Photo By Christina Clarke | Visit OPSS.org for more information on Operation Supplement Safety.... read more read more
Whether it’s wanting to run faster, lift more weight, or practice longer, athletes are always looking for ways to improve performance. Sometimes this means turning to unsafe supplements such as powders, pills, or even steroids. Performance improvement is often misunderstood and the supplement industry responds with flashy advertisements and misleading promises.
“This is a far reaching issue in youth and adult sports,” says Lt. Connor Whitesel, a Physical Therapist at U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Naples. “Ultimately, supplements are unnecessary, potentially dangerous, and often a poor replacement for proper training, nutrition, hydration, and a good night’s rest – aka hard work, patience, and remaining committed to a health regimen.”
Dr. Cormac O’Connor, a physician at USNH Naples, recently spoke to a group of student athletes about the dangers of supplement use. “Many professional athletes use or endorse supplements, however their natural talents and abilities – not to mention their fulltime job as athletes – creates a placebo effect. Professional athletes are already genetically gifted; the supplements do not create additional benefits.”
Supplement use has become so widespread that the Department of Defense collaborated with the U.S. Army Public Health Command, the Consortium for Health and Military Performance, and the DoD Dietary Supplement Subcommittee to create Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS). The goal of OPSS is to increase awareness within the DoD community about potential health risks and how to choose safe dietary supplements. Many military service members use dietary supplements—for promoting health, improving performance, bodybuilding, losing weight, and more. Unfortunately, some supplements have resulted in adverse events that compromise rather than improve performance, and in some cases, supplements result in positive drug tests. OPSS provides the tools and resources to help users make informed decisions about dietary supplements to reduce the potential risks to their health and careers. Visit https://www.opss.org/ for more information and to start the conversation in your home about safe supplement use.
If you have a question or concern about supplement use, your healthcare team can be reached via TRICARE Secure Messaging. Log on to www.TOLSecureMessaging.com to connect with your USNH Naples healthcare team.
| Date Taken: | 10.31.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2019 04:09 |
| Story ID: | 349993 |
| Location: | GRICIGNANO D'AVERSA, IT |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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