vault3rb0y wrote:Maybe it does have some benefits, but before we start suggesting it in training forums for young athletes i think we should all do some non-biased research. Not to disgard your opinion, but you ARE a sales rep for the product now so i would like to research it myself.
I absolutely agree. I went to the website that DJ linked below, and all I can say is that it just *SCREAMS* pseudoscience. If any company tells you that you have to "cleanse" your system of "toxins" (and they have a product to sell to you so you can do it), it is a sure sign they either don't understand how the body works, or (more likely) they are trying to BS you into giving them money (or both). In any event, the company has all the hallmarks of WOO (http://www.skepdic.com/woowoo.html).
If their products works, if their claims have merit, they should give you the citation for the double blind clinical trial that was published in a quality peer review journal that support those claims. Not some internal company report, not a product promotional brochure, not something distributed only by email. Something that would at least show up in a pubmed search.
If you search pubmed for "creatine AND exercise", you will hit on 3,236 scientific publications. "Creatine" alone hits on 42,000. "(Gynostemma OR pentaphyllum) AND exercise" hits on exactly zero (0) publications. Same with "King's Crown AND exercise" and "Crown Herb AND exercise": zero scientific publications in pubmed. Not a one. Nada. Zippo.
So where is the evidence that these products may be just as good as creatine but without the side effects? Creatine is a compound that our body makes and is in the food we eat. We know exactly how it works: where it is, what reactions it participates in, what enzymes work on it, and what role it plays in energy utilization in muscle cells. We know where it is synthesized, how it is metabolized, and how it is excreted. We know exactly how creatine produces it effects. IOW, we know the biochemistry of creatine!
These herbs are NOT naturally found in our bodies nor are they commonly found in our food. Where is the data (published in a peer reviewed article) that shows these products are safe? Where is the data (published in a peer reviewed article) that shows these products are effective? Where is the data that shows what the active ingredients are and how they are supposed to work? How do they give you more stamina? How do they increase your endurance? How do they "support" (there's a WOO term for you!) your liver, spleen, thymus and stomach? (And what does that mean, *exactly*?) How does it lower your blood sugar? (and as an athlete, do you really want your blood sugar lowered below what your body sets it at? I mean, you perform using blood suger! Does this make *ANY* sense?) How exactly does it act as an anti-inflamatory? How exactly does it "boost" (there's another WOO term for you!) your adrenal health? (And what exactly does *that* mean?)
As far as I can tell, we can't answer any of these questions. And without those answers, and at a minumum an *assurance* that these products are safe, is it really a good thing to be recommending that high school and college kids take these? REALLY?
