle and high schools in urban areas who were an average of 14 years old. They were surveyed on whether they engaged in muscle-enhancing behaviors that included changed eating habits, increased exercise regimens and the use of protein powders, steroids or other muscle enhancers like creatine.

The results surprised researchers. More than two-thirds of boys changed their eating to increase their muscle size or tone, and 90 percent reported exercising to bone or bulk-up.

Behaviors the researchers deem "unhealthy" for teen boys were also common, with nearly 35 percent using protein powders or shakes, more than 10 percent using other muscle-enhancing supplements and almost 6 percent of them used steroids like testosterone.

Boys however weren't the only ones turning to these behaviors. A large majority of surveyed girls said they changed their eating and exercise habits, 21 percent turned to protein powders, 5.5 percent used other muscle enhancers and about 5 percent used steroids.

Body mass index -- a ratio of height and weight used by doctors to measure obesity -- correlated with muscle-enhancing behaviors, so overweight and obese girls (BMI 25 and higher) were significantly more likely to use protein powders and shakes than normal weight girls (BMI 18.5 to 24.9). Grade level and participation on a sports team also correlated to a greater likelihood for these behaviors. Asian adolescents were found to be more likely to engage in the behaviors than other surveyed groups.

The study's authors urge pediatricians to talk to their adolescent patients about healthier ways to bull up.

"Given the adverse health effects of steroids and other muscle-enhancing substances, identifying populations at particular risk and understanding patterns of use hold considerable public health importance," the researchers write.

They say an increase in body images shown in media of leaner, muscular men and women has corresponded with an increase in body dissatisfaction among teens. Further, high-profile steroid cases involving athletes and celebrities also raises awareness among youth for potential muscle-building options.

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Study author Dr. Marla Eisenberg, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota added to MyHealthNewsDaily that teens who engage in compulsive eating behaviors could be at risk for serious disorders down the road.

She also said teens who substitute protein shakes for meals are making an unhealthy choice and may be "missing out on the additional nutrients and other benefits of eating real food."

Steroids can cause prematurely stunted growth in teens that have yet to stop growing by causing the skeleton to mature too fast and accelerating puberty changes, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Other effects include jaundice, fluid retention, high blood pressure, severe acne and sexual side effects for boys and girls that may impact fertility. Annabolic steroids also may cause mood swings, impaired judgment, depression or irritability.

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Experts also note the supplement industry is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so products may contain other potentially harmful ingredients.

An "old wives' tale" may suggest teens who lift weights and bulk up may stunt their growth. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that could definitely happen if an adolescent injures the bone's growth plate. Other injuries include herniated disks in the back, muscle strains and tears, bone fractures and cartilage damage.

[billthekill2012]

This is quite possible the most idiotic article I've every read in my life.

The one positive thing about all of this was the article posted by anonymouse531:

THE DANGERS OF CREATINE MONOHYDRATE
By Tyler Stallings

^
Worth the read :)

[nickjaa]

a) nobody said they were replacing meals with protein powder. they are SUPPLEMENTS, and used as such. Also, anybody not familiar with the industry (ie hyperconcerned parents) will read this and equate protein powder, creatine and steroids. that is very far from the truth and this was a really irresponsible article

[anonymouse531]

"WHAT HAVE I DONE?????" There was no turning back. There was apologizing. There was nothing I could do but cry. I laid on the floor balling my eyes out for a good seven hours. I cried so hard I felt at time my eyes would bleed. I felt a maelstrom of emotions inside of me. Fear, anger, hate, sadness, regret. But most of all, I felt free. In those seven hours, I had realized that what I had become couldn't be changed, but I had to live with myself, and I still had to survive. After I had dried my eyes, I stood up, opened my garage door, and stepped out into my new world. My new home. My new gym. The world was my gym, and I could do with it what I pleased. While I still held some of the pitiful and weak emotions of my former self, I also felt a new sense of being. There was no force on earth that could stop me. I looked human, but I was better. I was faster, stronger, and smarter than an average human; my ATP production could not be matched. It was as if I had limitless energy for whatever I wanted. My increased water retention made me thirsty, but it also gave me the ability to go longer without food or water. I was a survival machine. A death machine. A Creatine machine. I began to stampede the streets of my former neighborhood. I was in search of something, but I didn't know what. It was pure instinct. It was pure emotional drive that kept me moving. After thirty minutes I found that I had traveled around twenty miles and decided to stop for directions. I had a drive. And I finally knew where I was going. It was like a light bulb in my head had lit up, burned out and exploded. I was going to 5957 Vandal Way in Boise Idaho. The address was burned into my head. It was the bodybuilding.com supplement warehouse. That would be the obvious place my brain was telling me to go. They would have enough Creatine there to last me one thousand years! With my improved speed and strength, I could get there in a couple of hours. I began sprinting towards my destination. Leaping over trucks and cars. Pummeling through buildings. I was an angel of death, and the only thing that could get in my way was the almighty god. But I doubt there was much he could even do. When I arrived to the warehouse, I waited outside the main doors. I wanted to create a plan of action. My weaker inner self was telling me to do this with the least amount of casualties as possible. I decided I would walk in and pretend I work there. If anyone asked any questions about the three hundred pound muscle monster on the assembly line, I would probably roid rage so hard there would be nothing the workers could do and the death toll would probably be over nine thousand. I took a deep breath, set my eyes in the door, and casually opened it. When I stepped through the threshold of the warehouse. I couldn't believe my eyes. I dropped to my knees immediately. I had my face in my hands trying to hold back the crying that was about to ensue. All of the employees, all of the packers, and assembly line workers, were just like me. They were all massive monsters of men. the only explanation for which could be the same substance that transformed ME! Creatine. They welcomed me with open arms as I walked in. the place felt like a sanctuary for my kind. Finally, after all of the pain that I had endured of the last twenty four hours, I was safe. I was happy. I was home

[anonymouse531]

Visit tylersexsmith's BodySpace
tylersexsmith is offline
you guys remember the creatine story?

the one that was written like a month ago by the guy whose username i dont remember?lol/ it gave me inspiration to write a more developed version for my creative writing class. probably gonna be awhile before anyone on here actually reads it. lol. but ill post it anyways.










THE DANGERS OF CREATINE MONOHYDRATE
By Tyler Stallings

I walked through the doors of GNC. It was the nearest GNC in San Diego, and I felt that I probably should have chosen one that wasn't in my town. I should have gone to a place where no one would know me. I was already here, so there was no turning around. I could feel people eyeing me. It was as if they knew what I was here for. It was as if they could read my thoughts. I had a black hoodie and sunglasses on so people wouldn't recognize me, but I had my doubts that they all bought the disguise. I approached the checkout counter and asked the clerk if he had any tubs of the C word. And he had the audacity to reply,

"Creatine?"

"Shut up! People are going to hear you!" I answered him. "Just give me the stuff". To expedite the whole process I just handed him a one hundred dollar bill and left. I didn't know how much it cost, nor did I want to know. I hurried home and ran straight up the stairs into my room. My mom was in the kitchen and I didn't want her knowing what I was up to. I couldn't lose her respect too. Seeing as I had already lost my own. I opened up the tub and a thin layer of white dust lifted into the air, as if following the lid that I was removing. I just stared at the dust. That very dust may have well as been a foreshadowing to my impending doom. I didn't care to read the label on the back. I just took the little scooper inside and shoveled ten scoops into my water bottle. I shook the water bottle and tried to down the whole thing at once. I could feel the liquid hate running down my throat. When I finished. I began to panic. It was too late to go back. I had set my fate in stone. What would people say? How would I explain to my family what had happened? How could I explain my gain of 50 pounds of rock hard muscle over night? My friends will think I'm on steroids! I am on steroid! No! Not steroids... Creatine. In an attempt to hide the evidence of the disgusting thing that I had done, I tossed the tub of evil out my bedroom window. A thick cloud of the wicked white dust exploded through the air and covered the side of the house. I would deal with that later. An almost animalistic urge took me over. My internal clock knew what time it was. It was time for my workout. I was walking down the stairs when I started to feel the Creatine monster stirring inside of me. When I reached the bottom, I could barely feel who I was anymore. I walked past the kitchen and my mother asked if I wanted a turkey sandwich. I didn't have time for this ****. I had iron to pump.

"NO MOM! I DO NOT WANT ANY GOD DAMN TURKEY SANDWICHES!! SHUT YOUR ***** MOUTH AND GET BACK TO WORK!" I screamed. I wasn't me anymore. I was just a shell. A shell holding a dangerous monster. A monster forged out of fear. A monster created by anger. A monster of Creatine. I walked into the home gym that was once my garage and looked at the squat rack. I felt a sudden tingle. A tingle that was telling me to attack the weights like a beast, and give no mercy to the immense amounts of weight that I was about to move. I walked towards the black squat rack with the determination of a lion on the hunt. When I stepped inside, I caught a glimpse of this odd creature in the mirror hiding behind my squat rack. But there was something about this small, frightened creature. I knew it. I felt it. It was me. When I came to the realization of what I had become. I dropped to my knees. Crying. And with a single deafening call, I screamed,

[tokosmakos]

Because of these kind of articles and opinions think we, europeans, that the americans are stupid. Did anybody with at least 80 IQ and average knowladge read and approve this before publishing. How can you masure protein and steroid the same?!?
Chicken contains 20% protein, and all the lean meats. Protein powders are made from milk, or egg, or soy. Those are food.
And somebody using creatine can absorb 2,5-3g creatin, while your bodies contain 100-120g.
And is it a bad thing, that kids do exercise? Kinda scary. They might end up being lean, and not having big ass, like usual americans. Scary idea.
I don't know how will I fall asleep after reafing this. I got frustrated of this stupidity.

[feelymcfeel]

Creatine. Not even once.

In America, looking after your body, trying to maximise its abilities, and become aesthetic isn't normal. On protons it is.

[Werner779]

Really? We're putting protein shakes and steroids in the same category? There's nothing unhealthy about becoming stronger and increasing your protein intake. Also, creatine is one of the safest and most widely studied supplements out there.

It's laughable how bad this reporting is.

[Timothy Wright]

What a blatant lack of research and understanding of the subject matter.

[revoluution]

Do you even lift OP?

[denise2v8]

I believe when my son was in high school and began "bulking up" he was secretly using steroids, creatine, whatever he could get his hands on. I can only speak for myself here, but I believe that was the beginning of his crash to abusing prescription drugs and then heroin. A lot had to do with his self image I think and when he was using the steroids, again my opinion it was from them, he began to have lots of acne on his body and face, which didn't help with how he felt about himself.
I know it is nothing new, these kids looking for something they don't think they have, in this case muscles all in the right place, but it is an important issue to address. It doesn't always work out the way they would hope.
With the epidemic of prescription drug use and abuse among young adults these days, this is an important issue to address or maybe one of the many "red flags" we need to watch for.