Sports Supplements
There are many sports supplements on the market to help boost the energy of those in sports activities. There are natural supplements and there are sports drinks and shakes, etc. Not all of the drinks or shakes, etc. are made from all natural ingredients so you should stay away from them. Some of them have the potential to harm the body more than it does good. The natural supplements can boost your energy and enhance your performance without the chemicals and additives you find in some products. Some of the natural supplements that will boost energy and enhance sports performance are ginseng, royal jelly, bee pollen, barley grass, blue green algae, gotu kola, and possibly others. These natural products and herbs will provide more than energy. They each provide other healthy benefits to the body. Some of them are stimulating concentration and mental alertness, endurance, healthier skin, cleanses the blood, protects the immune system, reduces exhaustion and fatigue from overexertion, support for proper blood sugar and energy metabolism, nourishes every cell in the body. These benefits do not all come from any one supplement but some benefits are found in every one of these supplements besides just energy.
Ephedra, which is sometimes called Guarana, Chinese ephedra, Squaw Tea, Mormon Tea, Desert Tea, and Epitonin are not legal in the United states any more. Ephedra was one of the best weight loss products on the market and was also used as an energy booster and a sports performance enhancer. It was banned in the United States in 2006 after the Food and Drug Administration had gathered enough evidence and reports of people suffering from strokes, heart attacks, and even death from the use of products that contained ephedra. It was reported that even when used in small amounts (as little as 8 mg) Ephedra still caused strokes and heart attacks. The numbers of seriously injured products was just too large for the FDA to ignore so they got the Federal court to rule and ban ephedra in October, 2006. Many people were compensated for their injuries from products containing ephedra and there are many more people with pending lawsuits while others are still filing lawsuits every day. If you have suffered from a product which contained ephedra you might want to consult a lawyer. Make sure you do it before the statute of limitations runs out.
If you ever have serious side effects from any supplement you should seek medical help and also report it to the FDA Consumer hotline. You can also report it to your local health department. Most supplements do not have any known side effects but there are a few which might cause problems. Some supplements will not mix with certain medications or certain medical problems so you should discuss the use of supplements with your doctor before using them.
All Text Copyright © Safety2005.org
| Become a Member |
| Chapter Locations |
| Make a Donation |
| Off the Job Safety |
| Safety + Health Magazine |
| World Congress 2005 |