Supplement Unit for Advanced Wt. Training
Day 1- What is a Supplement?
A supplement is something added to complete a thing, to supply a deficiency, or
reinforce or extend a whole.
While drugs are prescription items that are regulated by the law, supplements are
“additives” that are not regulated.
Nutritional Supplements- Nutritional Supplements are nutrients that include a diverse
group of products that address a wide range of issues. These can range from weight loss
to weight gain, help with relaxing a person or provide more them with energy.
Day 2 Supplements:
Vitamins- A vitamin is a chemically organic substance essential for regulating
both the metabolic functions of cells and the biochemical processes that release energy
from food.
Minerals- Minerals are inorganic substances found in very small amounts in the
human body, which are essential for a wide range of vital processes.
Herbs - Herbs are agents that are prepared from plants and are often times used
for medicinal purposes.
Day 3 - Steroids
Steroids
Steroids other wise known as Anabolic-androgenic steroids, are a synthetic form
of testosterone. Testosterone is the natural male hormone produced in the testes by men.
Testosterone is responsible for the androgenic (masculinzing) and anabolic (tissue
building) affects that take place during adolescence and adulthood in males. Steroids are
drugs that are available legally only by prescription. They are often used to treat
conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone,
such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence, and also to treat body wasting in
patients with AIDS and other diseases.
Day 4 – Steroids cont’d –
Anabolic steroids are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles of weeks or
months, rather than continuously, in patterns called cycling. Cycling involves taking
multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and
starting again. In addition, users frequently combine several different types of steroids to
maximize their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects, a process known as
stacking.
Day 5 – Steroid Side effects/Health Hazards
There are several health hazards to steroid abuse and some are irreversible. People who
inject anabolic steroids run the added risk of contracting or transmitting hepatitis, which
causes serious damage to the liver, or HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS.
The major side effects of anabolic steroid abuse include liver tumors and cancer,
jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues, and body fluids), fluid retention, high
blood pressure, increases in LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good
cholesterol); others side effects include kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling.
Day 6 – Steroid Side effects/Health Hazards Day 2
There are some gender-specific side effects:
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For men - shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness,
development of breasts, and increased risk for prostate cancer.
For women - growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation
of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice.
For adolescents - growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal
maturation and accelerated puberty changes. This means that adolescents risk
remaining short the remainder of their lives if they take anabolic steroids before
the typical adolescent growth spurt.
Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may
result from abuse of anabolic steroids. Many users report feeling good about themselves
while on anabolic steroids, but researchers report that extreme mood swings also can
occur, including manic-like symptoms leading to violence. Depression often is seen when
the drugs are stopped and may contribute to dependence on anabolic steroids.
Researchers report also that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability,
delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.
Day 7 –Creatine
Creatine is a combination of 3 different amino acids. It is produced by the liver and can
be found in foods such as meat and fish, at a concentration of about 4 grams per kilogram
of meat.
Creatine (once ingested) works by a series of transformations until eventually
transforming into ADP (adenosine di-phosphate). ADP is then able to form ATP
(adenosine tri-phosphate). ATP is the energy of cells and is used to drive most cellular
functions. ATP is a crucial molecule in muscular contraction. Increasing ATP enhances a
person’s performance and decreases fatigue in intense, short-duration activities.
Day 8 –Creatine Side effects/ Health Hazards
The major concerns regarding the short-term use of creatine supplement are the
dehydration and muscle dysfunction. Creatine draws fluid into the muscles, taking it
away from the vital organs, athletes using creatine may dehydrate much more quickly
than other athletes, predisposing them to serious heat illness. The combination of creatine
supplementation, high heat, and high humidity could be deadly.
The biggest problem with Creatine is that as a nutritional supplement it is not regulated
by the Food and Drug Administration. As a result, not much is known about Creatine and
its potential side long term side effects. In addition, makers of the substance are not
required to list the contents of the package on the label for distribution.
In summary, at this time in an adolescents life the best way to improve muscle mass is to
ADD GOOD FOOD and HARD WORK. There is no supplement that can replace hard
work. Supplementation, without hard work DOES NOT WORK. HARD WORK with out
supplementation DOES WORK.