# What LEGAL substances can and do pro athletes take? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371 "2013-10-16T03:11:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/1 "2013-10-16T03:11:11Z")
What supplements and nutrients and other stuff do pro athletes take to boost performance that most people don’t take or haven’t even heard of, but are legal to take? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/2 "2013-10-16T03:16:12Z")
WADA [List of Prohibited Substances and Methods.](http://www.wada-ama.org/Documents/World_Anti-Doping_Program/WADP-Prohibited-list/2014/WADA-prohibited-list-2014-EN.pdf)(PDF) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/3 "2013-10-16T05:30:40Z")
…looks like LSD and Tetrodotoxin are actually in the clear, though. Sweet. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/4 "2013-10-16T06:08:24Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > …looks like LSD and Tetrodotoxin are actually in the clear, though. Sweet. [Don’t Laugh.](http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/ellis.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/5 "2013-10-16T10:20:35Z")
Coffee ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/6 "2013-10-16T10:36:54Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Coffee Perhaps not. [https://www.google.com/search?as\_q=coffee+doping&as\_epq=&as\_oq=&as\_eq=&as\_nlo=&as\_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as\_qdr=all&as\_sitesearch=&as\_occt=any&safe=images&tbs=&as\_filetype=&as\_rights=](https://www.google.com/search?as_q=coffee+doping&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=any&safe=images&tbs=&as_filetype=&as_rights=) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/7 "2013-10-16T11:31:29Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Perhaps not. > > [Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?as_q=coffee+doping&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=any&safe=images&tbs=&as_filetype=&as_rights=) You have to have a lot to exceed the doping limits. On the other hand it possibly doesn’t have much of an effect. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/8 "2013-10-16T11:47:16Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > [Don’t Laugh.](http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/ellis.asp) Growing up, Doc Ellis was one of my idols. Learning about his game-on-acid only fueled the fire. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/9 "2013-10-16T13:53:37Z")
Spaghetti. And pierogi, too, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/10 "2013-10-16T14:11:20Z")
Caffeine is still legal right? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/11 "2013-10-16T14:16:24Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Caffeine is still legal right? Up to a point. It does have proven benefits on endurance activities. Levels due to casual use (coffee, soda, etc.) is allowed. The illegal levels are set to catch deliberate dosing. [From here.](http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/caffeine.html) > [@](#): > > The International Olympic Committee currently lists caffeine as a restricted drug. Urinary levels up to a concentration of12 mg/liter are acceptable, representing casual use. Levels above this are viewed as achieved through a deliberate attempt at doping by the athlete. Approximately 1000mg of caffeine (about 8 cups of coffee) would be required to exceed the current IOC limit, but it is very important to note that people can metabolize caffeine at very different rates. Differences in metabolism, medications, and certain diseases may significantly alter the rate in which caffeine is cleared from the body. Some athletes have come close to flunking the drug test after ingesting only 350mg. It is wise to consider this before using caffeine as an ergogenic aid. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/12 "2013-10-16T14:53:01Z")
Back when my son was getting into competitive weightlifting, he bugged us about using supplements. This was a road we didn’t want to start going down. We consulted with some athlete/parents and they recommended wheat germ. As one said, “it can’t do any harm, it may do some good, and if he overdoes it, he’ll crap his shorts while he’s lifting.” ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/13 "2013-10-16T15:13:37Z")
Creatine isn’t banned by any of the major pro or amateur sports organizations or leagues (NFL, NBA, IOC, NCAA, etc.) The NCAA does prohibit colleges from giving out creatine to players, but doesn’t ban its use if athletes take it on their own. ---
**Author:** ![BrickaBracka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BrickaBracka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickaBracka)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/14 "2013-10-16T16:12:09Z")
Food, gatorade, possibly fresh air? Also, elbow grease. All of these, if taken in the proper doses, along with the proper training regimen, can yield a significantly boosted performance in most athletes. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/15 "2013-10-16T16:22:20Z")
Strictly its not a substance but working to lower atmospheric pressures helps too. You can use high altitude locations for training or use a Hypobaric chambers. [from Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypobaric_chamber) :_“Hypobaric chambers are also finding increasing use as a means of improving athletic performance. Since the human body adapts to extended mild hypoxia by increasing the quantity of red cells in the blood and this raises aerobic performance, athletes sleep in them as part of their training regimen.”_ ---
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/16 "2013-10-16T23:56:05Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > Strictly its not a substance but working to lower atmospheric pressures helps too. You can use high altitude locations for training or use a Hypobaric chambers. > [from Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypobaric_chamber) :_“Hypobaric chambers are also finding increasing use as a means of improving athletic performance. Since the human body adapts to extended mild hypoxia by increasing the quantity of red cells in the blood and this raises aerobic performance, athletes sleep in them as part of their training regimen.”_ Wait … [quote=WADA] PROHIBITED METHODS M1. MANIPULATION OF BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS The following are prohibited: […] Artificially enhancing the uptake, transport or delivery of oxygen […] ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/17 "2013-10-17T01:06:13Z")
[quote=“IceQube, post:16, topic:671371”] Wait … > [@WADA](#): > > PROHIBITED METHODS > > M1. MANIPULATION OF BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS > The following are prohibited: > > […] > > Artificially enhancing the uptake, transport or delivery of oxygen > > […] I believe this one does not qualify as artificial. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-legal-substances-can-and-do-pro-athletes-take/671371/18 "2013-10-17T01:10:30Z")
> [@BrickaBracka](#): > > Food, gatorade, possibly fresh air? > > Also, elbow grease. > > All of these, if taken in the proper doses, along with the proper training regimen, can yield a significantly boosted performance in most athletes. Exactly. But if the majority of the competition is wise to this, you look for other means.