(Il)legal drugs
In 1999 the World Anti-Doping Agency was established to monitor the fight against drugs in sport. Despite WADA and several government regulations, obtaining questionable drugs is as easy as going to the pharmacy.
A recent trip to GNC sparked skepticism into the regulation of performance-enhancing drugs.
After purchasing a bottle of L-glutamine, a naturally occurring amino acid, the cashier offered some free gifts: two thermo-stimulants and one diet pill.
Upon close examination of the free supplements, the dangers were abundantly clear.
On all of the bottles a warning label stated that the supplements are not meant for anyone under 18 years old. This is not a problem except the cashier never checked for ID. For all the cashier knows, an underage but acromegalic child could have received the free gifts posing a larger risk for the customer.
The dangers do not start there. Below is the ingredient list for one of the products.
- Geranium extract – 177mg (Used as a stimulant and recently a hallucinogenic drug in New Zealand. Recommended daily dose: 150mg.)
- Caffeine anhydrous – 100mg (Another stimulant, but it is recommended that the geranium extract not be combined with any other stimulants, especially caffeine.)
- Deanol bitartrate – 17mg (Used to treat Alzheimer’s and ADHD.)
- Yohimbe extract – 40mg (Used as an over-the-counter drug to cure sexual dysfunction, also tested to cure type-2 diabetes. Recommended daily dose: 15-30mg.)
- Huperzine extract – 13mg (Used to treat Alzheimer’s. Recommended daily dose: 50-200mcg or .05-.2mg. The supplement contains 65 times the recommended dose.)
And on the bottom of the label of this same bottle it says in bold letters: This product should not be used by those concerned with athletic testing such as required by WADA.
This free gift is most likely illegal in athletic competition, (Editor’s note: research did not clarify its validity) but can be obtained from a simple, legal, trip to the drug store. WADA and the government need to strengthen their control over questionable supplements to prevent abuse and illegal usage in sport.
