Sports Supplements: Good Or Bad?

Many athletes at this month's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City will be relying on sports supplements to enhance their performance. But some are unsafe and can give an unfair advantage.

Even the International Olympic Committee is weighing in on the safety of these products.

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Stout is also the director of sports science for Nutricia USA, a sports supplement firm. His job includes the development and evaluation of research to support new product development. He has a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Nebraska.

Many people assume that Olympic athletes are banned from taking any kind of sports supplements, but Stout says that's not true.

"When talking about sports supplements, people often think we are talking about things like anabolic steroids which are banned by the International Olympic Committee. But we are also talking about basic nutrients that can enhance an athlete's performance and are not banned by the IOC," says Stout during a pre-interview with The Early Show.

Athletes who compete in sports that require a great deal of strength and stamina such as hockey, cross-country skiing and bobsledding are more likely to take supplements, he adds.

The following are some of the supplements that are allowed and tell how they can enhance an athlete not just an Olympiad's performance.

Creatine
Creatine is a nutrient that can improve strength and power and may also help improve aerobic performance. No supplement has more scientific support than creatine. It works, which is why it has become so popular since it was first brought to the market in the early 1990s.

Protein Supplements
Protein is an essential part of any program because it may enhance training to improve your performance. Athletes need more than the Recommended Daily Allowance of protein. But it is advised they get it through a powder or sports bar instead of "regular" food, which would mean ingesting excess fat and calories.

Hydation Drinks
This is a Gatorade type drink and is very important because even a slight decline in hydration can negatively affect your performance.

The following are some of the banned substances that all athletes should avoid:

EPO
This is a drug that enhances your performance by increasing your red blood cell count. The more red blood cells you have the more oxygen is going to your muscles meaning you can work out harder and longer. It is very dangerous and can result in cardiac failure and dramatically increase blood pressure.

Prohormones
These also go by the name Andros. It is a steroid and people need to understand that just because it's over-the-counter it's not safe. You may remember that baseball player Mark McGwire admitted to taking these a few years ago. Surprisingly there is little evidence that prohormones do anything to enhance your performance.

The International Olympic Committee has done a very good job in recent years of testing and weeding out those athletes who take banned substances, says Stout. However, there have been cases where athletes have taken an over-the-counter cold remedy and later been excluded from participating in the Olympics or had their medal taken away because they tested positive for a banned substance.

In such cases it is up to these athletes to prove they weren't taking anything they weren't supposed to. But what this should tell all Olympic athletes is to check the labels of any supplements or medications they may be taking for banned substances, says Stout.

For more information, visit The International Olympic Committee's Web site.

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