CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — With fall fast approaching and many C-U area teens participating in sports, an important question for many parents is whether or not their teenage athletes should be taking pre-workout supplements.
Kids may see their favorite athlete or influencer using pre-workout supplements, whether it be on social media or in stores, to enhance their performance after physical activity.
Pre-workout supplements can come in various forms. Some popular options are creatine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). While creatine and caffeine are the main ingredients in most pre-workout supplements, most BCAAs do not contain caffeine.
These supplements are taken before a workout or athletic match with the goals of increasing endurance, muscle mass, and reducing recovery time. But the question is whether or not middle or high-school-aged kids should be taking them.
OSF Healthcare says: Probably not.
“These can cause increased heart rate or heart burn. You’re also taking a lot of supplements that are going straight to your gut. You can see some nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. They’re also not well-monitored, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) isn’t regulating these very closely,” says Erica Dawkins, a dietetic intern with OSF HealthCare.
Kids with heart defects are at an even greater risk.
“A lot of times we see defects or heart irregularities that somebody isn’t even aware of. They don’t know that until they take something like this and have an adverse event,” Dawkins says. “So, if you already know, avoid these because we don’t want to throw that heart into an abnormal rhythm it might not be able to come back from.”
Rather than taking pre-workout supplements, Dawkins says that there are healthier alternatives. She says leafy and root vegetables like spinach, lettuce and beets are a great, natural option.
“Those have the natural nitrate in it. So, we’re getting the same effects we would from a pre-workout supplement, just in our regular diet,” Dawkins adds.
Having a conversation with your child’s pediatrician or sports medicine physician is extremely important if you are wondering what supplements should or should not be added into their routine.
To read more about children taking pre-workout supplements, visit OSF Healthcare.
