You’re sitting in your stall, shortly after putting on your jersey, feeling regret for not taking care of your body on gameday. Your body is aching like you just climbed Mount Everest before you hit the ice, so you decide to try an enhancing substance. You might be anticipating that using the substance will make you as fast as Connor McDavid. But stop and think. Before you make the choice, acknowledge that any benefit that you’ll acquire will leave you with a lasting impact on your health that your future self would probably regret.
Did you know these substances that you’re taking to help improve your training and performance are hurting you more than helping? Most of these performance-enhancing products are not regulated by the FDA, meaning they can contain any ingredient. Any ingredient. Aluminum and lead could be added to it, leading to dangerous repercussions and health issues. Do you really want to take a chance on something with no benefit that will not only risk your performance but your health? Performance-enhancing substances such as anabolic steroids, energy drinks, and Zyns bring many dangerous physical and mental side effects with very limited gains. Athletes should consider supplementing with creatine because it is safe and has many benefits.
Let me start with energy drinks. These common drinks give you many disadvantages. These brands that create them add in many ingredients that hurt you because the FDA does not regulate them. Athletes today tend to believe that energy drinks are safe, but many of these drinks contain lots of sugar. Also, if you think you’re safe with the zero-sugar drink, then think twice. The caffeine in those drinks is outrageously large. Teens from 12-18 should be drinking at most 100 mg. Drinks such as Ghost, C4, and Celsius try to deceive you by showing zero sugar but actually contain north of 200 mg. After drinking these, you could experience risk-seeking behaviors, adverse cardiovascular effects, and metabolic, renal, or dental conditions. As an athlete, these drinks dehydrate you, which is one of the worst effects during a very physically demanding game.
Furthermore, an up-and-coming product that’s finding its way into the locker rooms is Zyns. These nicotine pouches are very addictive and not meant for people under the age of 18, while giving minimal benefits as well as effects that hurt you rather than help. An expert medical oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center stated, “They do have nicotine, which is addictive. They may also contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, or heavy metals like nickel or chromium.” The secret ingredients that go under the radar are the ones that are really straining you internally. They can cause side effects such as slowing wound healing, gum irritation, and increased heart rate. The market is targeting younger people rather than them quitting smoking.
Athletes are building up a tolerance, so they need more to get the same effects as at the beginning of use. When trying to get stronger in the gym quicker and easier, you might resort to anabolic steroids. A baseball player wants to transform from a bike to a bulldozer on the field and sees the season is right around the corner, so he starts getting involved with steroids. Shortly after, he got a little bit stronger, but it brought many dangerous lasting impacts. He started having heart and blood flow issues alongside a liver tumor. Not only physically affected, but now struggling with depression. When he tried to stop, it only got worse. This is based on the real story of Taylor Hooton, who lost his life at only 17 Many other athletes had personal issues with steroids that ultimately ruined their lives at such a young age. Athletes under 18 using these might grow less than usual and increase their risk of health problems later in life. The long-term consequences overshadow the short-term benefits of becoming larger and stronger.
It’s crucial to understand what these effects will do to you. As an alternative to these substances, everyone should start by building structure by taking nutrition and sleep seriously. You will have enough energy with those two alone, not needing to rely on these products with poison. An alternative that is reliable and beneficial to your health is creatine. Creatine is safe short-term and long-term for everyone, even non-athletes looking to improve their body and mind. Creatine supplementation may enhance recovery from intense exercise and possibly provide synergistic benefits during post-injury rehabilitation. It improves your muscle mass and performance while exercising. Creatine provides you with reduced dehydration of your muscles and increased tolerance to more intense workouts and sports. Make sure when taking creatine, increase your hydration level to replenish the water drawn to your muscles. If you want to reach the next level in your game, start with trying creatine.
Energy drinks, Zyns, and steroids are becoming trendy, but come with dangerous effects. Now is the time to let go of the harmful products and work on your health. Now is the time to prioritize your long-term health over your short-term benefits. Now is the time to take your game to the next level, which doesn’t include enhancing substances that hurt your game, right? Overall, the change starts with you altering your mind from “I need these enhancing substances” to “How bad will it hurt my future, not only in sports but in life?”
- USA