5 Ways to Be Sure You Aren't Buying Banned Supplements

If you are a competitive bodybuilder or athlete undergoing drug tests before a competition, you want to make sure that you are purchasing a safe supplement that won't cost you your place in a contest or sporting event. This is something that is highly important because athletes and bodybuilders do need to use supplements, but you must choose a supplement that follows strict standards so that your choice does not cause you to get banned or worse.

Choose legal supplements for a competitive sport.

It is important for any athlete to choose health supplements that are legal to be used within their sport, so it's key to have a clear understanding of banned supplements and stimulants, as regulated by the WADA and NCAA. The WADA is the World Anti-Doping Agency, and the NCAA stands for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Between the two of these organizations, you will be able to find banned supplements and stimulants to make sure that whatever supplement you are taking is safe for your competitive sport.

• First on the list is, of course, anabolic steroids. This can be found within sports supplements and stimulants, and you do need to be with aware that anabolic androgenic steroids, otherwise known as AAS, are banned by athletes and bodybuilders within competitions.
• From there, hormones and chemicals substances are also banned from athletic competitions. Some of these include HGH, which is the human growth factor, insulin, and other hormones that affect the biological structures of the body.
• Diuretics and masking agents are also prohibited substances. If you are undergoing a urine exam as an athlete, it may become invalid if it contains the use of a diuretic to mask any other substances that may have been used by the athlete.

Stimulants are also another heavily monitored banned substance for athletes and competitive bodybuilders. Some of those include amphetamines, cocaine, methamphetamines, and many other substances that will work as a stimulant to aid in weight loss or endurance. If you have any questions about any of these substances, clear them up beforehand. Still many other organizations ban the excessive use of caffeine, so if you are a coffee drinker, you may need to discuss with your coach or official to determine how much is safe and not prohibited.

These are just a sample of all of the substances that are banned for athletes and bodybuilders that can be found within supplements. Health supplements contain a number of additions and enhancements, which normally should be safe for sale from a supplement retailer. However, when you are choosing your supplement, it is important for you to continue to understand which products may or may not be banned in a competitive sport. Here are the best ways to do so:

1. Start out by checking with the official list provided of the NCAA banned substances. This will contain many of the banned substances already mentioned, and allow you to check that your supplement does not contain anything that will get you disqualified from competition. There is nothing worse than not taking the necessary precautions in purchasing your supplement, only to have it cost you a competition or sporting event.
   
   
2. Check resources with the WADA like the WADA prohibited list. This is the same type of official organization that can provide you with documentation and details about any stimulants or substances that are banned that could be found within your sports supplement. The point of the matter is to be vigilant in your supplement choice, and to also make sure that it is completely safe for training and qualification in your competition.
   
   
3. Read your ingredient labels. The next thing to do to make sure that your supplement is safe and will not disqualify you for competition is to read ingredient labels carefully. Of course, ingredient labels can often seem daunting, but you want to make sure that there aren't any hidden ingredients that could come up in a test as a banned substance. To be honest, if you want the safest choice in a sports nutrition supplement, then it is your best bet to use a pure product. There are many different athletes and bodybuilders out there that use enhanced products, but you don't want to risk having any stimulants within your supplement.
   
   
4. Only purchase products certified as drug-free. If you are serious about your competition, it is so important that your supplement is certified as drug-free by a reputable third-party source. This certification will keep you protected with any testing you may undergo for competition.
   
   
5. Talk with your coach and a healthcare professional beforehand. It is highly important to discuss with your trainer, doctor, or coach about a supplement you may consider using. You want to make sure that you pass all testing with flying colors, so double-check any supplement you are considering to make sure that it doesn't contain banned stimulants for competition.
   
   The truth of the matter is that supplements are a serious choice for athletes and bodybuilders. They make a legitimate difference in the way that you train as an athlete because the use of a sports supplement will enhance muscle recovery and speed up downtime between training and exercise. If you are an athlete hoping to compete in a competition, supplements offer a viable source of protective and enhancing ingredients for stamina, training, and boosting the immune system. However, it does not pay to be ignorant when looking for a supplement for sports purposes because if it contains any type of stimulants, then you could get banned from competition.

Handle with care.

Looking for supplements as an athlete should be something done with care, so begin by consulting the lists above for the approved ingredients within supplements that will not be prohibited within a competition. If you have any questions at all about your supplement, then make sure to consult with your coach or official about the ingredients to find out if it is an approved substance. The reason that this is highly important is that organizations are becoming stricter than ever when it comes to sports supplement choices, so you want to make sure that you can easily succeed in your competition without any issues in using a banned substance!