To participate in athletics, one must be strong and physically fit, and while steroids are illegal, various supplements have become popular among teenagers.

Generally speaking, all supplements help to perfect the physique of the taker, whether it is by adding a boost of testosterone, strengthening muscles to be stronger and faster or increasing protein synthesis.

Such examples of bodybuilding supplements include Creatine Monohydrate products, which help to develop stronger muscles and target vascular enlargement. These particular products, unlike others, are legal supplements for minors, when taken in moderation. For this reason, Creatine is a common enhancer in the pill form.

Other alternatives for bulking up include drinking whey protein shakes and muscle milk, so athletes can have a few each day before and after workouts.

“People take (supplements) because of the pressure to look good and perform well,” Granite Bay High School senior and baseball player Jordan Gielow said.

The need to immediately have that certain look is so strongly impounded into some athletes’ minds, that instead of only working out to gradually build defining muscle, they take extra boosts to bulk up faster. Personal satisfaction is achieved and others are impressed by their athletic form and abilities.

“Everyone’s always looking for a way to get ahead, especially junior and senior year when colleges start scouting,” senior track and field runner Pratik Shaw said. “(Athletes) try everything they can to get noticed by good schools.”

There are other supplements such as the new TrenXtreme by American Cellular Labs, NO-Xplode by BSN and Halo D that require the buyer to be of at least 18 years of age due to the fact their bodies are still growing. And the overuse of these products can stimulate growth and possibly cause problems later in life.

This however, does not always stop underage students from obtaining the supplements and constantly taking them. In fact, out of a random poll of 30 upperclassmen male athletes, about 64% agree that these age restrictions do not cause a problem for other students, because older friends can buy the certain pills with not all places checking I.D.

West Coast Nutrition, located in the Granite Bay Village, is a store dedicated to selling a wide range of supplements, including those which are company-produced ones.

This store was suspected of possibly selling certain supplements to minors by the mother of a football player, and was brought to football coach and biology teacher Chet Dickson’s attention as a caution.

“For testosterone intakes and fat burners, you have to be 18 to and we do take I.D. here,” Brandon Ware, the owner of West Coast Nutrition, said. “We really try to be as ethical as we can on regulating, but of course, someone who is 18 can buy products for a friend who isn’t 18, so it’s always a challenge—sometimes I feel like I’m selling alcohol.”

Students also know that there are major risks from taking actual steroids. Not all of them, however, feel that there is as great of a danger to their bodies by taking any type of supplement, even the ones that caution the use by minors.

“(Teenagers) probably feel safer taking supplements because they aren’t blatantly labeled ‘steroids”, junior Eric Strehl said. “I think that ‘supplements’ (are) really just steroids with a politically correct name.”

What exactly is the difference between the terms steroid and supplement? They both create the same effect on the human body.

People have come to know that steroids, however, result in being released from a sports team, due to the illegality of injecting that particular fluid into veins. Out of a group of surveyed students, all claim to know the potential dangers of steroids, and with this knowledge, it has influenced most students to not inject the harsh substances into their bodies.

“I have known some people who have taken steroids (and) they are not doing sports due to always being hurt,” junior Justin Sutter, a football player, said. “It destroys every bone and you (feel) sick inside.”

The sound of the word ‘supplement’ is less harsh than the word ‘steroid’. Students have come to the conclusion that since many of the supplements consist of all-natural products, there is a significantly lesser risk in swallowing the pills. Also, no needles are injected into the skin, which in itself, cause some students to feel that supplements are safe.

“I take amino acids (BCAA), whey protein and M-Stak, which increases protein synthesis, and they all occur naturally in your body,” senior waterpolo player Jeff Ward said.

Also, steroids have come to be banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but alternatives to steroids are not regulated by the organization because they are technically nutritional food supplements.

“(Parents and students) assume supplements are safe because the FDA hasn’t banned them and stores are selling them,” Dickson said. “However, the fact that they haven’t been banned or disallowed does not mean a lot.”

TrenXtreme, an anabolic dietary supplement, is used to build lean muscle mass and boost the testosterone level. The molecular shape of this compound is very similar to that of the steroid Trenbolone.

Trenbolone is used to increase muscle growth in livestock, and is illegal for human use. However, TrenXtreme is only missing the two hydrogen molecules that cause the illegality Trenbolone contains. The illegal steroid can essentially cause kidney damage, insomnia, increased aggression, and a reduced libido, according to chemistry teacher Suchi Krishnaraj.

Halo D, which is another pro-hormone supplement that increases muscle bulk, contains a very similar chemical structure to Adrostinene, which is not allowed on the market.

“Functionally, what these products do for the body are the same thing (as what steroids do),” Dickson said, “but we don’t know the long-term or harmful effects (supplements) may give because the FDA hasn’t tested it.”

According to the survey, over half of the polled students agreed that most students do not think about the possible side-effects of taking supplements because they are only concerned with getting bigger, faster and stronger. Even those who say that students do think about potential long-term effects believe that many athletes do not think that they will be affected, and they are more concerned with their present appearance than future life.

“I think the FDA needs to step in the supplement market,” Ware said. “As a consumer, you should know what is in every product you’re taking, especially with some supplements being imported in (from other countries).”

The only way for customers to know the full story on various products is to trust that the seller informs them on everything about the supplement. West Coast Nutrition, who makes its own products as well as sell other brands, tells buyers everything they want to know and don’t want to know about items.

“We make (information) very apparent on our bottles, and we are also one of the first in the industry to be GNP compliant with our products,” Ware said.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GNP), as released by the FDA, establishes requirements that dietary supplements are labeled with all information, as well as consistently made without impurities. Although it is only a requirement for food supplements, West Coast follows these standards for all their products.

There are always risks in the intake of substances when trying to improve the human form and athletic abilities. Some supplements are just as dangerous as steroids, but the legality of these products succeeds in hiding the actual truths unknown to students.