Steroids

"Performance Enhancements in Sport"

One of the primary things an athlete will do is put supplements into their body.

These supplements range from protein shakes to illegal anabolic steroids. Some

sports supplements are incredibly safe and effective, yet others work for a

while and then fizzle out, while others still work well but do more damage than

good in the long run. In the past athletes had to turn to such things as

anabolic steroids or blood doping (the process of taking out blood and adding

oxygen to it and putting it back into your body in order to increase a persons

endurance). However, these procedures have many drawbacks. Mainly, they are

illegal. An athlete may be suspended from playing their perspective sport for

using them. They have many long terms and short term side effects. Many

supplements are as simple as packaged energy and others require a strict

exercise and eating regimen. I will explore sports supplements focusing on

creatine and it's effect on the sport world. The first and most basic sports

supplements are protein weight gainers. This normally comes in the form of

powder and works best when mixed with milk. The main reason for taking extra

protein is to gain weight and muscle mass. In today's athletics, whether it is

high school, college, or professional, the athletes are getting bigger and

stronger. Protein works the best when the athlete is on a strict work out

regimen. Many sports supplements are a combination of herbs and proteins. A

popular supplement of this sort is called "Heat." Heat has many

different ingredients in it that allow the athlete to experience more energy by

creating more heat. This allows the athletes' body to work more efficiently and

therefore work faster, stronger, and longer. This is very important in the

sports world because it is becoming harder and harder to compete at an

unsupplemented level. Athletes want every advantage that he or she can receive.

Now there is a substance that can give an athlete the edge that they desire. One

of the most popular and effective sports supplements on the market today is Pure

creatine Monohydrate. Creatine was first introduced to the US in 1993 by a

supplement company called Experimental and Applied Sciences. Since that time it

has become one of the most demanded items on the market. The creatine that is

bought in stores duplicates the natural creatine that is produced by the kidney,

liver, and pancreas. Creatine Monohydrate has been proven to significantly

enhance athletic performance in the areas of power, strength, and muscle mass.

Most importantly though, it doesn't seem to have any serious side effects. Also,

since Creatine is found naturally in the body and in foods, it is likely that it

will not be removed from sports. What is Creatine? Creatine is a nutrient that

is found in many foods. It is most highly concentrated in lean red meat. A

half-pound of red meat contains about two grams of Creatine. Every human body

also produces Creatine in very small amounts, though some people produce more

than others. Creatine is necessary for proper cell functions and cell

reproduction, it is also a primary storage for energy in muscles. How does

Creatine work? When somebody is exercising, his or her muscles demand energy.

The energy that the muscle gets is called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). As the

muscles keep contracting, the ATP is turned into adenosine diphosphate (ADP).

ADP causes your muscles to fatigue. Creatine Phosphate helps to convert ADP into

ATP when the ATP is gone. In doing this, the athlete has better endurance during

his of her workout or event. Creatine producers and users claim it to have many

advantages, such as increased endurance, increased overall work potential,

increased speed of muscular action, and the potential to further increase muscle

mass. Creatine also accelerates protein synthesis. If all this were true, it

would be easy to see why athletes are turning to Creatine for an edge on their

competition. But are these claims real? Is their scientific proof of what

Creatine does? Yes, since Creatine came onto the supplement market it has been

tested extensively. Research in human sports science indicates that if you

supplement a normal diet with Creatine it will increase the Creatine content in

the muscles. The Texas A&M football program, experimented by putting only a

few of their players on Creatine in 1994, and as a result by 1995 they put their

whole team on Creatine. The facts don't lie Creatine has definite advantages.

Since studies on Creatine loading have only been going on for less than a

decade, it is still unknown what long-term