While a recent study showed that 42 percent of college students have used dietary supplements, most experts said supplements’ health risks outweigh perceived benefits.
The University of North Florida, which conducted the study, surveyed 1,000 college students. Respondents said they were looking to increase energy, relieve stress and promote weight loss by taking supplements.
Creatine, which is most commonly taken to provide energy for quick, regenerative activities like weightlifting and sprinting, is one of the most popular supplements among athletes, officials said.
But most experts said although taking supplements will help students improve their performance, students become more motivated after taking supplements and their performance improves as a result.
“You take these pills you feel like you’re stronger, you’re getting bigger and that really is just making you work out more and that is what’s making you get stronger,” sports management professor Lisa Delpy said.
There can definitely be a placebo effect,” nutrition graduate assistant Brooke Fischer said.
Graduate student Kyle Reliford said he took creatine as an undergraduate playing baseball for Southern Baptist University.
Reliford said although his performance improved while taking creatine, the supplement’s effects are “mostly mental.”
“If I have the right attitude and mindset, I can do anything when I come (to the gym),” he said.
Although mindset plays a significant role in effectiveness, health risks are a real concern, experts said.
There is a possibility creatine can put strain on the kidneys and liver without proper hydration, according to a June 2002 study done by Dr. Ray Sahelian, a Drexel University graduate with a degree in nutrition.
Reliford said he started taking creatine because his coaches “encouraged” usage among players, although he was aware of its largest side effect, dehydration.
“One of the biggest side effects is that you go to the bathroom all the time,” he said.
But some students said they are happy with the results.
A male senior, who wished to remain anonymous, said he saw significant improvements in recovery time and endurance once he started taking the supplement.
He said he stopped taking creatine because his habit cost about $60 for 20 workouts.
“I talked to my doctor and a few other people,” the student said. “But I took that into consideration and I followed the directions correctly.”
But Delpy said most students do not follow directions properly.
“They think if I’m feeling this much better when I take one pill how much will two or three or four do,'” Delpy said.
But experts said students who work out more need more protein, and protein shakes do not pose serious health risks.
“An active person generally needs more protein, but there’s nothing magical about a protein shake,” Fischer said. “They’re not bad, just a waste of money.”
She also said students can get the same amount of protein from eating protein-rich foods, but for convenience reasons some students choose to drink shakes.
Some students said they stay away from supplements because they want to get results naturally.
“(Supplements) are a gimmick,” senior Tamar Jaffe said. “You can’t change the way you look from taking a pill or drinking (something).”
