MEANING:
Drugs are many things like Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Cannabis, Cocaine, Nicotine, Alcohol
Supplements are more benign things like Vitamin C, Creatine pills, Iron tablets, Cod liver oil capsules, Protein powder, etc.
TYPES:
THE GOOD
Protein Powders and similar muscle growth boosting foods which are commonly available in High Street shops and over the counter at gyms. Not always good, and nearly always very expensive.
Creatine capsules. Commonly used amongst athletes, and advantageous to most – provided you don’t take too much.
Fluid replacement powders – electrolytes containing sodium salts and potassium.
Vitamin and mineral supplements – some of the most commonly used and effective for athletes are Vitamin C and Iron (over-training can cause Anemia). There are many other types, some of which you may need, some you might already get enough of. If in doubt talk to a Doctor, Pharmacist or Nutrition expert.
THE BAD
Too much junk food with the wrong types of salts and fats which are ‘processed‘ which basically means that they have been tampered with to such an extent that the bad qualities will build up in your body over time, although the amounts present in just one meal are insignificant. Educate yourself about food and learn to cook – this is a fantastic and important life skill for any athlete to acquire.
There are many food, drug and supplement items which cannot for various reasons easily be categorized – and as such these things are in the ‘grey fuzzy area’ between the good and the ugly. They could easily be ugly if used incorrectly and basically you haven’t done much research into what you are putting into your mouth. I will give one example as Cannabis (pot, marijuana, hash, blow, green, dope) – this is a massive subject, and it can and does cause many problems for people in society – BUT – I will not rule it out – because sometimes it is the best thing available (in it’s pure form) for athletes to take to help sleep, recovery and muscle pain relief during intense training. And I will naturally give a brief mention to Paul McCartney of the Beatles pop group and the boxer Mike Tyson – you can search online for the rest – I’m finished on that topic before I get my self into trouble.
THE UGLY
Steroids, Anabolic Steroids, and various other types of Performance enhancers which might be injected or taken orally.
Crack Cocaine
Heroin
Strong Pain Killers
Weight Loss pills and potions (even if you can get these prescribed by a Doctor) – my advice is to just go for some very long walks, cycles or go jogging.
Literally tonnes of other substances, including alcohol in larger quantities.
MOJOH SAYS NO NO !
TIPS:
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:
I am not a Doctor and in no way am I qualified to recommend particular drugs (or supplements) to any other individual.
The information and links on this web page are entirely based on my own experience and/or research, and I receive ZERO commissions or payments from any third parties for showing any information on this page.
All information provided on this page is intended to be used as GUIDANCE for anyone thinking of taking any pills, powders or potions to enhance their fitness training.
The final choice is yours, and you can of course check out other websites to broaden your knowledge, before you make a decision. Everyone is different! What is right for one person will undoubtedly be wrong for some other people. Just be careful please, and if in doubt then please consult with a Doctor, Coach, Parent, Guardian or Trusted Friend, before putting these things into your body.
END OF DISCLAIMER
One of my Golden Rules as a Coach is NEVER to coach people who stoop to these levels of desperation. Keep it clean and natural wherever possible, and REMEMBER THIS:
For every successful ‘winner’ who ‘cheated’ with steroids in sport, there are always thousands of ‘losers’ who fall by the wayside of life to be forgotten about and to suffer terrible side effects. But you rarely get to hear about these failures, because many of your gym ‘buddies’ or peers will seek to convince you that this is not cheating and that they know best and that you are a fool not to take them ‘because everyone else does’. And probably they will then try to push or peddle these substances onto you (at a financial profit to themselves). Sooner or later this WILL happen to you on your athletic journey. Please try to find the mental strength and discipline to say NO and to walk away.
I know how hard it is to say no in these circumstances and also how painful it can be to decide that you must cut ties with some of the people you had previously considered friends. Trust me, this is part of the Pain and Mental discipline that a successful athlete (a champion) must endure in order to be the best that they can be – your mental strength and discipline will pay off eventually.
DETAIL:
This topic, whilst vast and potentially awkward, is actually quite simple for me to explain from my point of view (based on many years of experience).
Vitamin tablets and powders that are typically purchased over shop counters are generally ok and sometimes highly beneficial to athletes. But, you should be careful not to take too much of anything, and try to ensure that you do actually NEED this stuff.
Electrolyte (fluid replacement) is also fine and often used by athletes when they seat a lot during training.
Creatine is also fine for many athletes, if taken under the guidance of a trusted Coach or Doctor, but again don’t take too much! Too much of ANYTHING is bad for you.
Protein powders and certain muscle building formulas are also generally safe to use (if purchased over a counter from a shop or gym), but the down side is that these are often very expensive (this is a massively high profit industry). When people ask me what they should take, I always tell them to start by looking at their normal daily food intake – proper real food like chicken, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. berries, beans, pulses, greens, herbs and spices. Personally, I am a big fan of strawberries, bananas and eggs (definitely free-range and organic every time please). I also eat lots of chicken, other white meats and a good bit of fish when I can get it. The human body evolved for thousands of years to eat these natural foods, but the modern pills and potions have only been widely available for a few decades right? So stop arguing with me 🙂
Pretty much everything that I didn’t mention in the above NOTES section is BAD, WRONG, EVIL, DANGEROUS. Don’t do it.