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Strength training and nutritional supplement use in adolescents
1Department of Medicine, Hospital for Special Surgery, Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA. MetzlJ@HSS.EDU
Current Opinion in Pediatrics
|August 10, 1999
Summary
Adolescents increasingly use strength training and nutritional supplements for sports performance. Supervised strength training is beneficial, but caution is advised for unproven supplements in young athletes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sports Medicine
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Youth sports participation is rising, leading to more sports medicine questions.
- Adolescents seek performance enhancement and injury prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the growing use of strength training and nutritional supplements in adolescent athletes.
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of these methods for young athletes.
Main Methods:
- Review of current trends in adolescent sports participation.
- Analysis of the role of strength training and ergogenic aids.
Main Results:
- Strength training, when properly supervised, can improve bone density and muscle strength.
- Ergogenic aids, including nutritional supplements, lack testing and approval for adolescent use.
- Adolescents perceive supplements as natural and safe, despite lacking evidence.
Conclusions:
- Encourage supervised strength training programs for adolescent athletes.
- Exercise extreme caution when recommending ergogenic aids and nutritional supplements for young athletes due to unknown risks.