The NCAA needs to rexamine the list of banned substances

In a shocking turn of events, the popular sports drink Celsius has a class action lawsuit filed against it. While the lawsuit has nothing to do with the amount of caffeine in it, this news has me, an NCAA athlete, reevaluating what caffeine consumption can do to a person.

I am an avid coffee drinker/caffeine junkie. I am not ashamed to admit this. I enjoy the occasional energy drink myself, with Celsius as a tempting option to satiate my caffeine needs. However, the NCAA has cracked down on the consumption of caffeine in their athletes, establishing a cap of around 500 mg 2-3 hours before competition, equivalent to 6-8 cups of coffee. In addition, the NCAA has banned guarana extract, the source of all 200 mg of caffeine in a Celsius.

According to the NCAA banned drug list, guarana extract is considered a stimulant and can be performance enhancing for athletes. This places guarana in the same category as meth, cocaine and Adderall. I don’t condone drug use, but I can’t help but wonder if the NCAA is a little out of touch with the full workload of being a student and an athlete. I doubt many people, except athletes themselves, know what effort and energy it takes to successfully exist in both an athletic and academic world.

Having coaches and trainers encourage us to get adequate sleep, eat healthy and do self-care is great, however not always attainable. Sometimes a caffeine boost is needed, often in the form of an energy drink. There is a saying that many things are okay in moderation, and I think that this applies to Celsius and other energy drinks. Many cite Celsius and other sports energy drinks as harmful to your cardiovascular system, with the CDC referencing insomnia, heart irregularities and anxiety. However, they neglect to mention that this is if you are consuming these on a regular basis, not if you are needing one for a little boost before a game or before your 6 a.m. clinical. The alternative, coffee, is not without its adverse effects either.

Coffee is considered a diuretic, meaning it will flush out fluids in your body through your kidneys. Without proper hydration, this could lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. With all this information, it is ultimately up to the athlete to make their own decisions, but the NCAA should let them make their own decisions.

Instead of policing caffeine consumption, maybe the NCAA should turn to promoting athlete mental health, as there is a current crisis, or stop exploiting athletes to be used as unpaid mascots for other’s entertainment.

Priorities, NCAA, priorities.