Student athletes are embracing supplements
Ox-sized Adam Chalfant possesses a muscular physique that screams “move out of my way” when he walks down the Winchester Community High School hallways.
Juiced up? No. Supplemented up? Yes.
The Star Press surveyed a dozen of the best East Central Indiana prep athletes, 10 males and two females, from this past school year and discovered six who say they presently take supplements and one who experimented in the past. The two females, 2008 Winchester graduate Malina Baker and Central senior-to-be Erynn Young, both followed diets, but neither digested any supplements, they said.
The supplements of choice among the six males? Creatine and whey protein shakes.
A 2007 heavyweight wrestling state finalist, Chalfant deadlifts 430 pounds and squats 420.
He, along with half the other athletes surveyed, will consume creatine and whey protein in an effort to bulk up and increase strength this summer when the weight room turns into his second home.
Chalfant relies on Wayne Hedden for advice on how to work out, what foods to eat and what supplements to take.
A health and fitness teacher at Winchester for the past 31 years, the 54-year-old Hedden retired in 2006 after 32 years in the powerlifting profession. He put on a memorable final performance by bench pressing 400 pounds and deadlifting 590.
Hedden surfs the Internet virtually every day to provide his students information on supplements.
“There’s very few supplements that I tell kids, ‘I recommend this …’ They call it a supplement for a reason,” says Hedden, a consumer of creatine, protein shakes and multi-vitamins. “It’s adjacent to what you’re supposed to be taking.
“You still have to eat right. You can’t get up and eat Pop-Tarts and then take a couple multi-vitamins. It doesn’t work that way.”
Roberta Anding, a registered and licensed dietitian and an American Dietetic Association spokesperson, says if athletes eat right, train properly and sleep the recommended eight-plus hours a night, then they maximize their potential.
thestarpress.com
6/22/08
