Chemical Components of Common Sports

Supplements
Kevin Muller | Okleberry | SLCC

What makes up sports

supplements?
I am going to use aspects of chemistry to understand the ingredients behind supplements

What Supplements?
Optimum Nutrition: Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder
Cellucor C4 Pre workout
Jack3d

Research
Attained ingredient list from the product sites
Used product claims and user reviews to pinpoint the intended benefit
Used official supplement monitoring agencies to get some information
regarding specific compound effects

Variables
Product
compounds
change often
Some of the
information may
not be 100% the
currently used
compounds

Some companies
hide substance
names

Some of the actual

benefits will likely
vary

Supplement
companies have
been known to
attempt to hide
true ingredients
behind
ambiguous
names

Each persons
experience might
be unique but the
general benefits
or negatives
should be fairly
prevelent

Procedure
Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Describe
the
products
ingredients

Describe
the
supposed
health
benefits

Describe
the actual
results from
individuals

Describe
the
possible
negative
effects

Optimum Nutrition: Gold Standard 100% Whey

Protein Powder

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

Whey Protein

Casein: C47H48N3O7S2Na Important Amino Acid

Lecithin: Common phospholipid often made of Phosphoric acid H3PO4, Choline

C5H14NO+ and Glycerol C3H8O3

Other active ingredients

Leucine: C6H13NO2 Helps repair muscles, provide energy and regulate blood
sugar

Valine: C5H11NO2 Works with Leucine to promote muscle growth and repair.
Additionally provides muscles with extra glucose for more fuel

Optimum Nutrition: Gold Standard 100% Whey

Protein Powder

Claims

Optimal nutrition claims that they have some of the purest

ingredients on the market.

Every serving has enough nutrients to improve muscle repair and

growth leading to decreased downtime and increased strength
over the course of six months.

The company states very little claims, suggesting that they are not
trying to do a quick sell but are aiming for a permanent place in
Protein supplements

Optimum Nutrition: Gold Standard 100% Whey

Protein Powder

Results

Overall Individuals overwhelmingly support this protein

supplement. On most review sites there are trends of fake reviews
in order to boost perceived rating, however this is not evident on
any of the fitness or supplement sites regarding this product.

Using this product myself, recorded that my soreness levels after

an extended muscle workout had decreased and that I had a
slight increase in muscle strength over time compared to percent
increases while using other protein products.

Protein is known to be a fairly simple supplement in terms of

ingredients meaning that there are not many debatable factors in
a protein supplement

Optimum Nutrition: Gold Standard 100% Whey

Protein Powder

Negatives

There are no known negative factors to using a protein

supplement more than recommended other than the possibility of
gaining fat from excess calories.

C4 Pre Workout

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

Beta Alanine: C3H7NO2 Amino Acid

Creatine Nitrate: C4H9N3O2 HNO3 Made up of amino acids, non-essential nutient

N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine: C11H14N2O3 One of the main amino acids that builds protein

Caffeine: C8H10N4O2 A Central Nervous System Stimulant

Ascorbic Acid: C6H8O6 Commonly known as Vitamin C, Antioxidant that reduces impact of
free radicals in the body

Niacin: C6H5NO2 Known as Vitamin B3

Folic Acid: C19H19N7O6 Synthetic B Vitamin

C4 Pre Workout

Claims

Increased Motivation at precise moments before a workout

Tingly sensation of energy
More explosive workouts
Workouts with increased strength and muscle energy

C4 Pre Workout

Results

C4 is currently one of the most popular pre workout supplements on

the market.
Many individuals misinterpret tingling sensations as extra energy
when the sensation is just a side effect of high doses of Beta Alanine.
The general consensus with C4 is that it is a great pre workout,
however more serious bodybuilders and fitness professionals have
stated that C4 performs exactly as it is described, the ingredients
work to provide a large burst of energy that often does not last long
but speeds up the ATP processes in muscles for the beginning of the
workout.
In my own experience C4 has not been a very beneficial because it
seems to not last long enough into the workout to assist in late
workout fatigue.

C4 Pre Workout

Negatives

Most pre workout supplements are still somewhat controversial today.

In the last iteration of the formula, C4 was found to have a substance
called DMAA that is not derived from geraniums but was labeled as
such. This drug was linked with serious health issues and possibly
death. The current iteration does not include DMAA but shows that
there can be dangerous hidden substances in supplements.
In general C4 is supposedly safe if used with correct serving sizes,
but many individuals exceed the normal serving leading to many
possible side effects form the many stimulants.

Jack3d

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

Beta Alanine: C3H7NO2 Amino Acid

Caffeine: C8H10N4O2 A Central Nervous System Stimulant

Dimethylamine HCL (DMAA): C7H17N Synthetic Stimulant, an amphetamine derrivitve

Silicon Dioxide: SiO2 Allows easier absorption in water

Potassium: K Necessary for heart and kidneys to function normally

Sucralose: C12H19Cl3O8 Sweetener

Citric Acid: C6H8O7 Functions as part of normal aerobic metabolism

Jack3d

Claims

Claims that DMAA is from the geranium plant

Unrivaled energy and bower compared to other supplements
Extreme increases in muscle strength, endurance and performance
Reduced fatigue
Claims that every ingredient is safe
Increased creatine in muscles

Jack3d

Results

Individuals have reported high levels of workout improvement and

energy when using Jack3d
Similar tingling sensations as found in C4 are often misinterpreted as
an extreme for of energy but it is actually a side effect of Beta Alanine
There are many documented cases of extremely fast gains in muscle
mass and strength.
Overall It is hard to compare and contrast Jack3d to other products
due to their listing of ingredients as a proprietary blend, meaning that
they do not disclose the actual amounts of substances in the
supplement.

Jack3d

Negatives

Jacked is widely considered an unsafe product by most consumers,

the main issue with it is the inclusion of DMAA which ahs been
scientifically linked to serious health issues and in some cases death.
DMAA has not been proven to have any positive nutritional benefits
other than possibly the energy benefit of being an extreme stimulant.
This issue was in the spotlight around 2012 where GNC and USPlabs
had a class action lawsuit filed against them for misrepresenting the
source of DMAA and their classification of it as a safe substance
when it had been linked with deadly medical issues.
The other large issue with Jack3d is the lack of measurements
regarding each substance within their proprietary mixture. Even if
know the chemical makeup of each ingredient, there is now way of
telling the concentration or amount, this lack of information could
further lead to medical problems relating to overdosing.

What does it all mean?

This signature assignment highlight the disconnection between knowing the ingredients that are in sports supplements and
understanding how they fit together. With the example of protein powder, the readily available measurements and clear
ingredient lists allow a consumer to be confident and trust the product. In the case of C4, the ability to hide a harmful
substance behind a different chemical name is a huge risk when purchasing unfamiliar substances. Jack3d Builds upon this
rick by overtly stating that their product is safe when there are scientific studies linking certain ingredients to medical
problems.
This assignment is not all negatives, It has presented the roles of ingredients in chemical functions in the body. The amino
acids serve in the process of forming proteins that repair damaged cells. Antioxidants were part of these supplements;
oxidation is the chemical process involving losing electrons which can create free radicals that further damage the cells.
Antioxidants donate electrons to free radicals allowing them to stabilize, thusly reducing the damage caused by oxidation.
The examination of these supplements displays the similarities in the chemical formulas of many supplement ingredients.
The overall takeaway should be that more people need to be involved in understanding sports supplements. Understanding
the basic functions of chemicals and even more simply the elements involved in the ingredients can create a safer and more
beneficial sport supplement system.