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With every tape measure shot hit in ballparks across the country, the debate regarding the ethics of using ergogenic aids in the sporting world has grown more heated. That sporting world isn’t just confined to professional teams. Amateur athletes as well are increasingly making decisions on whether to use performance enhancing substances. Still, much division exists on the issue. On one side, there are those who shun the use of supplements. “I have a lot of concerns about a lot of the supplements because they’re not being appropriately monitored and tested,” said Felice Kurtzman, nutritionist for UCLA athletics. Then, there are those who believe that there exist supplements safe and effective for athletes. “I think they can be very advantageous, especially for the elite athlete,” said Jason Powell, the head trainer for the Los Angeles Clippers. “Sometimes with the regular schedule, it’s good to have supplement nutrition to make sure (athletes) get the adequate amount of daily nutrition.” Although the widespread debate on the supplement issue – regarding both legal and illicit substances – has been a relatively recent trend, the intertwining of sports and pharmacology is nothing new. But, supplements have now trickled down into the realm of casual usage. Amateur athletes are using two supplements in particular – creatine and androgen precursors – to provide more palpable workout results. “Creatine and androgen precursors are the top two (selling products on the market),” said Chris Roberts, a lecturer in the physiological sciences department at UCLA. “Creatine is beneficial but should be used as an adjunct to intensive training and diet, not as a substitute.”

Creatine: Creatine is converted into creatine phosphate, a compound utilized by the muscles during high-intensity exercise, which replenishes the stores of adenosine triphosphate, a major fuel source for the muscles. But, as with all supplements, excess is always a real problem that exists. Produced in the liver, kidney and pancreas, creatine has been linked to long-term physiological effects, although no studies exist to make definitive claims. “One of my greatest concerns with some of our athletes is them getting too much of a good thing,” Kurtzman said. The body itself produces between one and two grams of the protein-like compound per day. Most people who eat meat, poultry and fish meet their five-gram daily requirement of creatine. “They call it ‘powdered muscles’,” said Junior Ayala, personal training director at Bally Total Fitness in North Hollywood, about the allure of the substance.

Androgen Precursors: The second major supplement group – androgen precursors – is used to convert anabolic, or muscle-building compounds, in the body in order to stimulate growth. “(They) contribute to increased muscle mass and strength,” Roberts said. Former major league first baseman Mark McGwire admitted to taking a form of androgen precursor, androstenedione, during his 1998 season, when he hit a then-record breaking 70 home runs. “Depending on their structure, (androgen precursors) may be metabolized like testosterone, and thus be converted into estrogen or dihydrotestosterone, and may suppress the body’s own production of testosterone,” Roberts said. In March, the Food and Drug Administration cracked down on the sale of these supplements. The FDA sent warning letters to 23 companies asking them to cease distributing products that contain androstenedione. With these warning signs and possible long-term effects for both creatine and androgen precursors, Kurtzman stresses education on the matter above all else. “At the beginning of the year, every single (UCLA) team is given a list of NCAA banned substances ... and, for example, with football, I give (first-year players) whole lectures … about supplements.” Kurtzman believes there are limitations on the performance of the human body. Some athletes are simply more able than others to benefit from supplements. “It’s all a matter of what suits the athlete better,” Powell said. “And how you use the product also determines if you’re going to benefit from it.”