CRN Releases Brochure on Young Athletes, Supplements

CRN Releases Brochure on Young Athletes, Supplements

WASHINGTON--The Council for Responsible Nutrition(CRN) released Guidelines for Young Athletes: Responsible Use of SportsNutrition Supplements to instruct young athletes, trainers, health careprofessionals and the industry about the proper use of supplements by thoseunder 18. Sports authorities and health professionals are urged to support anddistribute these guidelines.

"Our member companies manufacture a range of sportsnutrition products, from basic vitamins and minerals to energy bars to musclerecovery agents," said John Cordaro, CRN president and chief executiveofficer. "CRN intends these guidelines to encourage parents, coaches andtrainers to provide oversight for appropriate use or, in some cases, non-use byyoung athletes of these products."

The guidelines point out that governing bodies for varioussports may have different guidelines in place for many sports supplements, andyoung athletes should acquaint themselves with those regulations.

In its brochure, CRN has listed various supplements in a"traffic light" format. Products such as electrolyte-replacingbeverages, protein powders and energy bars are in the green light category, asare basic vitamins and minerals. In the yellow light section are products thatcontain creatine, yohimbine, guarana and kola nut. The red light categoryincludes androstenedione (andro), 19-norandrostenedione (19-nor) anddehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), in addition to ephedrine alkaloids.

These guidelines were originally presented as a preliminarydraft at the January 2002 conference held on performance-enhancing products,co-sponsored by CRN and the Office of Dietary Supplements. For a copy of thebrochure, visit www.crnusa.org/pdfs/crnsnsguidelines1102.pdf.