example of a substance sold to athletes with no recognized status in the scientific community and little
to recommend it beyond hope and
a placebo effect.
Quasi-medical sources will suggest that certain herbs, spices, or
other substances may be helpful. Sometimes alternative nutritional compounds contain naturally occurring drugs that do have some action. These effects are not always beneficial, and sometimes they are harmful. These compounds are often illegal for athletic use.
Some of these compounds are discussed more fully in the
chapter on ergogenics on page
109
and in the chapter on ergolytics
on page
124
.
If you are still not convinced, think of it this way: There is
enough known nutritional information on which to concentrate your time, effort, and money. You need not invest in the unknown.
For more information about how
to evaluate nutritional claims,
read on.
Ergogenic Quackery
Maxxta Makes You Fasta^
What We’re Talking About
High-carbohydrate or high-fat diet? Power Bars or PR?
Creatine? Antioxidants? Laetrile? Chelated vitamins and minerals? Melatonin? Yohimbe? DHEA? Breathe-Right Nasal Strips? Echinacea? Garlic? Ma huang? Ginseng?
Siberian
ginseng?
The headline SCREAMS “Improved performance with the new
wonder miracle supplement—
Maxxta
.”
One little seed, raising the possibility of improved performance,
is planted in your brain.
Will it make you faster? Does the fact that the current world
champion uses it mean that it really
works? Does the fact that your
friend uses it—and says it works—mean that you should try it?
Snake oil was the magical elixir in times not long past.
Moreover, regardless of the age, it seems there is no shortage of athletes or ordinary folk looking for the magic pill or potion to make them younger, go faster, be thinner, or cure the incurable. How can you know what is real and what is a sham?
Be a Skeptic
Perhaps the first requirement is a healthy dose of skepticism. A
multitude of products are claimed to improve performance, retard aging, or make one go faster. Ho
wever, very few substances have
ever been shown to work at all.
The personal testimony of others ma
y be interesting, but it is no
secret that such declarations are often without merit. The profit motive is frequently present. Even the most skilled observer or scientific mind is often subconsciously influenced into thinking that something is happening when the substance is actually bogus.
Nutrition for Sports, Essentials of 133
