Spring Break
Is your beverage NCAA banned?
By: Katie Frick
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Sports
A seemingly innocent energy drink could end your career as a collegiate athlete.
A number of years ago the NCAA instituted a list of banned-drug classes, including stimulants, anabolic agents and street drugs that are prohibited for use by NCAA athletes. Two common ingredients in energy drinks, taurine and guarana, were banned in 2003.
After monitoring the effects of the stimulants, the NCAA declared that athletes cannot have a caffeine concentration higher than 15 micrograms per milliliter in their system. If the student does, her drug test will come back positive. The NCAA tests athletes only when they reach the championship level, which means that an entire season of success can be ended with a single energy drink.
As energy drinks have increased in popularity, Mount Holyoke has facilitated their accessibility by fully stocking Blanchard with booster beverages like Red Bull, Tab and Rockstar.
Head athletic trainer Ellen Perrella recognizes that the college "does not actively enforce the rules and regulations of the NCAA, other than trying to educate athletes regarding drugs, alcohol and banned substances."
In sports, athletes always try to look for that extra edge-a way to boost energy, improve endurance, quicken reaction speed and counter drowsiness. Perrella speculated that "athletes take the drinks looking for an energy boost to compensate for lack of sleep or perhaps an inadequate caloric intake. It is a poor substitute for either." She added that "too much caffeine can make one 'jittery' and can, depending on the sport, actually detract from performance." Yet due to false advertising and ignorance, many athletes will still reach for an energy drink, unaware of the health and legal hazards.
For example, according to the Red Bull website, "It is recommended to drink one can of Red Bull Energy Drink about 30 minutes before the start of a concentration task or the start of a race or game in sports." However, Red Bull does not state that one full can of an energy drink contains enough caffeine to put a player over the legal limit.
A number of years ago the NCAA instituted a list of banned-drug classes, including stimulants, anabolic agents and street drugs that are prohibited for use by NCAA athletes. Two common ingredients in energy drinks, taurine and guarana, were banned in 2003.
After monitoring the effects of the stimulants, the NCAA declared that athletes cannot have a caffeine concentration higher than 15 micrograms per milliliter in their system. If the student does, her drug test will come back positive. The NCAA tests athletes only when they reach the championship level, which means that an entire season of success can be ended with a single energy drink.
As energy drinks have increased in popularity, Mount Holyoke has facilitated their accessibility by fully stocking Blanchard with booster beverages like Red Bull, Tab and Rockstar.
Head athletic trainer Ellen Perrella recognizes that the college "does not actively enforce the rules and regulations of the NCAA, other than trying to educate athletes regarding drugs, alcohol and banned substances."
In sports, athletes always try to look for that extra edge-a way to boost energy, improve endurance, quicken reaction speed and counter drowsiness. Perrella speculated that "athletes take the drinks looking for an energy boost to compensate for lack of sleep or perhaps an inadequate caloric intake. It is a poor substitute for either." She added that "too much caffeine can make one 'jittery' and can, depending on the sport, actually detract from performance." Yet due to false advertising and ignorance, many athletes will still reach for an energy drink, unaware of the health and legal hazards.
For example, according to the Red Bull website, "It is recommended to drink one can of Red Bull Energy Drink about 30 minutes before the start of a concentration task or the start of a race or game in sports." However, Red Bull does not state that one full can of an energy drink contains enough caffeine to put a player over the legal limit.