Anti-Supplement Bill Defeated

An Oregon bill which would have subjected school coaches to arrest and up to three months’ imprisonment for even suggesting the use of sports nutrition supplements was defeated by a narrow House vote of 30-27. Rep. Scott Bruun called the bill a “solution in search of a problem,” and said it unfairly lumps in illegal substances such as steroids with legal substances such as protein powder. Reportedly, some supporters of the bill said “medical studies have shown that use of nutritional supplements such as creatine can lead to health problems such as depression, high blood pressure and heart disease.” It is deeply troubling that such false and irresponsible assertions may be fooling legislators into approving dubious legislation. The Oregon Senate had approved the bill, and similar legislation has been approved in Michigan, Illinois and Texas, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. To set the record straight: “Clearly, anyone with a modicum of knowledge in the sports nutrition field knows that the evidence is robust regarding creatine’s ergogenic benefits (i.e, regular creatine supplementation increases lean body mass, muscle mass, muscle fiber cross-sectional area, muscular strength and power, to name a few). Furthermore, the notion that creatine causes a myriad of health problems such as depression, hypertension, or heart disease has about as much basis in fact as Lamarkian inheritance and unicorns,” states Jose Antonio, Ph.D., CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.