Sport Supplement Side Effects

The use of supplements is common practice among athletes. Many believe taking supplements will improve performance. However, not all supplements are safe, and not all supplements have been proven effective. Supplements used by athletes include ephedra, caffeine, carnitine, and creatinine. It is important to consider the positive and negative impact of using supplements before you add them to your diet.

Ephedra

Ephedra is the name for any dietary supplement containing ephedra alkaloids. Althletes use ephedra for weight loss and increased energy, with the goal of enhancing their performance. There is much debate over the safety of this supplement, specifically what dosage is safe. The FDA banned ephedra fora number of years on the basis that the health and safety risks were too great.Currently there is a ban on the sale of high-dose ephedrine, but doses of 10 mg or less are legal. Reported side effects include headache, rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, and insomnia. Strokes, heart attacks and death have also been reported.

Caffeine

Caffeine, which is most commonly found in sodas, coffee, and energy drinks, is used to provide energy and burn fat. The primary effects of caffeine occur in the central nervous system and include increased awareness and the perception of less effort used. Side effects include increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and insomnia. In addition, sudden withdraw of caffeine by a person who regularly includes it in his diet can result in headaches.

Carnitine

Carnitine is needed in the body for the transport of fatty acids to mitochondria to be used for energy. It is thought that carnitine use decreases muscle pain, increases endurance, promotes weight loss, and improves cardiac function. Despite these claims, more studies are needed to confirm the benefits and potential side-effects of carnitine supplementation.

Creatine

Creatine is one of the most popular sports supplements. It is used in the form of phosphocreatine by the body as a source for muscle energy. Reported benefits include increased strength, endurance, and muscle gain. While supplementation may help improve strength over time, creatine ingestion often results in weight gain, which can negatively impact performance for runners and swimmers.