Ultimate orange and Xenadrine blamed in players death...

[Mr H]

http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/2001/0812/1238466.html

Reports: Banned supplements used by Wildcat players

Northwestern University said it will investigate newspaper reports that Rashidi Wheeler's death could be linked in part to the use of banned dietary supplements.

The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that Wheeler, who died Aug. 3 after a preseason workout, and other players had used supplements designed to build strength, according to teammates and other sources.

Northwestern sports information director Mike Wolf told The New York Daily News the school would include an investigation of supplement use by the team in its overall review of the circumstances surrounding Wheeler's death.

At least four players collapsed during a strenuous drill on Aug. 3 -- 28 sprints ranging from 100 to 40 yards -- that was requisite for players. The temperature that day on the field along Lake Michigan, on the northern reaches of Northwestern's campus, was in the 80s.

Wheeler, 22, a senior starter at safety, was among those who collapsed with several sprints remaining. In what teammates have described as a chaotic scene, with staff rushing from one player to another, Wheeler, a chronic asthmatic, appeared to revive, but then he stopped breathing.

The Chicago Tribune reported school officials are looking at whether Wheeler and the other players took a supplement that contains ephedra, an over-the-counter stimulant, prior to the workout. Ephedra can cause high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and even death, according to a Daily News investigation on supplements published last month.

It is not known if Wheeler ingested supplements on Aug. 3.

A unidentified Northwestern player told The Times that following the players' collapse, suspicions immediately turned to the use of Ultimate Orange and Xenadrine, two of many performance-enhancing supplements available over the counter. Both contain ephedrine, a stimulant banned by the NCAA and the International Olympic Committee.

"I've never seen so many guys falling like that," the player told The Times. "After (Wheeler) passed, guys were like, 'Some guys took Ultimate Orange.' "

The Tribune reported that a Wildcats player, who asked not to be named, said he saw teammates taking a supplement the day Wheeler died. The report did not name those players and said Wheeler was not seen taking the supplement.

Another unidentified Northwestern player told The Tribune he saw Wheeler ingest an ephedra-based product on other occasions.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti reported Sunday that Wheeler's family members said they believe Northwestern condoned the use of banned dietary supplements and knew players were using them. However, the family members said they feels it is Northwestern's negligence, not supplements that is the the primary issue in the death of Wheeler.

Northwestern linebacker Kevin Bentley, Wheeler's close friend, said it was common knowledge that some players were relying on Ultimate Orange and Xenadrine.

Wolf told The Daily News that players are required to "discuss the use of supplements and get approval by a trainer or official before taking them."

 

[solidspine]

Ah.........

his death and use of Xenadrine are simply pure coincidence.

Unfortunate but true!

 

[wildcat]

Here is the real story that ran in the times yesterday....


Player: Wheeler Used Supplement


College football: Claim sure to broaden scope of investigation into Northwestern safety's death and collapse of several teammates.


By: ALAN ABRAHAMSON
TIMES STAFF WRITER

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Rashidi Wheeler, the Northwestern football player who collapsed and died last Friday after a rigorous preseason conditioning drill, had used dietary supplements designed to build strength, teammates and other sources alleged Friday, raising the question of whether such supplements played a role in his death.

Wheeler, 22, of Ontario, was among several Northwestern players who collapsed while attempting to complete the drill, deemed a prerequisite for players by third-year Coach Randy Walker. The medical examiner's preliminary report listed bronchial asthma as the cause of death, although final autopsy results are pending.

It remains unclear whether Wheeler ingested the over-the-counter but potentially dangerous supplements that day, though he had used them in prior months, a teammate said, adding that other players also used supplements that Friday morning. "I saw people taking [them] in the locker room," the player said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another player said that when so many players collapsed during the demanding drill sessions, suspicions immediately turned to the use of Ultimate Orange and Xenadrine, two of many performance-enhancing supplements well-known in football and other athletic circles and available over the counter. Both contain ephedrine, a stimulant banned by the NCAA and the International Olympic Committee.

"I've never seen so many guys falling like that," the player said, also speaking on condition he not be identified. "After [Wheeler] passed, guys were like, 'Some guys took Ultimate Orange.' "

Use of a stimulant containing ephedrine could be especially dangerous for Wheeler, a chronic asthmatic, who was carrying an inhaler with him on the field: Combining asthma medication with ephedrine is a "bad, bad combination," said Prof. Bill Gurley, an ephedrine expert at the University of Arkansas College of Pharmacy.

Friday's developments came amid allegations of other possible links to supplements, in particular derivatives of the stimulant ephedra, in the recent deaths of other football players:

* Curtis Jones, 34, died last Sunday after playing an indoor arena-style professional football game in Las Vegas. His wife, Daria, said that her husband, who was a three-sport standout at San Pedro High and played football at Utah, had used a capsule called Hydroxycut for three months ending in August 1999. It contains ephedrine, an ephedra derivative which can have lasting effects even two years after ingestion, experts say.

Jones is believed to have suffered cardiac arrest. Toxicology and other tests are pending. His wife said of Hydroxycut, "It kind of makes me sick to my stomach if that was part of the cause [of death]." Hydroxycut officials could not be reached Friday for comment despite repeated efforts.

* Florida State freshman Devaughn Darling collapsed and died in February after a workout. Autopsy results were inconclusive about the cause of death but revealed the presence of ephedrine in his system.

The deaths are putting a greater scrutiny on the products themselves--little is yet understood of the consequences of long-term supplement use--and on the supplement business.

Supplements are used safely by millions of Americans, and are promoted as a way to enhance health and boost energy. But experts warn that they can also create serious health risks when used improperly, such as when combined with other medications or strenuous activities such as running.

A warning on an Ultimate Orange package bought Friday warned athletes subject to drug testing under IOC, NCAA and other protocols to stop using it at least five days before providing a urine sample.

David Jenkins, the head of Carlsbad-based Next Nutrition, declined to comment Friday on any health risks and the use of ephedra while exercising. "All I can say is, see your physician before you use it. It's clearly marked on the bottle. I am sorry to hear about the young man's death."

He said Next Nutrition stopped manufacturing Ultimate Orange in May. Jenkins would not say why. Three months earlier, Next Nutrition paid $4 million in an out-of-court settlement to a career Army soldier and Gulf War veteran who had been using Ultimate Orange for more than a year when he had a stroke in 1998. There was no admission of guilt and the product is still widely available.

Jenkins, a silver-medal winner in track in the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, was subsequently convicted in federal court in San Diego of smuggling anabolic steroids into the U.S. from Mexico. He became involved in Next after serving a short prison sentence.

The manufacturers of Xenadrine could not be reached for comment.

Wheeler, a senior starter at safety, was among those who collapsed during a drill that allots 12 minutes to certain Northwestern players--among them, defensive backs and running backs--to run 28 sprints ranging from 100 to 40 yards. Bigger players such as linemen have longer to complete the drill but must also finish 28 sprints.

In what teammates have called a chaotic scene, with trainers rushing from one downed player to another, Wheeler appeared to revive, then stopped breathing. He was later pronounced dead at Evanston Hospital. None of the other Northwestern players who collapsed that day has reported serious injury, according to officials. No allegations have been made directly linking any of those players to the use of supplements.

Northwestern has announced it will review the circumstances and conflicting reports about the moments that led up to and followed Wheeler's collapse.

Initially, the inquiry was expected to focus on the drill and staff readiness for any medical emergency. A phone on the field where the drill was run did not work; rescue crews were called by cellular phone.

Wheeler's mother, Linda Will, said in a news conference Thursday that the number of players who collapsed appeared to overwhelm the staff on hand.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who also appeared Thursday on the family's behalf, added: "There were more players on the field that had fallen out than there were therapists to help them. It seems . . . the infrastructure was inadequate."

Initial reports fixed the number of players who collapsed at four, perhaps more. On Thursday, Will said it was at least 10.

Will said head trainer Tory Aggeler, four assistant trainers, one student trainer and strength coach Larry Lilja were monitoring the drill. Walker said it was six trainers, Lilja and another strength coach.

Coach Randy Walker, who earlier in the week said he is "beyond sorry" for Wheeler's death, said he welcomes the investigation. University officials declined Friday to comment.

Wheeler's mother said Thursday she was aware that supplement use among players was rampant, but had no knowledge of her son using the popular products. "I know these substances can cause tremendous harm," she said. "It's like I have 20 things on my mind about Rashidi's death, and this is just one of them."

Will, exhausted from a week spent in Chicago that included making arrangements to have her son's body returned to California for funeral services Monday, was unavailable for comment Friday. But Kim Will, Wheeler's aunt, said of questions about supplement use, "This is new information to Linda, as well as to myself. She will have to look into this."

Jackson said Friday that Wheeler's family intends to conduct its own investigation into the factors that led to Wheeler's death. Told Friday of allegations of supplement use, he said that the family's review would include an investigation into whether Northwestern's football program encouraged--or ignored--usage of supplements.

"This all falls under the one theme we're concerned with: Health, and if the players are under unnecessary risk," Jackson said.

Walker said he did not know the extent of supplement use among his players, "I don't know the popular, in vogue--what do they call them--supplements. Honestly, it's news to me."

One Northwestern player said Friday that he had personally seen Wheeler ingesting supplements. "I have seen him take Ultimate Orange," the player said. "Sometime in the winter."

The player said team use of supplements was not uncommon. "There have been in the past, and on that day [last Friday], there were people taking dietary supplements . . . I know it's used on the [Northwestern] team."

Asked what was taken--and who took it--last Friday before the drill, the player said, "As far as I'm willing to say, there were dietary supplements."

Another source indicated that mixing of Xenadrine and Ultimate Orange--which experts said can be a potent combination--might have contributed to the incident: "What was extremely unusual about this was the number of guys [who collapsed]. Tons of times running this test--never happened before."

Northwestern requires that its players tell a team doctor if they are taking any medication or other substances, including over-the-counter supplements, Walker said earlier in the week. Wheeler underwent a July 12 physical. Asked if he knew which substances Wheeler may have told the doctor about Walker said, "I don't know. I haven't gone there."

Ultimate Orange is still widely available in shopping centers nationwide, including Los Angeles. A one-pound tin sold Friday for $26.99, plus tax, at the General Nutrition Center outlet in Northbrook Court, a mall near Northwestern.

Available in powder, liquids and pills, supplements of all sorts are easily, legally available for sale over the counter and the Internet. But experts increasingly have issued warnings that the consequences of supplement use have not been fully studied.

Dr. Neal Benowitz, an expert on ephedra and a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, said ephedra constricts blood vessels--which can make it more difficult for the body to get rid of heat. The temperature last Friday in Evanston, along the Lake Michigan shoreline, was in the 80s. Use during cardio workouts can pose particular problems.

"I'm very concerned when people take these [substances] as athletic enhancers," Benowitz said. "There have been cases where people died immediately after taking this [substances containing ephedrine] and working out."

One of the Northwestern players said, referring to Wheeler and use of a dietary supplement, "If he was on it, and maybe this can make people aware not to take it while running, that's a good thing. My concern is, I don't want . . . anybody to think less of him because he was on this. My concern is about preserving his memory. I think that's the least we can do."

 

[littlearnold1069]

* Curtis Jones, 34, died last Sunday after playing an indoor arena-style professional football game in Las Vegas. His wife, Daria, said that her husband, who was a three-sport standout at San Pedro High and played football at Utah, had used a capsule called Hydroxycut for three months ending in August 1999. It contains ephedrine, an ephedra derivative which can have lasting effects even two years after ingestion, experts say. lasting effects even two years after ingestion? is that long lasting effect it's fat burning abilities? that statement sounds like bullshit to me