Being a college athlete for over 5 years now, I have come across many athletes who believe using supplements and or illegal drugs is the only answer to success. This is sadly the case in almost every NCAA sport in the country. This is now why the NCAA is conducting "Year Around" drug testing to all NCAA participating Colleges and Universities. The list of banned substances is updated every year, and testing is now getting stronger.

Many athletes are sometimes caught off guard by this testing when they are not familiar with the banned substance list. I believe that is it the job of the Head Trainer to educate each and every possible athlete, each year, on the list of substances and the effects of being tested positive. There is no reason for any athlete to be caught off guard or unaware of the substances that he or she was using and be banned from the season. There are numerous products out there used by many athletes for "fat loss" or "energy" purposes and also "mental clarity" that contain elements that are on the banned substance list. One would think that a normal fat loss product would not get them disqualified from contest, but it is most likely loaded with banned substances. NOTE: This happens all the time.

Keep in mind that street drugs are also illegal and on the banned list. What are the 2 most known substances to be most likely used by a college student? Alcohol and pot! 2 substances of which I believe do not help an "athlete" at all. As an athlete myself, I personally do not see any benefit or desire to put something in my body to possibly hinder my performance in any way. Even the so called effects of these drugs that seem to be "helpful", truly do not. Now don't get me wrong, yes there are plenty of times to enjoy yourself. I too was a college athlete who went out and drank with my teammates after a big win. Yes, it is college. And yes, it is the time where everyone experiments with new things. But ask yourself this... Is it worth your "1" time career in college? Is it possibly worth effecting your life in a negative manner? When its time to get serious, why chance it? Play it smart!

It is not just the typical "steroid" type substances that hurt athletes during their season either. Many athletes are effected by Fat loss, Mental clarity, Beta blockers, and even Diuretic type substances. But now with year round testing, the chances of testing positive are now greater for these athletes if these substances are being used. I would like to take some time now and talk about the benefits of supplementation using products that are not on the banned substance list

I believe that everyone has heard of the supplement called Creatine at one time or another. Who hasn't right? The truth is, there are so many fancy names for this supp that it can be sometimes confusing. Creatine happens to be a very hot product because of its ability to help an athlete gain strength and muscle without any side effects, much like the other substances such as "anabolic" compounds. The basic job of creatine is to "increase the retention and synthesis of the two markers that produce explosive muscle growth within muscle tissue. This being creatine and nitrogen." When taking Creatine, "athletes can experience increased muscle size, lean mass and strength, better pumps in the gym and better vascularity, greater endurance, enhanced recovery, and little if not, no water retention." I believe that all athletes should use Creatine to better their performance. One product that stands out completely from the rest in my mind is VPX's CEX. Great overall product with incredible absorption, very potent, and very noticeable effects. Another great product in my mind to use is N'Gorge by ALRI. This product gives you "dramatic pumps, better recovery rate after exercise and no stomach bloating." Like I mentioned above, there are many forms of Creatine out there. Here is a quick link to some other creatine products worth checking out: http://www.mysupplementstore.net/creatines.html

The next supplement I would like to talk about I believe is probably the most important one of all. PROTEIN! Proteins are building blocks of all the muscles in your body. Without proper amounts of protein, your body can perform at a lower level then what is optimal. I am a firm believer that this should be supplemented in EVERY athletes nutritional program for every sport! With more and more sports having year 'round training, and not just "in season," your body needs all the protein it can get its hands on all year long! I believe that everyone at one time or another has heard that the best time to take protein is within the first hour after strenuous exercise. This, being sports or weight training. I would like to take this time to point out some supps that I think are top of the line proteins. NitronX by VPX I believe is the top supplement on the market today. With its creatine, insulin, carbs, glutamine and protein all wrapped up into one, its no wonder this product is at the top of my list! Not to mention the flavors are incredible! Next is Zero Carb Protein also by VPX. If you are looking for a fast acting whey protein drink, then you found the best one! I drink this at least twice a day and the flavors, even in water, taste good. Not bad for having NOTHING but protein in it! Ok, please do not think I am only promoting VPX here, but the next one is Micellean by VPX. Sorry, but when a company puts out such great products, why stray from the best? This protein is a "7-Hour Sustained Dispersion Anti-Catabolic Protein" It is constantly feeding your body protein for seven hours!!! You can't tell me that is a bad thing. This is especially good for a night time protein if you supplement yourself before bed. Ok, a different company now! ;) This protein supp is by Optimum Nutrition. Its called 100% Whey Protein. Basic name huh?! But the best part is, you get ten pounds of it!!! Read that again, "10 lbs!" Who says buying in bulk is a bad thing? This protein is "Rich in Branched Chain Amino Acids and Glutamine Peptides" which are essential for building new muscle. Muscle Milk by CytoSport is the next one on the list. Many great things can be said about this supplement. Everything from its ingredients to its great flavors! Believe me, some flavors are GOOD! The last protein supp on my list would be Isopure by Nature's Best. I like their convenient individual packs which are easy to mix with water and taste pretty good too. If that's not enough to get you started on some possible proteins, here's a link to ALL of the different types of protein out there: http://mysupplementstore.net/protein.html.

Not only is protein needed to help build muscle and let the body recover, the body also needs an amino acid that aids in the recovery of the muscle tissue as well. This being Glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in the human body! "For the serious athlete, supplementing with L-Glutamine may: Aid in muscle tissue repair, Enhance immune system function, and Volumize muscle cells." This is exactly what athletes need prior to, and immediately following competition and also while practicing. The last two years of playing college ball, I used to take glutamine before and after each day of practice as well as games. I felt a complete difference than when I was off of it. I had some fellow teammates do it as well and they too noticed a considerable difference in the way their bodies felt using this supp. Glutamine AKG 1000 soft gels by SciFit is a very good pill form of glutamine. I currently take this prior to and right after my workouts. Ultra Pure Glutamine by VPX is also a product I use in EVERY shake that I make throughout the day. This supp I believe has the best absorption rate of any of the glutamine supps out there. There is also Glutamine Select by Beverly International. This is a very good supp because it combines glutamine with BCAA's in each serving. I believe its 5 grams of glut and 3 grams of BCAA's. This is very handy when mixing multiple supps together to make a "cocktail." Here is a link that shows all brands and names of all the Glutamine products: http://mysupplementstore.net/gll.html

BCAA's and ZMA supps.... When talking about BCAA's, the most specific description for them are that "Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and Amino acids are essential to the human body." With this being said, it is plain to see that with any stress put on the body, such as weight training or competition, one would need to replenish their amino acids. You do the math here. Protein helps build muscle which makes athletes stronger, and BCAA's are the building blocks of those proteins. I believe that it would be a great benefit for ANY athlete to incorporate this type of supp in his or her arsenal. Some supps that I would recommend for this type of supp would definitely be BCAA AKG 1000 by SciFit. I am currently taking this, and the pills, I find are very easy to swallow. If you do not like pills, try this one... Amino Infusion 5000 by SciFit. This liquid supp allows great absorption and works very well. Personally, I like taking my BCAA's right before bed. I like how they help my body recover better while I sleep and for this I take VPX's CMZ. "CMZ contains Albion amino acid chelated minerals" which allow for "complete absorption and utilization. Albion amino acid chelates have been proven the most bioavailable, easy to tolerate, safe, and non-interactive minerals in the industry. They are far superior to all other forms of minerals in their physiological activity." With facts like that, I definitely want that for my night time pill!

Another great product I believe is the ZMA supp. "ZMA is a powerful non-steroidal, all natural dietary supplement clinically proven to increase free testosterone, total testosterone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) levels and enhance muscle strength." Combined with a proper training program and diet, this supp will greatly increase your gains! Some good products worth looking at are ZMA by Beverly International, ZMA Fuel from Twin Lab and ZMA by SciFit. Just as if those supps were not enough, here is the link to many more BCAA's and ZMA's: http://mysupplementstore.net/aminoacids.html and http://mysupplementstore.net/zma.html

Of course these supps will help you get closer to achieving your goals, but you must remember that a sound diet and proper training program is the only true way to reach your greatest potential. These supps only "help" you. There is no magic pill out there. You yourself as an athlete, owe it to yourself to put forth 110% every day you step foot onto the battleground, whether this be at practice or at a game. I hope that some of the above information has helped you in some way. These supps are here to aid in your progress to becoming a better athlete. Use these, and not the banned ones. You'll be thankful in the long run! I've written out the banned substance list below and I hope you can find it useful. To see the actual list, please go to: www.ncaa.org/health-safety.

This is the most up to date list found on the NCAA website for banned substances. I would like to help my fellow athletes stay on top of the game and not get "caught off guard" with any substance that may be in question. College sports are probably going to be the best times of your lives, so don't make any mistakes by using something that would ruin that experience for you! Stay educated and keep in contact with your Head Trainer! Like I mentioned above, it is his or her JOB to make sure all of their athletes are well educated with this list of substances. Here is the up to date list as of 8-1-05:

***NCAA Banned-Drug Classes

2005-2006

The NCAA list of banned-drug classes is subject to change by the NCAA Executive Committee. Contact NCAA education services or www.ncaa.org/health-safety for the current list. The term “related compounds” comprises substances that are included in the class by

their pharmacological action and/or chemical structure. No substance belonging to the prohibited class may be used, regardless of whether it is specifically listed as an example.

Many nutritional/dietary supplements contain NCAA banned substances. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not strictly regulate the supplement industry; therefore purity and safety of nutritional dietary supplements cannot be guaranteed. Impure supplements may lead to a positive NCAA drug test. The use of supplements is at the student-athlete’s own risk. Student-athletes should contact their institution's team physician or athletic trainer for further information.

Bylaw 31.2.3. Banned Drugs

The following is a list of banned-drug classes, with examples of substances under each class:

(a) Stimulants:

• amiphenazole methylenedioxymethamphetamine
• amphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy)
• bemigride methylphenidate
• benzphetamine nikethamide
• bromantan pemoline
• caffeine1 (guarana) pentetrazol
• chlorphentermine phendimetrazine
• cocaine phenmetrazine
• cropropamide phentermine
• crothetamide phenylephrin
• diethylpropion phenylpropanolamine (ppa)
• dimethylamphetamine picrotoxine
• doxapram pipradol
• ephedrine prolintane
• (ephedra, ma huang) strychnine
• ethamivan synephrine
• ethylamphetamine (citrus aurantium, zhi shi, bitter fencamfamine orange)
• meclofenoxate and related compounds
• methamphetamine

(b) Anabolic Agents:

• anabolic steroids
• androstenediol methyltestosterone
• androstenedione nandrolone
• boldenone norandrostenediol
• clostebol norandrostenedione
• dehydrochlormethyl- norethandrolone
• testosterone oxandrolone
• dehydroepiandro- oxymesterone
• sterone (DHEA) oxymetholone
• dihydrotestosterone stanozolol
• (DHT) testosterone2
• dromostanolone tetrahydrogestrinone (THG)
• epitrenbolone trenbolone
• fluoxymesterone and related compounds
• gestrinon
• mesterolone
• methandienone and other anabolic agents
• methenolone clenbuterol

(c) Substances Banned for Specific Sports:

Rifle:

• alcohol pindolol
• atenolol propranolol
• metoprolol timolol
• nadolol and related compounds

(d) Diuretics:

• acetazolamide hydrochlorothiazide
• bendroflumethiazide hydroflumethiazide
• benzhiazide methyclothiazide
• bumetanide metolazone
• chlorothiazide polythiazide
• chlorthalidone quinethazone
• ethacrynic acid spironolactone
• flumethiazide triamterene
• furosemide trichlormethiazide and related compounds

(e) Street Drugs:

• heroin tetrahydrocannabinol
• marijuana3 (THC)3

(f) Peptide Hormones and Analogues:

• corticotrophin (ACTH)
• human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)
• leutenizing hormone (LH)
• growth hormone(HGH, somatotrophin)
• insulin like growth hormone (IGF-1)

All the respective releasing factors of the above-mentioned substances also are banned:

• erythropoietin (EPO) sermorelin
• darbypoetin

(g) Definitions of positive depends on the following:

• 1for caffeine—if the concentration in urine exceeds 15 micrograms/ml.
• 2for testosterone—if the administration of testosterone or use of any other manipulation has the result of increasing the ratio of the total concentration of testosterone to that of epitestosterone in the urine to greater than 6:1, unless there is evidence that this ratio is due to a physiological or pathological condition.
• 3for marijuana and THC—if the concentration in the urine of THC metabolite exceeds 15 nanograms/ml.***

I've included links to other helpful sites as well as references to all the above information found, below this article. Please read and educate yourself to the max. This goes out to all my fellow athletes... Remember to train hard and always strive to be better each and every day! You only have 1 chance at college sports in your life, so don't waste it. Take care and best of luck to all of you in your lives and your up and coming seasons!!!

Tim Thompson

References:

***http://www.mysupplementstore.net/creatines.html

***http://www.mysupplementstore.net/ngorgebyalri.html

***http://www.mysupplementstore.net/cexbyvpxsports.html

***http://mysupplementstore.net/whprbyopgi10.html

***http://mysupplementstore.net/miprpobyvpx.html

***http://mysupplementstore.net/gll.html

***http://mysupplementstore.net/aminoacids.html

***http://mysupplementstore.net/cmzbyvpx.html

***http://mysupplementstore.net/zmabyscifit.html

***http://www.drugfreesport.com/choices/drugs/index.html

***http://www2.ncaa.org/legislation_and_governance/eligibility_and_conduct/drug_testing.html

*** www.ncaa.org/health-safety