Are muscle-building supplements safe?

Grace Segran, Contributor, Jakarta

Ever gazed in admiration at the physique of gym instructors and athletes? They are ultra-lean, muscular and strong.

If you watch them working out, you'll be astonished at the strength and endurance they have.

The result of hard work and hours of training, I told myself, until I heard about ergogenic aids. These are substances designed to chemically improve athletic performance.

Certain ergogenic aids, such as anabolic steroids, growth hormones and others are banned by major sports organizations. But nutritional supplements -- largely made up of naturally-occurring compounds -- are marketed as safe and legal performance-enhancing alternatives to banned agents. Manufacturers claim they can build muscle, and improve strength and stamina.

These products range from vitamins, minerals and herbs to amino acids. The agents commonly used are creatinine, androstenedione, and a combination of caffeine and ephedrine.

I asked Laourenz J.A. Kailuhu, operational manager of Odiseus, Executive Fitness Center and Spa at Istana Sahid, what he thought of fitness that comes in a bottle.

"I am taking Phosphagen 2 (EAS). It contains higher levels of key cell-volumizing amino acids, creatinine monohydrate, in addition to the amino acids methionine, arginine and glycine, found in the original formula," says Kailuhu.

The supplement also has an approved carbohydrate matrix which causes a rapid, natural rise in insulin levels to help shuttle creatinine and other nutrients to their ultimate destination in muscle tissue, he adds.

"This stuff is an excellent supplement for athletes or bodybuilders who want to bulk up but don't want to put on additional body fat," he concludes.

He has also tried Designer Protein, which is purported to contain whey peptides, whey-protein concentrate, ion-exchanged whey, and a glutamine peptide blend. "I like the taste and it mixes easily," says Kailuhu, "I think this is probably the purest protein on the market."

According to Kailuhu, Hydroxycut is one of the best formula designed to mimic the powerful fat-burning and appetite- suppressing effects of the caffeine/ephedrine stack.

"It is a pretty potent combination of HCA, ma huang extract (for the ephedrine), guarana extract (for the caffeine), and willow bark (for the salicin, or aspirin)," says Kailuhu.

And do they work? "Yes, they work pretty fast in helping me boost my muscles," says Kailuhu.

So far, Kailuhu says he has not heard any complaints about the side effects of the products he mentioned.

Although supplements that boost performance occur naturally in foods, there are serious concerns about the long-term effects of using them as supplements.

Because these products are categorized as "nutritional and dietary supplements", the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- the government agency that regulates food, drugs, and medical devices in the U.S. -- does not test the safety or effectiveness of supplements before they are placed on the market.

Consequently, when you buy a nutritional supplement, you may find that claims that are written on the label are incorrect.

Moreover, most nutritional supplements have not been tested for safety. So are they harmful if taken over a long period? No one knows for sure. Apparently it takes 10 to 20 years to do a complete study to determine whether a product has long-term side effects, whereas many popular supplements have only emerged within the last few years.

In fact, there are few conclusive studies that have been done on even the short-term side effects of many new products.

There are many known side effects of taking the herbal product ephedrine (also known as ephedra, ma huang, epitonin, or sida cordifolia). Some of the side effects include insomnia, anxiety, irritability, nervousness, rapid heart rate, nerve damage, psychosis, stroke, memory loss, and drastic increase in blood pressure. The potential for abuse is high; ephedrine-containing products are considered addictive.

Creatine, a legal amino acid-based strength-training supplement for athletes has yearly sales of over US$400 million. It is readily available for sale, both in health food stores and over the Internet and is marketed to youngsters in cookies and candy.

It has been known to cause short-term cramping and diarrhea. While less is known about long-term use, it has been linked to muscle injury and kidney problems, said Dr. Brent Bauer, a Mayo Clinic internist and supplements specialist.

The benefits for anyone other than elite athletes are negligible, Bauer said.

Because no long term studies have been done on these products, the bottom line is that no one can confidently state that the prolonged use of supplements is safe.

Prolonged administration of supplements is, in essence, an uncontrolled toxicity study and one that might yield harmful results. Is it worth the risk?