You’re about to work out. The plan is to pump some iron and get totally jacked. But first, you have to do your pre workout rituals; Stretch out your muscles, crack your knuckles, and chug your protein drink that’s filled with unhealthy chemicals like  dimethylamylamine and synephrine. These mixtures of performance enhancers are known as pre-workout. Many Tam students unknowingly down these chemicals with no regard for their health. This degree of workout ignorance could put them in harms way.

These pre workout sludges are very easy to obtain as they can be bought at many vitamin shops or ordered online no questions asked. Tam student Chris Vogt , who used to take supplements, said “A lot of gyms have sample packages you can take, you think it gives you an edge but really it doesn’t, It’s almost like a gateway drug to steroids.” The fact that pre-workouts are so easy to get makes it imperative that students be informed about these chemicals before they are exposed to them. There are many possible solutions to this problem such as teaching kids safe use in a class like weight training, or even if coaches were to outlaw use among their teams.

The popularity of enhancers like creatine, one of the common ingredients in pre workout mixtures that increases energy and heart rate, has sent shockwaves through athletics at Tam. Student athletes are consuming powders with names like C-4 and Game Day without acknowledging their ingredients. Most of these supplements are based on caffeine, containing anywhere from 100-300 milligrams of caffeine in a serving. Thats more than in one to three cups of coffee or multiple cans of redbull, which contains 80 milligrams. Due to the caffeine there are events in the body like increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, the kidneys working harder causing frequent urination, and mental excitement. In 2012, the Food and Drug Administration issued warnings to 11 companies that asked they cut products containing another harmful stimulant known as dimethylamylamine, or DMAA, according to an FDA report.

Part of the allure that these supplements give to Tam students is the possibility of improving body image. Many Teenagers have not fully grown into their bodies and are insecure that they are going to be judged by their peers. This feeling of vulnerability makes high schools a target for the supplement companies.

“There is an incentive on the company’s part to dope these products because then people feel better and look better, so they keep buying it,” said Roger Miesfeld, co-chair and department head of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arizona on his own university website, “It’s like adding extra nicotine to a cigarette.”

    This type of addictive feeling is the most dangerous and concerning thing about pre workout.  “It just makes you feel like you have energy,” said former Tam student athlete  and current UC Davis athlete Geoffrey Mohn. “as normal coffee would, I’ve taken coffee as a pre workout also.” it’s mostly psychological, a placebo.”

Vogt, who plays for the varsity football team, went on to say “It makes you feel more energized during a workout, you can really tell when you don’t take it. You can get dependent on it and want to take more and more.”

The drug DMAA works just like the caffeine does. It gives you a large rush and stimulates adrenal glands. Unfortunately, this also can restrict your blood vessels which puts you at risk for heart issues. Although it is usually not fatal it can be dangerous to do too much activity that could raise your heart rate. If you do this then you’re putting yourself at risk for a dangerously fast heart rate which can lead to heart attack and other cardiac related issues.

Another important question to ask is “If professional leagues outlaw performance enhancing drugs, then why don’t high school leagues?” Both professional and college sports have banned the use of C-4 and any other pre-workout that contains either Dmaa or synephrine. However, there are no specific rules saying that the use is Prohibited to MCAL student athletes.This makes recreational use an effective advantage that athletes may seek. It’s important to discourage the use of these products as they are unsafe and could be categorized as addictive. So lets go all natural and just work out like they did in the old days.