Thursday, April 03, 2008
Compliance
The following information was written by Aaron Shelley, MSS, PSN, SSC, SFT, who serves on the CSCCa Certification Executive Board of Directors-Nutrition, and who is also a Sports Nutritionist at Texas Tech University. It will appear in the NCAA News.
Q. What is the NCAA trying to accomplish with 99-72?
A. The intent of the proposal was to identify permissible categories of nutritional supplements, reflecting a philosophy that proper nutrition based on sound scientific principles is one of the tenets to optimal performance.
Q. Is 99-72 just a ban on creatine?
A. No. 99-72 is a ban on the distribution of a multitude of supplements. Creatine and creatine containing products are just some of the many products we can no longer distribute to our student-athletes. (See list below)
Q. Can we still provide supplements to our student-athletes?
A. Yes. We can now provide non-muscle building, non-ergogenic supplements to all of our student-athletes year round. This is a positive change in NCAA rules. Now supplements (permissible supplements) may be distributed during the summer as well.
Q. What specific supplements or types of have been placed on the list of non-distribution?
A. Amino Acids, Chrysin, Condroitin, Creatine (and creatine containing compounds and mixtures), Condroitin containing products, Ginseng containing products, Glucosamine containing products, Glycerol containing products, HMB containing products, L-carintine containing products, melatonin containing products, POS products (Advocare), Protein Powders (powders with more than 30% total kcals from protein), Tribulus containing products.
Q. Since Glutamine is not a muscle builder, but an anti-catabolic supplement, is it permissible? Does it fall under the category of amino acid?
A. Even though Glutamine is not listed on the non-permissible list by the NCAA Competitive Safeguards Committee, it does not mean that it is permissible. The NCAA Membership Services Staff believes that Glutamine is considered an amino acid or has similar qualities and therefore would not be a permissible supplement.
Q. Besides NCAA banned substances, are there any other things we can't give our student-athletes?
A. We can no longer provide any powder, drink, bar or formula that contains more than 30% of the total calories coming from protein. For purposes of calculating the calories from protein that a particular supplement contains, one gram of protein equals four calories. Therefore, a supplement's calories from protein may be calculated by multiplying the number of grams if protein per serving by four and dividing the product by the total number of calories per serving.
Q. Can we mix protein powder with juice and make our mixture that is less than 30% protein and serve it to our athletes?
A. No. According to the rule, the 30% of calories from protein is "based solely on the package label". This would mean that if the product contains more than 30% of total calories from protein (according to the label) it cannot be "watered down" with milk, juice, carbohydrate drink/powder, or fat containing powder or solution to achieve a mixture that is less than 30% protein.
Q. Can we distribute vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to our student-athletes?
A. Yes. As long as they do not contain any NCAA banned substances or ingredients mentioned above. Also, the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants cannot be in a protein containing supplement, drink, or bar with total calories of more than 30% protein.
Q. Can we arrange the sale of these non-permissible supplements out of our facility, over the phone directly to the athletes, or through a mail order company? Can we arrange special prices with a supplement manufacturer or distributor and let the athletes buy any supplements themselves?
A. No. "It is not permissible for an institution or its staff members to sell or arrange the sale of muscle building supplements to student-athletes" (NCAA Bylaw 16.02.3 and 99-72). Simply put, you cannot sell the products you buy to your athletes and you cannot provide the athlete with an arrangement to purchase the products themselves if they are deemed non-permissible. Surprisingly, this goes one step further. You may not arrange the sale of an exclusive pricing structure for your athletes on ANY product. For example, Met-Rx offers a concept called "Team Met-Rx" which allows special pricing for college, high school, amateur team, and professional athletes. This is against NCAA rules. Any non-athlete student must be able to receive the same pricing structure in order to be within the rules.
Q. Can the student athletes buy supplements on their own?
A. Student-athletes can purchase and use any supplements provided that they do not contain any NCAA banned substances. We as coaches and staff may not sell or arrange the sale of products deemed non-permissible as mentioned above. Please be sure to have your athletes check with the appropriate individual on your campus to verify that the supplement they are taking do not contain any NCAA banned substance.
Q. What kind of bars can we give our athletes for energy and calorie replacement?
A. Any non-muscle building bar is permissible as long as it does not have any NCAA banned substances or any ingredients mentioned above in the bar provided that it contains no more than 30% of the total calories from protein.
Q. What type of drinks can we give our athletes?
A. Any non-muscle building drink is permissible as long as it does not have any NCAA banned substances or any ingredients mentioned above in the bar provided that it contains no more than 30% of the total calories from protein. There are many examples of carbohydrate only drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, etc.