Supplements: What can Teens Take? 13-18
- Thread starter TopNotch
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If you find the right doctor, everything is legal, even daily HGH shots.
My experience, offset by a bit, with HGH. Older son was on a team that included a lot of players from a neighboring club whose boys team at that age collapsed when the coach left. One player was energetic, good attitude, and good ball-handling skills, and he was also the shortest player on that team. In the next year teams and players shuffled again and we lost track of Shorty.
Zoom ahead a couple of years to a high-school practice night. One young gentleman who had been doing conditioning laps around the track came over to talk to my younger son. Turns out he was Shorty, or used to be -- his parents found a doctor to administer HGH treatment so well that Shorty was now Big Guy playing linebacker for a D2 school football team.
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Maybe HGH is different than Steroids. But I know for a fact that if you start doing Steroids at a young age don't expect to get any taller.
Soccerisfun2022
BRONZE
Whey Protein and Creatine are good and safe options if you want to build muscle but would wait until they are over 16 and going to the gym regularly.
If you are eating a well balanced diet with lots of fruit and veg you don't really need anything else. Multi Vitamins and fish oil if diet Is not great.
All the other supplements are just money making scams and would avoid.
If you are eating a well balanced diet with lots of fruit and veg you don't really need anything else. Multi Vitamins and fish oil if diet Is not great.
All the other supplements are just money making scams and would avoid.
What age?
HGH = Human Growth Hormone. It definitely does not stunt growth but does what the name says.
Steroids = only indicated in children with sexual maturation deficits (such as not hitting puberty by 16 and hormone testing shows the body is not generating enough hormone).
the caveat to any hormone is if you’re receiving it exogenously (meaning from a source outside the body), the organs that make it endogenously (internally) will decrease production even further (such as testosterone).
Here’s a link from Stanford Hospital on their stance against adolescents taking supplements for sports.
www.stanfordchildrens.org
Steroids = only indicated in children with sexual maturation deficits (such as not hitting puberty by 16 and hormone testing shows the body is not generating enough hormone).
the caveat to any hormone is if you’re receiving it exogenously (meaning from a source outside the body), the organs that make it endogenously (internally) will decrease production even further (such as testosterone).
Here’s a link from Stanford Hospital on their stance against adolescents taking supplements for sports.
Steer Clear of Sports Supplements
Youths see their sports heroes using what seem to be magic potions, and they want to do it, too.
www.stanfordchildrens.org
NewUser27
SILVER
My kid started lifting with a trainer this past 4 months, avid soccer player on top team. Hes tall and lean , just by being consistent with gym 3-4 times a week, lifting heavy, and eating as much as possible I would say this will be the biggest change of his life.
He looks amazing, if you are seriously considering GH for your kid your a fucking loser.
We have a full gym at home, but being pushed by someone and having the dedication is all you need.
He looks amazing, if you are seriously considering GH for your kid your a fucking loser.
We have a full gym at home, but being pushed by someone and having the dedication is all you need.
MacDre
PREMIER
I’ve personally seen several male 16/17 year old American Football players successfully take creatine for strength gains. However, they don’t use it constantly; only use for 60-90 days when beginning or for 60-90 days to help break through a plateau. I have witnessed this with several players over the past 30 years or so and have yet to personally observe or hear about any adverse health consequences.
MacDre
PREMIER
I generally agree with you however, Bob Harper had adverse health consequences from this approach:
Before the heart attack, Harper was on a Paleo diet, which involves eating mostly high-protein, high-fat foods. “What I realized after my heart attack was that my diet was lacking balance and that's why I came up with 'The Super Carb Diet' book,” he recalls.
Proteins can be consumed from many food sources outside of fatty, high cholesterol foods. On thing I’ve found helpful is the Eat Right for your Blood Type book.
As for Creatine, haven’t seen or heard of any issues from its use in teenagers, just avoid the “loading phase” BS and switch in and off like MacDre mentioned.
As for Creatine, haven’t seen or heard of any issues from its use in teenagers, just avoid the “loading phase” BS and switch in and off like MacDre mentioned.
Paul Spacey
SILVER ELITE
If you're talking about supplements to enhance sporting performance, forget it. Teens should be getting everything they need from healthy foods and enough sleep.
There is an obsession with medication and supplements, certainly in LA, yet I see so many people eating and drinking complete garbage on a daily basis. Mental.
It's a sign of the times I guess; people looking for a shortcut or magic pill rather than putting in the time and effort to achieve health and long-term success (not aimed at the OP btw, just a general observation).
Forget MAGA. We need to Make America Healthy Again.
There is an obsession with medication and supplements, certainly in LA, yet I see so many people eating and drinking complete garbage on a daily basis. Mental.
It's a sign of the times I guess; people looking for a shortcut or magic pill rather than putting in the time and effort to achieve health and long-term success (not aimed at the OP btw, just a general observation).
Forget MAGA. We need to Make America Healthy Again.
I'm certainly not a teenage kid anymore- but I've been better on my diet and exercise lately.
The one thing that i've seen/heard/read - Is that adding more protein is necessary to build muscle. And it's really hard to get to the right level with a "normal" diet.
Adding a protein shake with 30-40 grams of protein is probably a really good idea.
The one thing that i've seen/heard/read - Is that adding more protein is necessary to build muscle. And it's really hard to get to the right level with a "normal" diet.
Adding a protein shake with 30-40 grams of protein is probably a really good idea.
MacDre
PREMIER
This Dude thinks protein shakes and powder are a complete waste of money. He ran an experiment with the Concord De La Salle Football team over several years and found the powders and shakes were useless. Contact the school, they’ll tell you about their experiment.
Sound training and nutrition, and REST go a long way. I think too many overlook that last component and think that go-go-go is the best method. If you're training hard..your body needs rest.
Pre-workout/post-workout meals and your daily nutrition play a huge part in your results imho. I throw in the RTD protein drinks here and there to keep the hunger down and feel satiated. YMMV.
I used to take L-Glutamine after hard training sessions. DD took it throughout HS due to a rigorous training schedule.
Pre-workout/post-workout meals and your daily nutrition play a huge part in your results imho. I throw in the RTD protein drinks here and there to keep the hunger down and feel satiated. YMMV.
I used to take L-Glutamine after hard training sessions. DD took it throughout HS due to a rigorous training schedule.
young@heart
BRONZE
I've had two teammates of my daugthers take HGH for help with growth, they were the tiniest girls on the field. It has helped the older one as she is average height as opposes to say 5 foot which she probably would have been. The other is still young, time will tell. Her alarm goes off and her dad is there to give her the injection....crazy to me