Young Athletes Turning To Dangerous Supplements

For student athletes, the cost of competition and winning can be very high, especially for those who push themselves into the danger zone.
We've heard the stories about Vikings player Korey Stringer and Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, guys who pushed themselves and their bodies hard, and paid the ultimate price.
Even here in Vermont, we're not immune from the pressures to perform and have the perfect body.
Just last month, several Norwich University athletes were accused of buying steroids.
And that's not all.
Many young athletes are using supplements to bulk up so they'll fit in.
Wayne Thebarg said, "If one is good, 10 is better. Well, that's not the case."
Thebarg pumps iron and he uses supplements to enhance his workouts.
But he realizes that not everything out there on the market is harmless, after a year-long experiment with ephedrine left him shaking.
"Because it really works very fast, it would really give you the shakes very bad, heart would really pound. When I used it, it really did have an adverse side effect as far as the shaking."
Thebarg no longer uses ephedrine, which is good because investigations have linked ballplayer Steve Bechler's death to the diet drug, which worsens heat exhaustion.
Fletcher Allen endocrinologist Dr. Joel Schnure said, "Ephedrine could kill you. We've seen a number of athletes with very rapid heart rates or brain hemorrhages from hypertension."
The FDA is expected to ban sales of ephedrine soon, but other questionable supplements like creatine remain readily available.
UVM Strength and Conditioning Coach Paul Goodman said, "Long term there's questions on how detrimental it can be on the kidneys because of the dehydration as well as the excretion factor of getting it out of the system."
In 1994, a federal law classified supplements as "foods," not "drugs," so you don't need a prescription to get them.
In fact, these products can be bought in any health food store, but that doesn't mean they're safe.
Thebarg said, "It shocks me everyday to find out what everybody does and the things that are still allowed out there."
Thebarg is now a personal trainer. He owns Junction Fitness in Essex Junction.
He still understands the pressures young guys face to shed their skinny selves.
Rutland High School senior and football player Neiman Groce said, "Everyone wants to look good, feel good, be able to lift a lot of weight. It's important."
Some experts feel the government should step in and regulate before people get hurt.
Goodman said, "You have kids that can get derivatives of anabolic steroids can be sold over the counter can have the same detrimental effects if you were just to buy anabolic steroids."
Today Thebarg follows his own regimen, which includes creatine.
He says it all comes down to personal responsibility.
"People need to be aware of what they're taking and how much they're taking."
The Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association conducted random telephone interviews last month, with young people aged 12 through 17.
They report one million of the survey respondents have taken performance-enhancing sport supplements and the health insurance agency consider that to be nationally representative.