
Sports nutrition can be a win-win for athletes and retailers.
Muhammad Ali once said, “Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.” I might be bold enough to add good nutrition to that list.
But, sadly, it seems the spirit of athletics and competition has become overshadowed by skepticism, doubt and accusation. Heroes from yesterday have become tomorrow’s targets. Family pastimes have turned into tabloid fiascos and team tryouts have become full-scale medical inquiries.
We must come together and cheer on the champions of our industry: nutrition, preventative care and yes, the supplementation that allows our bodies to achieve seemingly unattainable athletic goals.
“Athletes—from weekend warriors, to collegiate level and professionals—continue to search for supplements that can optimize performance, delay fatigue and improve recovery without containing steroids or steroid precursors,” says Kevin Owen, Ph.D., NAFTA head of technical marketing and scientific affairs at Allendale, NJ-based Lonza, Inc.
So let’s take the conspiracy out of sports nutrition and put the healthy competition back in. Retailers have the opportunity to show ‘em what we’re really made of.
Working it Out
“But they’re not regulated…supplements are steroids…who knows what’s in there…” Concern and confusion about the safety and quality of sports supplements continue to run rampant, faster than an Olympic sprinter. So let’s address it now, before the starting gun even goes off. Unfortunately, the few companies guilty of product violations seem to have inculpated the rest of the supplement industry. Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, consultant for Jarrow Formulas, Los Angeles, CA, and dean of academics at Huntington College of Health Sciences, says, “Once the public understands the extent of the new [cGMP] regulations, it will go a long way in helping to establish/re-establish a sense of safety regarding the use of sports supplements.”
“But they’re not regulated…supplements are steroids…who knows what’s in there…” Concern and confusion about the safety and quality of sports supplements continue to run rampant, faster than an Olympic sprinter. So let’s address it now, before the starting gun even goes off. Unfortunately, the few companies guilty of product violations seem to have inculpated the rest of the supplement industry. Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, consultant for Jarrow Formulas, Los Angeles, CA, and dean of academics at Huntington College of Health Sciences, says, “Once the public understands the extent of the new [cGMP] regulations, it will go a long way in helping to establish/re-establish a sense of safety regarding the use of sports supplements.”
But, it also seems that some irresponsible athletes scapegoat the industry. It is as much the responsibility of the athlete to be accountable for what they put in their bodies as it is for supplement manufacturers to be accountable for every ingredient going into a product. As with any industry, there will always be scam artists, but it is up to industry and athletes to make sure the good guys stay on the same team..