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Sports Medicine
HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS AND
VITAMINS
It is important that health supplements and vitamins are
bought from a reliable source. Ideally the product should be approved by a
national authority such as the Irish Medicines Board. Some health supplements
may contain stimulants or caffeine despite not having such a declaration on the
label.
Creatine
Creatine has been used by a number of athletes to
increase muscle mass.
There have been number of varying reports on the
efficacy of the product, and as to how it should be used effectively. There also
has also been some debate as to the classification of creatine as a medicine or
as a food substance and currently there is no product authorised as a medicinal
product. There is little conclusive data on the long-term effects, on the use of
creatine. There have been reports, mainly in the US, of products labelled as
creatine which when tested also contained the stimulant ephedrine. Athletes
should be aware of the dangers of taking any such substance.
If an athlete does decide to take creatine, it should be done
under medical supervision.
Ginseng
Ginseng has been used
for many centuries as an aid to reduce fatigue and improve concentration. Pharmaton™ which contains standardised
extracts of Korean Ginseng is the only ginseng-containing product available in
Ireland which carries a product authorisation. | | |
