Back9Nutrition; Sports Nutrition designed for Golfers
How to Avoid a Positive Drug Test on the PGA Tour:
A Sports Dietitian’s Perspective
By: Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics
To supplement or not to supplement, that is the question. It used to be that if you had the skill, you could be a golfer. Now professional golfers are not only skilled in the sport, they are now focusing more and more on golf performance which includes a variety of components such as strength training, conditioning, nutrition, mental conditioning and much more. As a result, the desire to improve athleticism and supplement the normal diet is at an all time high. After all, supplements can only make you better…right?
The supplements of today claim that they will increase strength (improving your driving ability), they give you energy (keeping you stronger through eighteen holes), and they help you get leaner (possibly improving a swing), but are they all safe? The unfortunate truth is that supplements are regulated by…well, no one. Thus, it is very easy for legal supplements to be cross-contaminated with illegal ones.
In 2006-2007, HFL (an accredited lab) conducted a study to investigate levels of steroid/stimulant contamination in popular retail supplements in the United States. The banned substance screen used to detect the presence of low levels of steroid and stimulant contaminants that are considered prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was performed on 58 supplements purchased on-line or in popular retail outlets. One quarter (25%) of these supplements tested positive for steroid and/or stimulants that were not listed on the label thus proving not all “legal” supplements are safe.
In the past few years, professional athletes of a variety of sports have produced positive drug tests from taking common supplements like whey protein powders, energy boosters, and mass gainers, etc…supplements they thought were safe. So the question remains…how do you know what is safe? For starters, you can become smarter when looking at Supplement Facts Labels. Check out the chart below:
If your product says: It might contain: Avoid? Do it naturally?
Thermogenic Adrenaline Fuel the body with nutrient-dense
Energy Booster Ephedrine food often & supplement with a
Energy Drink Epinephrine YES natural caffeine like green tea,
Increases energy Ma Huang black tea or coffee.
Synepherine
Mass Gainer Androstenedione, Train hard in the weight room and
Muscle Builder Methyltestosterine, follow your workout with a 3:1 to 4:1
Anti-Estrogen Prostanozol, ratio of simple carbohydrates & natural
Increases Strength Prosterone (DHEA), YES whey protein in addition to a complete
Testosterone Booster Stanozolol, diet.
Hormone Regulator Testosterone,
Tetrahydrogestrinone,
Fat Burner Adrenaline, Aim to eat small meals often that
Weight Loss Ephedrine, provide complex carbohydrates,
Suppress Appetite Epinephrine, YES lean proteins & healthy fats.
Boosts Metabolism Estrenedione, Ma Huang,
Synepherine
We know that there are a variety of supplements in which research shows some benefit for athletes such as multi-vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, probiotics, glutamine, whey protein, glucosamine chondroitin, and many more. However, at the chance of ruining a career in golf, you might want to pick and choose carefully. One option to avoid supplement cross contamination is to use medical grade products such as Beneprotein (a medical grade of whey protein) instead of store bought powder as a protein supplement. Second, if you are going to use a supplement bought from a local retail establishment, look for supplements that are stamped with approval such as supplements that say “collegiate” or that bear the NFL goal post sign or NSF logo. These supplement manufacturers are claiming that their products “are certified to contain no banned substances” if taken in the recommended serving size. However, note that their disclaimer is that the stamp/logo “minimizes the risk” that a dietary supplement contains a banned substance, not eliminates the risk. Finally, one of the best options is focusing on eating foods that naturally supply the highest quantities of vitamins, minerals and amino acids that these supplements provide.
In reference to the supplements above, many are richly found in foods:
¬Multi-Vitamins: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, dairy
¬Omega-3 fatty acids: fish (salmon, trout, albacore tuna), walnuts, flaxseed & its oil
¬Vitamin C: citrus fruits, strawberries, red & green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage
¬Probiotics: yogurt and kefir
¬Glutamine: chicken, fish, beef, beans, milk, cheese, yogurt, cabbage, beets
¬Whey protein: milk, cheese, yogurt
So, the take-home message for every golfer…Aim to get as many vitamins, minerals and amino acids from food and if you do choose to take supplements, do your homework!
For questions about your supplements, go to www.drugfreesport.com/rec and click on “PGA TOUR” with password: pgatour.
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