Coaches push players away from supplements, toward weight room

Bigger. Faster. Stronger.Prep athletes appear more advanced physically than ever, leading to the question on how they develop those abilities.With performance-enhancement drugs gaining attention in some professional sports and some supplements creating passing trends, more natural methods seem to be the desired method to improve size, speed and power."I think there's a lot of emphasis on those areas," Cedar Rapids Xavier Coach Duane Schulte said. "There is so much information kids can utilize."We don't tell the kids to take anything."Cedar Rapids Prairie Coach Mike Morrissey said he doesn't encourage to use any supplements. He said the goal is to show athletes measurable improvements through natural methods, so they aren't interested in anything else."We don't know what it can do down the line, so we just keep out kids away from that," Morrissey said. "The big thing is you hope you give them enough knowledge on nutrition and how to properly take care of their body with food, hydration and all those things so you don't have to go down that route."It is the additional time and the dedication to train all year long has led to current athletes being in much better condition. Morrissey said his youngest brother, Jim, a senior at Pleasant Valley, is bigger and stronger than him and his brother. He also said that Prairie linebacker Tristan Beyer has greater physical skills than an all-state linebacker he played with at Pleasant Valley."The weight room, the last 1o years especially, is such a bigger facet of the success you have in all sports," said Morrissey, adding there are numerous methods and equipment for speed, agility and strength. "The time and expectations the kids have on themselves and coaches have on kids to train in the offseason is different. You have to work toward it."Matt Orton supervises strength and conditioning programs at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. He received praise from second-year head football coach Brian Webb for the progress his players have made from training.Orton, who is also the J-Hawks co-head wrestling coach, has simple approach, advising students to resort to natural forms of it through nutritional intake. He said 7-pound bag of chicken breast prepared properly has as much protein as any supplement."I tell them if it goes bad, it's good," Orton said. "If it doesn't go bad, it's not bad. If it is something you can set on your countertop and it's going to go bad it is something that is good for you. As close as you can stay to the original product the better."Whey protein is used by many of the athletes Orton comes in contact with regularly. Normally, it is mixed with chocolate after training to help repair and rebuild muscles. He said plain chocolate milk can be used if athletes can't afford the shake mix."Just try to keep it simple," Orton said. "Once they start working out, they understand to stay away from the stuff that isn't too good for them. I preach to them to eat for performance."Beyer said he has gained 20 pounds since last season. He said he takes a protein shake purchased from Performance Therapies, which certified by the state and the College Community School District. Safety is important when putting anything into your body."It has helped me build my muscles in an appropriate manner," Beyer said. "Doing it without supplements, has helped me build it faster and stronger, and decreased my risk for injury."Beyer said the different six-week programs call for anywhere between three to six workouts a week, depending on the time of year. Some are meant to build strength, while others allow athletes to maintain it.He listens to his coaches and parents advice, staying away from supplements."I just accept that fact. I haven't looked into it," Beyer said. "As far as I know, myself and the rest of the team haven't dipped into that."Lynn Groth, a certified athletic trainer for Cedar Rapids Kennedy, works with the Cougars football program. She is another who promotes nutrition as opposed to other options.She recalled seeing negative effects of supplement usage. A former Kennedy player once was removed from practice with nausea, an accelerated heart rate and dizziness. She learned that he had taken an over-the-counter item from a nutritional store and suggested he stopped immediately."I don't see that too often" said Groth, noting the old trend of using creatine has faded. "Most I see from kids now are protein shakes and smoothies."Orton, Groth, Schulte and Morrissey said they have never experienced issues with illegal drug use at this level. Orton said student athletes are the first to shine a light on unsettling practices.Groth remembered one instance where at-home behavior caused a parent to contact Kennedy coaches and trainers and request their son be tested. There isn't a way to privately test one player, and the fact the athlete was 18 years old created even more obstacles, legally.It is hard to monitor, police and enforce. Luckily, PED's are not readily available to most varsity athletes."Part of it is I don't think it's accessible for high-schoolers," Groth said. "You just can't go to a store and buy that."Nothing replaces old-fashioned work. Short cuts can be attractive, but just as costly if not used correctly. Schulte said his strength and conditioning coach, Tom Ekland, has opened the Saints weight room at 6 a.m. for the last 20 years with the help of assistants John Tursi, Tom Miller, Kevin Malloy and Dave Schreck."That's what they preach," Schulte said. "Obviously, you have to lift and move weight. ... I'm simple-minded. Those guys that are strong naturally are just as good in my mind."