ShareThisBy HANNAH GUILLAUME
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said that he's ready to play Sunday, just 28 days after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
"I feel good. I feel healthy. I feel stronger," Hasselbeck said. "Ironically, I feel like I'm in better shape. I feel like I'll play on Sunday."
Doctors originally projected that Hasselbeck would be out from four-to-six weeks.
Hasselbeck credited his recovery to dietary supplements and training. He uses supplements from EAS, the only brand of supplements approved for player use by the NFL and NFL Players' Association Supplement Label Certification Program.
Supplements have come under increased scrutiny this fall since San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman was suspended for four weeks after testing positive for steroids. Merriman claimed that he unwittingly ingested the steroids, which he says were in a nutritional supplement he was taking.
Hasselbeck said he sympathizes with players who put unknown substances in their bodies. For example, a player who takes a substance containing bitter orange peel could possibly test positive for synephrine, a type of steroid.
"I want every advantage too, but I want to do it legally," Hasselbeck said. "When I go to Jamba Juice, I don't know what they're putting in those things. I can't take Sudafed now without a doctor's note. It's those kinds of things _ you just really gotta be careful."
Jamba Juice, located in malls across the U.S., makes fruit smoothies that offer free "boosts," for energy, immunity and protein.
Keith Wheeler, vice president of research and development for EAS, said it took nearly six months for to certify the manufacturer and pass third-party testing. He feels that supplements have earned an undeserved bad reputation.
"Everyone starts to lump things like steroids, supplements and foods together, and it's important not to," said Wheeler.
Houston Texans' team dietitian Roberta Anding said that approved products are safe for most people, except for child athletes, diabetics and pregnant women.
"A lot of it just depends on what your goals are," Anding said. "They can pretty much be used by anyone."
She said the risks involved for athletes who don't keep a close eye on what they eat can be devastating and blamed federal food and dietary supplement labeling laws for not making labels easier to understand.
"I look at this as one of the best examples of buyer beware," she said. "The NFL position is clear: Athletes and athletes alone are responsible for what they put in their body."
Any player caught using a forbidden substance is subject to suspension.
"They lose four of their games or 25 percent of their salary every year. That's a lot of money," Anding said.
Hasselbeck added that another reason that supplements have become controversial is because "times have changed." Hasselbeck's cited the experience of his father, Don, who played tight end for the New England Patriots for seven seasons and finished with the New York Giants in 1985.
Hasselbeck remembers working as a water boy for his dad's teams. Back then, coaches yelled that players needed to work harder before they could have more water. Now coaches and trainers work together to ensure players stay hydrated.
Similarly, coaches, trainers and players who may have lumped all supplements together previously are now learning more about the benefits of safe supplements.
"It's just uneducated," Hasselbeck said. "Supplements really, the way they're meant is just to help you with nutrition."
For more information: National Institutes of Health office of dietary supplements lists meaning of ingredients: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/DietarySupplements.asp
