November 20, 2012

Creatine vs. Steroids—the Great Debate

By: Jessica Rushton

There has been an ongoing debate about the use of both synthetic and natural supplements and performance enhancers in competitive sports for quite some time, with a long list of pros and cons for each. Two of the main enhancers used by athletes today are creatine and synthetic anabolic steroids.

Creatine, which is naturally produced by the body and is found in many meats, is stored in the muscles and used for strenuous yet short periods of activity in the human body, such as lifting weights or sprinting. Supplements of this naturally occurring amino acid have been produced all over the United States for quite some time and are used primarily to enhance short-term physical exertion and to maintain leaner muscles. The problem with this synthetic version is that not everyone who takes the supplement will react the same way—people who already store lots of natural creatine will not react at all to a certain amount, but a person who stores very little may actually experience an effect similar to a person having too much caffeine by taking that same amount. Creatine seems to aid athletic individuals in their early twenties but does not have the same effect in more mature individuals or those who are not physically active. There are also many side effects of the synthetic form of this amino acid including weight gain, frequent and severe muscle cramps, dizziness and light-headedness, high blood pressure, or kidney disease. There have been a few reported cases of skeletal tissue deconstructing in individuals who took more than the recommended daily dose (10 grams).

How To Stay Fit and Stay Organized

By: Jessica Rushton

I hope everyone had a great first week at Concordia! What an exciting year it is already turning out to be. To new students on campus, welcome to Thunder Country, and to returning students, welcome back! Now that the initial excitement of getting back to school has worn off, it is time to get into routine and adjust our schedules to another semester full of heavy textbooks, hurting bank accounts, long nights of studying, and new workout regimes. Balancing all of the new (or familiar) workloads and deadlines can be stressful, especially after having four months off to relax, so what better way to start getting organized than picking up an agenda or calendar and filling it in with all of your due dates. If you write down due dates for assignments, readings, and essays in a visual place, it will be easy to see how much work there is to be done.