Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald Featured During Dietary Supplement Briefing

WASHINGTONAbout a week ago, Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. spent time on Capitol Hill to raise awareness on nutrition and dietary supplements.

The Arizona Cardinals wide receiver spoke during an educational briefing "Sports Health and Fitness: The Role of Dietary Supplements" that the Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus held in cooperation with trade associations representing the dietary supplement industry.

The Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus (DSC) briefing was the second one for the 113th Congress and the 17th briefing since the caucus was formed seven years ago, said the trade associations, which included the American Herbal Products Association, the Consumer Health Products Association, the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the Natural Products Association and the United Natural Products Alliance.

"For the more than 60 attendees, the key takeaways included the significant role dietary supplements play in supporting the nutritional needs of active individuals and athletes, and the importance of good manufacturing practices, product certification and testing programs to help ensure safe dietary supplements for athletes and consumers," the trade groups stated in a news release.

In a blog, Fitzgerald noted he spent Wednesday on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican and former presidential nominee. He finished the day addressing the nearly 50 members of the supplement caucus.

"Drawing on my nearly 10 years in the NFL, I was able to share my personal story of working hard and taking no shortcuts to reach my goals and dreams," wrote Fitzgerald, who is one of the estimated 150 million Americans ingesting dietary supplements.