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Olympia Study Finds Athletes Lean on Supplements Rather Than Steroids: School District Plans Educational Campaign

Posted on: Saturday, 18 February 2006, 15:00 CST

By Katherine Tam, The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.

Feb. 18--OLYMPIA -- A school study released Friday found no trend in the use of illegal steroids among student athletes, although dietary supplements and energy drinks are being taken.

The local doctors, personal trainers and coaches interviewed in the study said they don't see students with symptoms consistent with steroid use. They added steroids tend to be too expensive and hard to come by for teenagers.

But dietary supplements that include Creatine, an over-the-counter additive, are being used, the study said. Officials are wary of their use because the health effects are unknown, said Jeff Carpenter, Olympia School District's coordinator of health, fitness and athletic programs.

"Kids are looking in a lot of cases for quick fixes. 'If I take this, I'll get bigger, faster, stronger and I don't have to work that hard,' " Carpenter said. "We want kids to work out in the weight room, not try to take shortcuts."

The study did not include interviews with students, said Peter Rex, district spokesman.

School board President Russ Lehman requested the study last year after hearing from physicians and parents who thought some students might be using performance-¬enhancing substances.

The substances, which range from illegal steroids to energy drinks and herbal supplements, can increase a person's strength, power, speed or endurance. They also can alter a user's body weight and cause changes in behavior.

Most are not controlled or approved at the federal level. Nor are they prohibited by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Dietary supplements are commonly found at nutrition stores.

District officials plan to deal with student use of the supplements with an educational campaign and proactive services. The district will sponsor a WIAA coaching workshop in the spring focusing on the use of ¬performance-enhancing substances and programs to help students and families deal with these issues.

They'll also develop a referral process for athletes with substance abuse problems, Carpenter said. And they're compiling new brochures and information packets to distribute to families at preseason meetings and fall sports orientations.

Lehman wants to hold a discussion with the school board and the community about what to do next and to find out whether the district's sports programs create a culture in which students feel they need to use performance-enhancing substances. Testing for the substances should be part of that discussion, as a deterrent for students who may not be dissuaded by the potential health risks, said Lehman, who added he has no strong opinions on the idea yet.

Over the past decade, steroid use is reported to have doubled among high school athletes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 15,000 students in grades 9 through 12 surveyed by the CDC in 2003, 6 percent said they had taken steroids at least once.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.

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Source: The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.

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