Performance enhancers take the shape of products such as Adderall and energy drinks for the academic side, and Creatine and Muscle Milk for the athletic side. Adderall is a drug prescribed to individuals who suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) to help them remain focused throughout the day; however, some college students take this drug as a stress-reliever for their academics and to be more productive while studying or doing homework.

Creatine is an approved supplement that helps to build strength and bulk when combined with certain exercises that improve performance for high-intensity sports. Muscle Milk serves a similar purpose in that it is designed to enhance your athletic performance. Clearly there is a desire to obtain a competitive edge among our generation, so much so, that we feel the need to consume enhancers to stay on top.

During our research process we interviewed a Univeristy of Oregon student who is prescribed to Adderall for her ADD. She told us, “it for sure helps me with my academics… but now I fell even more like I need it to do well in school and it kind of sucks.” After hearing her side of the story as someone who actually needs it, it makes us wonder how many Univeristy of Oregon students are addicted to it, but are not prescribed to it.

We also interviewed a student who would like to remain anonymous because he is not prescribed to Adderall, but takes it to help his studies. He told us that it has a much greater effect on him than it does for someone who is prescribed to it. This student told us that “I feel like I am on speed, but it takes me to that focus level…I feel jittery and sometimes get too focused on video games and I don’t end up getting any work done.”

Through our research we found that it is possible to be addicted to Adderall and that there are even rehabilitation centers for people who are addicted, such as this treatment center in California. We took a poll of students on campus and found that about thirty percent consider themselves regular users of Adderall. Especially now that we are nearing finals, the need for Adderall is much higher and we have all noticed people asking for, or taking it in the last week.

NCAA athletes can get in trouble for taking Adderall as Jeffery Maehl mentions in our video. If they are not prescribed to it and it shows up on a test, they can be suspended for up to a year. Clearly there is a severity to taking this drug that students are not entirely aware of.

The NCAA however accepts other performance enhancing drugs and our athletic facility takes full advantage. As research for our project two of us traveled over the bridge to Autzen Stadium to check out the Casanova Center for athletes. We were amazed at how incredible, and well stocked, our athletic center was. From personal dietitians and therapy pools, to round the clock physical therapists and an always-flowing juice bar filled with protein drinks and other legal performance enhancers. Any athlete can receive a wide variety of treatments but still the most common and popular feature is the juice bar.

Because substances like muscle milk and protein shakes are legal they freely give them out to athletes whenever they please. Walking through the Casanova Center it dawned on us that everything in this building was either enhancing performance or a form of recovery from an intense workout plan. This discovery clearly shows how much strain we put on our bodies to be the best. Our athletes are constantly pumping their bodies up with nutrients that they need to take their skills and abilities to the next level. Which then led us to the question, is our campus putting too much of an emphasis on performance enhancers?

Athletes aren’t the only jocks using performance-enhancing drugs at the University of Oregon campus. Many male students (and some female) also use enhancers such as whey protein and Muscle Milk to help bulk up on their everyday workouts as well. One of our researchers went to a fraternity on campus to take pictures and talk to people about the usage of these products on Oregon’s campus.

When she was at the fraternity she was pleasantly surprised to see a good handful of guys coming into the kitchen with huge tubs of Creatine. The males who were usual takers had different types of Creatine for different times of the day. One of them had a huge tub that he took every night before he went to bed.

She asked the regular users if they knew the effects of using Creatine and Muslce Milk. Kevin Kelm, a sophomore consumer of Muscle Milk said, “I don’t know what exactly I’m putting into my body. I just know that it helps guys get big.” Ryan White a sophomore consumer of Creatine said, “I’ve taken these products for the past few years and like the results so I keep taking them. I’m not that sure on the long term effects but I know that I shouldn’t take Creatine forever.”

As a group we found this information to be good insight into the use of Muscle Milk and Creatine on campus. Unfortunately, Muscle Milk and Creatine are not as great as the labels tell us they are, and we as a group realized we need to spread the word on promoting users to research what they are really taking so they can see if they really want to put certain substances into their bodies. Not to mention spreading the word about the dangers of becoming addicted to Adderall. Our campus is filled with students attempting to be the best they can, but just how far will people go before it starts to become dangerous?

After researching and talking to people that have taken Adderall before, it seems that Adderall is the new stress reliever. People have said that popping an Adderall when trying to study for a test or even to do homework takes the stress away because they know that when they take Adderall they will be focused and won’t be distracted to do anything else, so they will be able to get their work done.

When I interviewed Sophomore Krista who has been prescribed to Adderall since she was a sophomore in high school, she said that, “I feel that now I have to take Adderall in order to do my school work so that I can focus on what I have to do.”  Krista takes Adderall everyday before class and before homework, she said “If I didn’t take Adderall I feel that I would be fine, but now that I have been prescribed to it I need to take it in order to stay focused.” Many students at the University of Oregon feel the same way; during finals and midterms the want for adderall is exponentially higher than when it is a regular day. Adderall is the quick fix for students who need to study and the website www.hercampus.com explains that it’s not uncommon for a student to overhear conversations on campus about “popping an addy” before studying. 

On the website http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/drugs/adderall.htm it is stated that, “People with ADD and ADHD who take Adderall need it to help them focus and function better. People without attention problems in the first place are the ones more likely to develop a dependency on the drug, especially if they are taking it every time they have a test or a midterm”. With this concerning knowledge, has Adderall become the quick and easy fix for college students to remain focused? What happened to just drinking coffee to stay up? In our generation it seems that we are resorting less and less on natural remedies, and there is always something that someone is doing or taking to get them through the day, school, and work etc…

            This new revolution with taking Adderall among college students across college campuses will become more prevalent with not just college students, but with everyone and anyone trying to take the quick fix to help them.

Sites:

UO sophomore students Krista

www.hercampus.com

http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/drugs/adderall.htm

Recently at the University of Oregon, Muscle Milk – the company that produces  healthy sustained energy — has been sponsoring a variety of events. These events range from fraternity and sorority fundraisers, track meets, as well as events the student recreation center puts on. Muscle Milk has student ambassadors at college campuses. Muscle Milk has a University of Oregon Facebook page. This Facebook page has photos of Muscle Milk at events, students taking Muscle Milk Products at events, facts about Muscle Milk, and announcements of their latest events.

This Facebook page has links to Muscle Milk in the news, links to photos of celebrities drinking Muscle Milk. The aspect that makes Muscle Milk appealing to students at Oregon is that it is FREE! When Muscle Milk is at an event, they give it out for free. The Facebook page gives information on how you can get free Muscle Milk at your event. The Facebook page is a smart business strategy for connecting students with the product because the Facebook page makes the product relatable. It does this by showing Muscle Milk at events that any student would go to. The Facebook page also makes Muscle Milk seem good for you. Some of the attributes the Facebook page says Muscle Milk has: “25 grams of protein, 20 vitamins and minerals, recyclable packaging, gluten free, lactose free, creatine free, kosher ingredients, and shelf stable so it doesn’t have to be refrigerated until after it’s opened.”

I find it interesting that Muscle Milk is having an even stronger influence at the University of Oregon than before. It makes me wonder why the University is promoting Muscle Milk when it is banned from the NCAA. Why would a university support a product like Muscle Milk when the company can’t give a straightforward answer if it is negative for users? That’s a very interesting question. Perhaps you could have asked a university representative/media spokesperson that question? Would have been an ideal interview for this blog post. To see how this was effecting students on campus I asked male University of Oregon students  if they knew what exactly they were putting into their body when using Muscle Milk,. Kevin Kelm, a sophomore consumer of Muscle Milk said, “I don’t know what exactly I’m putting into my body. I just know that it helps guys get big.” Tom Malone a sophomore who doesn’t use Muscle Milk said he didn’t use the product because ” I know that the long term effects are bad and it’s not worth taking a product that isn’t healthy.” Whether or not universities should support companies such as Muscle Milk is an interesting debate, and may change the future for Oregon Duck athletics. Is Muscle Milk as relatable as it seems?

For my Enhancing Minds and Bodies poster I decided to make it relatable to college students. With finals week just around the corner I wanted to make a poster that brought awareness to the dangers of drinking energy drinks. I chose to take a simple picture to avoid distraction and have my subject front and center. For my subject I used a student studying,drinking energy drinks, and falling asleep. This is a sight that you often see around our college campus. Whether it’s a student at the library, in a coffee shop, or even alone in their house students are always pushing themselves and staying up all hours of the night. Now days students rely on caffeinated drinks to stay awake including Red Bull and Rockstar which is shown on the poster.

I chose to add a slogan and fact to this image to clarify and add depth to the message. I wanted to share a fact about the adverse effect of energy drinks on the body. My fact explains that when you consume such high amounts of caffeine your body needs a similar boost shortly after to keep working properly. If this does not happen the heart rate slows down and makes the body sluggish and in need of rest. The poster clearly shows a student trying to stay awake with energy drinks and failed because the sluggishness kicked in and took over.

I am happy with how this poster turned out.When making it I imaged all the posters that filled the halls in Allen and wondered if mine would stick out. With this in mind I worked to make it interesting, informative, and simple with the clear subject, slog, and fact. I believe that this poster would catch a students eye because it is relatable and gives an interesting piece of information that all students should know.

Coffee is no longer than answer. One cup simply won’t do. Energy drinks have replaced the ever so popular coffee drink in the race to stay awake. Caffeine is a necessity among college students who have midterms, papers, and pressure to succeed in them all. It is rare to find a student at the University of Oregon walking to class before ten o’clock with out a cup of coffee in their hand or an energy drink? Because students these days are needing more boost than the average cup of jo, it wouldn’t be surprising to see energy drinks in these students hands now days. However, students may be unaware of adverse effects of this sought after drink.

Students choosing to drink these products can suffer from various adverse effects, according to an article from The Union written by a college student at El Camino college. Some of these effects when drinking amounts greater than 400 mg include nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, increased urination, abnormal heart rhythms, and stomach upset. The more you consume energy drinks the more your body thinks they need them. This is by far the worst thing you can consume, specially in the morning. Students who drink energy drinks in the morning are likely to have two to three more a day according The Transcript, a college online paper.

Instead of drinking such caffeinated drinks in the morning there are other healthier ways to wake up and be energized for the day. Head football coach at El Camino college suggests drinking a tall glass of water paired with a fruit juice of any kind can give the same amount of energy as a small cup of coffee. Also some other ways to get energy naturally, according to Family Education.com, is to do yoga or tai chi, take a bath with lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon, or peppermint dispersed in the water, or scent your room with them. Also any type of aerobic exercise can also give you energy.

Since coffee is now being replaced with energy drinks, alternate natural ways to get energy should try and take the lead in the way students get their caffeine.College age students still have young healthy bodies and should look to a  healthier alternative to stay awake through their busy schedules.

Energy Drinks during finals

http://media.www.owutranscript.com/media/storage/paper1413/news/2010/04/29/News/Students.Weigh.Cost.And.Benefits.Of.Energy.Drinks.During.Finals-3917175.shtml

Caffeine is a necessary tool for students

http://media.www.elcaminouniononline.com/media/storage/paper354/news/2010/04/29/Features/Caffeine.Is.A.Necessary.Tool.For.Students-3914603.shtml

Tips for Natural Energy

http://life.familyeducation.com/health/social-emotional/36638.html

Energy drinks bad idea for students studying for finals

http://adderallreport.com/2911/drugs-energy-drinks-bad-ideas-for-students-cramming-for-finals/

Energy Drink consumption among college students

http://smittysbbq.com/2010011408-energy-drink-consumption-patterns-among-college-students.html

Fitness and body image are a large concern with many college students, but what extremes will they go to in order to be the fittest? We sometimes forget that men are just as likely to spend money on dietary supplements as women; only men use them for a different purpose. One college sophomore, interviews by the New York Times, Alex Feintuch, from the University of South Carolina spent upward of a thousand dollars on fitness supplements over the course of a year. Most women at this same age hit the gym and eat healthier, but not to gain muscle mass. Girls differ in that they are not looking to gain but to lose. Feintuch tried out many different supplements and spent so much money because he wanted to “bulk up.” He wanted a quick fix, something that would make him gain muscle mass quickly.

Most nutritionist encourage a healthy diet and recommend different types of protein bars, but are not as keen on suggesting pills and powders. According to Nutrition Business Journal these supplements had a revenue of $2.7 billion in 2008. And now with companies such as Muscle Milk sponsoring events here on the University of Oregon campus and others around the nation, questions should be raised about what these products are really doing for those trying to gain muscle.

One product, Muscle Milk, on their website specifically addresses coaches, parents, and athletes and has a disclaimer about the product and how it is not illegal. They also go on to say how they fully support organizations such as the NCAA trying to eliminate steroid and performance enhancing abuse by athletes. The fact that they have a disclaimer and have to defend themselves on their website is immediately a red flag. Clearly there would be no need for this is their product was it not in question of being considered a dangerous performance enhancing supplement. While it may not reflect on their company individually, it certainly reflects on the nature of the industry they are involved in and what a tricky business it can prove to be in.

Feintuch found it hard to understand what was on the labels of some of the products he was consuming, and Muscle Milk guarantees that what is on the label, is in the drink; however, this does not make it any easier to understand what those ingredients are. The uncertainty surrounding this industry is appalling. The target consumers are generally twenty to thirty year old males, who are most likely going to go for quick muscle gain more than look at what is on the label. Stricter regulation would be beneficial to the companies that are completely honest about their product and to those who use them so that there is less abuse of such products in athletics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/health/nutrition/14fitness.html?scp=1&sq=creatine&st=cse

http://www.cytosport.com/about/founders-message

Sarah Swift added a “resent posts” widget because I thought it would be helpful for the reader to see the newest posts instead of having to scroll through the website to see what’s new. WordPress for Dummies 2010 (2nd edition) page 90.

College students and student athletes are put under an extreme amount of pressure and stress to perform scholastically and physically. Our generation feels that it has to live up to a certain standard that will guide us on our paths in life whether it is getting a job right out of college or going pro in sports. In order to achieve these types of accomplishments, college students tend to gravitate towards a quick fix to help with a test or a workout. Supplements like Adderall, Muscle Milk, and Creatine are the most common products that students take. Why is it that in our day and age we feel the need to take these types of performance enhancers in order to get things done?

Adderall has been one of the biggest academic enhancers that college student take. On the office of health education website there is an article that talks about two girls who take Adderall for separate reasons. One of the girls takes Adderall to pull all-nighters or to help her focus on an exam, but the other student has been taking Adderall since she was 11 to help her concentrate on her studies. Most college students today take Adderall without being prescribed to it because it is so easily accessible. Some students say that they cannot study for a test or stay up all night writing a paper with out using Adderall.

Muscle Milk and Creatine have become popular among student athletes, and these types of enhancers are treated differently under NCAA regulations. Creatine is an approved supplement that helps to build strength and bulk when combined with certain exercises that improve performance for high-intensity sports. It also helps to maximize your workouts, and gives you an edge in anaerobic athletic competitions. The NCAA has technically banned Muscle Milk, but since it is hormonal there is no way or knowing if athletes are taking it. Muscle Milk helps with restoring muscle and providing a sustained amount of energy as well as being able to increase endurance, fat–burning and strength. Student athletes take these supplements because it helps with injury prevention and provides extra endurance. Being able to perform at a higher level by taking supplements, regardless of their NCAA approval, is why these supplements are in such high demand. Student athletes depend on being able to perform at an increasingly high level in order to stay on top. Most athletes admit that they take these types of supplements for injury recovery and injury prevention.

College students have become addicted to these types of supplements because they are quick fixes. It’s not just about being able to do something on your own, but how this supplement is going to benefit me in what I am trying to achieve. College students are simply finding ways to get a competitive advantage in order to get what they want.

http://www.musclemilk.com/

Original website for muscle milk

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1996332/collegiates_taking_adderall_to_improve.html?cat=71

Article from the Heath and Wellness about adderall improving exam scores

http://www.creatinejournal.com/

Information about Creatine

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f15/good-faq-ncaa-banned-substances-answers-why-muscle-milk-banned-686353/

Blog post about NCAA regulations for performance enhancers

http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/drugs/adderall.htm

Article form office of health education about two girls taking adderall for different reasons