Performance enhancing supplements are not necessary and absolutely harmful for teens

Well done Con, I will respect your format by doing the same this next round. Unfortunately it appears that you took small pieces of my arguments without addressing several of the claims in regards of necessity of supplements/harm. So because I love details, let's dive right in to each argument presented. "While Pro speaks truth about this matter, the amount and power of the amino acids in a "healthy diet" would be no where near the amount in Supplements. For instance, L-Arginine is an amino acid found in many performance Enhancing Supplements. Even the healthiest eater in the world cannot get that amount of proteins, vitamins, and/or amino acids whilst eating naturally." While Con offers the idea that pumping more Amino Acids specifically L-Arginine into the body surpasses a natural diet. He fails to see the catch 22 that by introducing "high amounts" of synthetic supplements raises the risk of several complications. Some side effects include; L-arginine can cause an allergic response or make swelling in the airways worse. If you decide to take L-arginine, use it with caution. L-arginine might lower blood pressure. This could be a problem if you already have low blood pressure. It can also cause side effects such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, gout, blood abnormalities. Seeing how the FDA has not yet approved/disapproved the majority of supplements on the shelf, the supplement provider is not obligated to tell you how much is in their product. They legally get away with slapping "proprietary blend" on their bottles keeping you from seeing the rest of the ingredients. This became a law in 1994 putting the BOP on the FDA that the supplements are either harmful or beneficial. [1][2] "Whether or not the teenager takes P.E. Supplements, I'm pretty sure he/she will still eat a hefty amount, especially if it's a boy. Have you seen those teenagers eat at buffets? Let me tell you, they realize the importance of food too well. Also, nowhere on the internet could I find a figure that said the sales for supplements totaled over $23.7 billion. The link you gave guided me to some Colorado State University website about agriculture." Being "pretty sure" does not add much weight to your argument if you do not have evidence to back it up. I revisited the link with no problems so I am not sure as to why you are unable too I will repost the link as [3] on my sources. Until then my previous argument goes without refutation. "In large quantities, this is true. However, to the teenagers who use supplements, especially testosterone, this is utterly unfair and incorrect. Upon research of some supplements, I found that these supplements begin to work in less than a month's time. [2] You are wrong when you say a person must "also continue a consistent regiment of it for months at a time to start seeing noticeable results." While this is true for some supplements, this is not the case for most." I am so happy you brought up testosterone as this is one of my favorites. A young teenage male between the ages of 16-22 who is otherwise healthy is in no need of increasing his testosterone levels more than they are already at. Teenagers do not need to be increasing their libido more than it already is. This argument is about recreational use of athletic performance, not the use for medicinal purposes. The male teenage body may produce as much as the equivalent of 300 milligrams of exogenous testosterone each week which is optimal for healthy muscle development. [4] "The key phrase in Pro's argument above is: "over an extended period of time." As mentioned before, you are assuming all supplement users are going to be taking these products for months or years on end. According to a CNN report, doctors have found little to no risks or side effects for short term supplement users. [3]" I would like to pull a quote from the very link Con has provided: "Your liver produces about 2 grams of creatine each day. You can also get creatine from the meat in your diet. Creatine is stored in your muscles, and levels are relatively easily maintained. Because your kidneys remove excess creatine, the value of supplements to someone who already has high muscle creatine content is questionable." This is more evidence that a healthy diet is completely capable of providing the necessary nutrients you need to keep your body going. The majority of "size" individuals see from the use of creatine specifically is water retention which quickly deteriorates after the individual discontinues use. [5] As con accuses me of assuming all supplement users take the products for an extended period of time I could easily ask he assumes they are not. I am simply stating that they are not necessary and harmful to the body's natural development. "Don't let this seemingly high number of caffeine fool you. After all, there is more caffeine in one cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee then there is in some of the most powerful supplements. [4] Plus, most teenagers don't drink too much coffee per day anyway, so I don't think this factor should even be in consideration." Thermogenics (fat burners) contain different amounts of different types of ingredients. I will start by stating the function of fat burners and the downside of discontinuing use. FB typically contain a large amount of caffeine along with herbal extracts to increase metabolism. The majority of them direct the individual to take the supplement throughout the day giving a steady stream of the ingredients. As they increase your metabolic rate, they can lead to a number of side effects such as heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety or irritability, tightness in the chest and even heart attacks. Once the individual decides to no longer take the product, the body then must work even harder to keep the metabolism going at the rate it once was. Often times the individual will see the unwanted weight come back. Several Fat burners have been banned by the FDA because of the severe liver damage they do. According to SteadyHealth.com, a common ingredient in fat burners is chromium picolinate. Consumed in excess, chromium can reduce the binding ability of iron, and can lead to anemia or other problems. Two other common ingredients, rimonabant and sibutramine, carry FDA warnings because they can lead to myriad health effects, ranging from heart attack or stroke to an increased risk of depression.[6] These are fat burners alone, and not including the risks of combing other supplements (stacking) which is commonly done. "Notice he amount of supplements those tested were taking. The doses these men/women were taking are far more than the usual athlete, let alone a teenager looking for a "boost." Small amounts are not addictive." These are the result of recreational use by the individual. There is a significant difference in risk factors when comparing medicinal use to recreational. AS has significant impacts on the function of several organs so you can imagine the amount of side effects come with the use. Even after 2 months use of AS the body stops producing natural testosterone due to the massive amounts of synthetic versions. The body is smart and also recognizes that there is now an improper balance of testosterone vs. estrogen this leads to a spike with estrogen production which can explain mood swings and even hot flashes. Once the user decides to discontinue taking AS recreationally they face a huge shift in hormones. The body is no longer producing natural testosterone and is now producing massive amounts of estrogen. Such mood swings can cause an entirely different realm of psychological risks. [7] In conclusion I have carried BOP that Performance Enhancing Supplements are not necessary and absolutely harmful for teens. I would like to thank Con in participating in this discussion and thank those viewing for taking the time to read it. Sources in comments.