ACSM Recommends That FDA Revisit "Dietary Supplements"

With continuing news surrounding both professional and amateur athletes' use of "dietary supplements" such as androstenedione, creatine, DHEA, and HMB, sports medicine experts from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) have called for the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revisit the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

"ACSM understands that Congress's intent in enacting the DSHEA was to meet the concerns of consumers and manufacturers to help ensure that safe and appropriately labeled products can remain on the shelf. However, many physicians feel that some supplements' should be considered drugs' because they contain known active ingredients, whereas dietary supplements' have little or no physiologic effects," indicated president of ACSM Paul D. Thompson, M.D., FACSM. "Unfortunately, most supplements have not been evaluated for either their potential risks or benefits promoted via advertising."

While an issue of semantics for some, critical evaluation and possible reclassification would allow professional and amateur sports teams to take a firm stance regarding performance-enhancing substances.

Gary I. Wadler, M.D., FACSM, is a recent winner of the IOC's President's Award for excellence in the field of drugs in sports, and serves as Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at New York University. "Certainly, there are positive effects to the supplements being questioned. Our concern is that many of the newer substances have not yet been tested for their long-term physiological and potentially adverse effects," stated Wadler. "Even more of a concern is the use of these products by adolescents. As a physician and a father, I would recommend that adults and children consult with their physician before ever taking performance-enhancing supplements."