SUPPLEMENT POLICY STATEMENT
It is the mission of the Cornell University Department of Athletics and Cornell Sports Nutrition (CSN) to promote food first as a superior method for fueling active athletes. Student-athletes and coaches must comply with the procedures above and must use the services of the sport nutritionist as directed. Following these procedures will ensure compliance with NCAA rules, and most importantly, will protect the safety and well-being of student-athletes.
NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT POLICY
It is the philosophy of the Cornell University Department of Athletics and Cornell Sports Nutrition and the Cornell Healthy Eating Program that student-athletes are able to meet 100% of their nutritional needs through a balanced, nutritious fueling plan that provides for both health and performance.
Nutritional supplements are heavily marketed to athletes for their ability to build muscle mass, speed recovery and improve overall performance, often despite any safety regulations or scientific evidence to make such claims. As a result, they are often tainted, unsafe and misused.
In the US, the Dietary Supplements and Health Education Act of 1994 allows supplement manufacturers to make health claims regarding the effect of products on body structure or function but not therapeutic claims to “diagnose, mitigate, treat, cure, or prevent” a specific disease or medical condition. As long as a special supplement label indicates the active ingredients and the entire ingredients list is provided, claims for enhanced performance can be made, valid or not.
• Contamination of dietary supplements with banned or non-permissible substances is a very real issue. Due to limited regulation of contents of supplements, ingredients may be mislabeled, provide a different level of potency than stated, or even contain substances not listed. All of these can result in harmful health effects or positive drug test result for banned substances.
• Although the identity, purity, and strength of products’ ingredients are managed by the Food and Drug Administration, manufacturers are not required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of their products. Thus, just because a product is correctly labeled, does not mean that it is safe or effective for a specific athlete.
Student-athletes are ultimately responsible for anything they ingest. While every effort will be made to assist athletes in making the best choice possible, all nutritional/dietary supplements carry some risk of containing an NCAA banned substance. It should be known that “positive drug-test appeals based on the claim that the student-athlete did not know the substances they were taking contained banned drugs are not successful” (NCAA Athletic Medicine Handbook).
Cornell Athletics Policy
It is the policy of the Department of Athletics and the University Health Services Athletic Medicine Department to promote food as the fundamental basis of our sport nutrition program, including traditional food and forms of “sport food.” Sport foods provide a quick and convenient way to meet nutrition needs for optimizing daily training and performance and include products such as sports drinks and sports bars. Sport foods are recommended when convenient calories are necessary for fueling and replenishment for pre-/post- competition and workouts.
• ALL nutrition supplements provided to student-athletes MUST comply with NCAA supplement regulations and the NCAA comply with the NCAA regulations for “permissible” foods.
• ALL nutrition supplements ingested by student-athletes MUST comply with NCAA banned substance regulations.
Procedures:
Individual Athletes
1. Unless prescribed or provided by Athletics or Athletic Medicine personnel, all athletes is required to meet with the sport nutritionist before taking nutrition supplements. This may include a complete nutrition assessment and supplement evaluation.
2. Evaluations of specific products and education regarding nutriceuticals, nutrition supplements and ergogenic aids for athletes will be made available by request.
Caution – Banned stimulants, hormones and anabolic agents have all been found in nutrition supplements even though they were not listed as ingredients. No product can be guaranteed 100% even after a thorough review.
Sports Department and Sports Medicine Personnel
1. All nutrition supplement purchases for teams must be pre-approved by the coordinator of sports nutrition. All nutrition supplements purchased for student-athletes MUST comply with NCAA regulations governing permissible supplements that institutions may provide. Please refer to the chart below for all pre-approved supplement/sport foods.
2. All nutrition supplements recommended/promoted/sold/provided to student-athletes by athletic department and athletic medicine personnel must be pre-approved by the sport nutritionist.
Please refer to the chart below for all pre-approved supplement/sport foods.
3. Evaluations of specific products not on the pre-approved list will be made available by the sport nutritionist by request.
NCAA Permissible Nutritional Supplements for Institutions to Provide Athletes:
The following sport foods and vitamin/mineral supplements are permissible per NCAA rules. Other products must be pre-approved for use by the sport nutritionist and for team purchase by the director of strength and conditioning, as this list will only be reviewed on an annual basis.
Summary:
The Department of Athletics and the University Health Services Athletic Medicine Department promote food first as a superior method for fueling active athletes. Student-athletes and coaches must comply with the procedures above and must use the services of the sport nutritionist and the director of strength and conditioning as directed. Following these procedures will ensure compliance with NCAA rules, and most importantly, will protect the safety and well-being of student-athletes.
DISORDERED EATING CONCERNS
The purpose of this policy is:
1. To make it clear to student-athletes, coaches, and health-care providers that the Cornell University Department of Athletics and the Cornell Health view eating disorders as a serious health problem.
2. To facilitate cooperation among student-athletes, coaches and health-care providers in identifying and providing education, support and treatment for student-athletes suffering or recovering from eating disorders.
An eating disorder can jeopardize the physical and psychological long-term well-being of a student-athlete?in addition to affecting his/her athletic performance. It is important, therefore, that athletes, coaches, athletic trainers and team physicians be knowledgeable about eating disorders and the resources available at Cornell University to evaluate and treat them. Coaches, athletic trainers and team physicians, as well as athletes themselves, have an important role in the identification and management of eating disorders.
Criteria for participation of a student-athlete in intercollegiate sports are based on overall physical health, not based on the absence of an eating disorder. Eating disorders are treated like any other injury that may jeopardize an athlete’s health and safety. Athletes with a suspected or identified eating disorder should be assured that the concern of Cornell University’s health-care providers and athletics personnel is his/her health and safety. Approval for training and competition for those being treated for eating disorder or disordered eating is determined by the chief of sports medicine and the Cornell Healthy Eating Program lead physician.
Resources are available through the Cornell Healthy Eating Program to help athletes, coaches or athletic trainers who becomes aware, or suspect that an athlete may be struggling with an eating disorder. When evaluating or treating an intercollegiate athlete, the CHEP Team will routinely ask and encourage the athlete to permit the coach to be aware of and involved in their care. Coaches and athletic trainers can have an important role in developing a treatment plan, in motivating the athlete to follow the treatment plan and in supporting the athlete in his/her recovery.
Without the express written consent of the athlete, confidentiality regarding an athlete’s eating disorder, medical condition and treatment will be strictly respected.
