When the Gym Isnt Enough

OVER the course of a year, Alex Feintuch, a 20-year-old sophomore at the

, spent more than $1,000 on fitness supplements.

Mr. Feintuch wanted to add size and definition to his muscles, and to see results as quickly as possible. He did research and tried dozens of products, with mixed results.

Of the products that I have bought, Ive found many that work well, he said. But some dont and were a waste of money.

The fitness supplements industry is primarily aimed at young men like Mr. Feintuch. Bodybuilding-related products powders and pills with names like Muscle Milk, Amplified Mass XXX and N.O.-Xplode represented a $2.7 billion industry in 2008, but one whose benefits are in serious dispute.

The products are a subset of the more-familiar category of nutritional supplements, which includes mainstream items like vitamin-infused waters and energy bars. That market represented $25 billion in revenue in 2008, according to

Business Journal, a trade publication.

Athletes seeking peak performance are often concerned about eating right, choosing foods that allow their bodies to function at their best everything from bananas to Peak bars. But going the next step to taking a pill or powder elicits more skepticism. Young female athletes, for example, are more apt to stick with multivitamins, energy drinks and bars, doctors and trainers say.

Male-oriented fitness supplements are not hard to find, but they are hard to figure out. Top-selling products like creatine, whey powder and nitric oxide are widely available under many brand names at drugstores and chains like G.N.C., but they are also minimally regulated, with a majority going untested by the.

And that, sports medicine doctors say, points to the problems: there is little or no uniformity among products, the labels are confusing and the ingredients are arcane. Often, the main active ingredient is simply caffeine.

Its frustrating to not know exactly what I am putting in my body, said Mr. Feintuch, who used a personal and expensive trial-and-error approach to come up with three products that seemed to work for him.

Doctors and nutritionists say that people who eat a normal diet generally dont need nutritional supplements, even if they

vigorously. But among the subset of people who already eat healthfully and want to bulk up in the gym, some supplements, when taken in sensible doses, can provide a lift.

For instance, whey protein and creatine, which are meant to add bulk to muscles and raise the bodys ability to lift heavier weights, can, in some cases, help dedicated athletes become stronger faster, doctors and trainers say.

But the dose recommended on the bottle may be much higher than the dose recommended by doctors. And for this reason and others, doctors emphasize that only adults should take fitness supplements (although high school athletes often do). A policy statement by the

advises children under 18 to avoid them.

Schools and other sports organizations should be proactive in discouraging the use of performance-enhancing substances, said Dr. Teri M. McCambridge, who practices pediatric sports medicine in Towson, Md., and is the chairwoman of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. McCambridge distinguishes between whey protein, which she considers to be a

, and performance-enhancing substances like creatine and nitric oxide. Even so, she said, the teenage diet already has more than enough protein.

They dont need the extra amount that a whey protein powder would provide, she said.

Further, most high school students dont know the importance of a recommended dose, she said, and there is a slippery slope when it comes to using other performance-enhancing drugs, like anabolic and human

.

And taking more than the recommended doses of fitness supplements can be harmful. Too much creatine in the system can lead to and

, among other things. And most people are familiar with the side effects of too much caffeine.

Jose Antonio, who edits a magazine called Sports Nutrition Insider and leads a nonprofit group called the International Society for Sports Nutrition, divides the popular supplements into three main categories: amino acid-based products, like whey protein and creatine; caffeine-based stimulants like nitric oxide, and healthy fats like omega-3 acids.

Dr. Antonio is a proponent of several supplements, including whey protein and creatine, but says an athletes goals should determine his or her strategy for use. Creatine helps add size quickly, so it is good for people who want to bulk up, he said. Whey protein is more of a general fitness supplement and helps hasten the recovery of muscles after a workout, he said.

Some personal trainers recommend nutritional supplements to their clients. If youre looking to bust through a plateau, taking five grams of creatine before your workout might help you do that, said Steve Hoffman, a trainer in Cherry Hill, N.J. It adds water weight to your muscle and helps you lift more.

For clients who want to intensify their workouts, Mr. Hoffman recommends products with arginine (an amino acid) or caffeine. He has experimented with such products and researched their effects, but he recommends caution for people who have not. Theyre awesome for working out just be careful, he said.

Udac STEPS for Better Fitness

A local non-profit agency has helped participants lose over 1,000 pounds. At Udacs STEPS Fitness Center, people with a broad range of developmental disabilities or other physical setbacks work out closely with a trainer, allowing them to exercise at their own pace and ability. This close supervision helps them meet their own goals.

In 5 years, members have lost over 1,600 pounds. On Thursday those pounds were represented in the form of six UMD football players, and the Bulldog"s mascot Champ.

Udac wants to keep this momentum going and plan on having another treadmill Walk-a-thon in early February to raise money. Everyone is invited to sign up.

Find out more about

Airmen transition into new fitness program

Posted 1/13/2010 1/13/2010 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS)
-- As Airmen begin transitioning into the new testing cycle in January, officials worked to publish the new Air Force instruction to the Air Force Publications Web site Jan. 12, with an effective date of July 1.

Air Force officials unveiled the new fitness program in August while still completing a rigorous schedule to collect feedback, coordinate the instruction and publish it by its original Jan. 1 target date.

Incorporating some of the most significant changes to the fitness program in the last five years, Air Force leaders in November delayed the effective date for the new scoring system while implementing a hybrid approach that incorporated the biannual testing cycle.

"The hybrid approach gives active-duty Airmen time to train to the new standard and understand requirements outlined in the new instruction," said Chief Master Sgt. Mark Long, the Air Force"s chief of enlisted promotions, evaluations and fitness policy here. "It also demonstrates the Air Force leadership"s commitment to improve our standards while holding Airmen accountable for their scores throughout the transition period. "

Chief Long said the hybrid approach also allows time for commanders to establish base fitness assessment cells and hire more than 250 civilian fitness testing technicians across the Air Force.

In addition to an increase in testing frequency and establishment of fitness assessment cells to proctor tests, Airmen learned last summer of the significant change and increased emphasis being placed on the aerobic component in scoring. The new Air Force instruction sets minimum requirements for each component in addition to requiring Airmen achieve a passing score of 75 or greater.

In an Air Force fitness interim guidance memorandum published Jan. 6, Airmen testing through June 2010 under the present scoring standards will receive two score cards. The first score card will be calculated using present score charts and will be loaded into the Air Force Fitness Management System. This score will be used to document evaluation reports as "Meets" or "Does Not Meet" standards or "Exempt. "

The second score card will be calculated using the new score charts that become effective in July and serves as a means for Airmen and commanders to gauge performance under the new scoring system.

During the hybrid period, Air Force Reserve Airmen will fitness test 12 months after their 2009 test date, then again six months later to progress to a biannual cycle. Air National Guard Airmen on active duty and drill status will fitness test 12 months after their last 2009 test date.

The new fitness program has been reclassified from a 10-series instruction to Air Force Instruction 36-2905, Fitness Program, and the new fitness standards become effective for all Airmen July 1.
To learn more about the new fitness program and view scoring components that become effective in July, visit . .

Fitness week: Walk it off

You can tell that some companies are hoping the usual New Year"s resolutions -- eat sensibly, lose extra pounds -- will goose sales. Kellogg"s Special K is cheering people on to take ,

"s been pushing commercials promising to get your digestive system back on track after a month of eating rich foods, gyms have been running membership specials.

But here in the Bay Area, we"re pretty lucky: A combination of great weather and a lot of neighborhoods means that it"s fairly easy to get started on one of the cheapest ways to get fit -- walking or running. (This presumes, of course, that your knees and hips are okay.) San Franciscans are even luckier: , and that combine stunning views with a quick workout. I recommend for Telegraph Hill and Castro district stair listings, or pick up a copy of Adah Bakalinsky"s.

You can also hash out a route through your neighborhood using "s and

"s route-mapping tools.

Do you have any walkable/runnable routes in the Bay Area that have worked for you? Any online tools to calculate distances? Share them at . Posted By: (