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Workout Supplements

A popular category of dietary supplements are workout supplements, which are typically taken before (‘pre-workout’) or after exercising (‘post-workout’), and are sold in a variety of forms from pills to powders and ready-to-drink shakes. The global pre-workout supplement market size alone was estimated to reach $13.98 billion in 2020 and almost double in size to $23.77 billion by 2027. [2]

Fitness gurus and blogs touting these products as crucial for peak performance, fat loss, and explosive muscle growth in combination with complicated scientific-sounding names and labels might have you believing you can’t effectively exercise without them. But do these supplements live up to the hype, and are they even necessary—or in some cases, safe? Like other dietary supplements in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not review workout supplements for safety or effectiveness before they are sold to consumers. It’s a good idea to research their effects and ingredients and consult with your physician before adding them to your fitness routine.

What happens to the body during physical activity?

Here we review the scientific evidence behind some of the most popular ingredients in workout supplements.

Pre-Workout Supplements

Pre-workout supplements are designed to provide energy and aid endurance throughout a workout. They are typically taken 15-30 minutes before a workout, but can also be consumed during exercise. Below are common ingredients found in pre-workout supplements that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine have highlighted as having evidence-based uses in sports nutrition. [3] These supplements have also been categorized as apparently safe and having strong evidence to support efficacy by the International Society of Sports Nutrition. [4] However, it is important to consult a physician or dietitian before using these supplements, as they are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness.

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that is produced in the liver and also found in fish, poultry, and meat. When dosed at 4–6g/day for 2–4 weeks, this supplement has been shown to improve exercise performance, particularly for high-intensity exercise lasting 1–4 minutes, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or short sprints. It has also been shown to reduce neuromuscular fatigue, particularly in older adults. [5] How does it work? During exercise the body breaks down glucose into lactic acid, which is then converted into lactate. This produces hydrogen ions, which lower muscle pH levels. This acidity reduces muscles’ ability to contract, causing fatigue. [6] Beta-alanine increases muscle concentrations of carnosine, which is a proton buffer that reduces muscle acidity during high-intensity exercise, which in turn reduces overall fatigue. [5] This supplement is often combined with sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, which also reduces muscle acidity. A common side effect of beta-alanine supplementation is paresthesia, or a skin tingling sensation, [3] but this effect can be attenuated by taking lower doses (1.6g) or using a sustained-release instead of a rapid-release formula. [5] In short, this supplement can help you exercise at high-intensity for a longer period of time, which could potentially lead to increased muscle mass. The International Society of Sports Nutrition has asserted that “beta-alanine supplementation currently appears to be safe in healthy populations at recommended doses,” but it is important to consult with your doctor before beginning supplementation.

Caffeine is a stimulant that is often included in pre-workout supplements, as it has been shown to benefit athletic performance for short-term high intensity exercise and endurance-based activities. [7] It is important to understand that these studies have been conducted with Olympic and competition athletes, and thus the average individual who exercises recreationally should consult with a doctor before using caffeine as a supplement. For high performance athletes, the International Olympic Committee recommends 3–6mg caffeine/kg of body weight consumed an hour before exercise. [7,8] Evidence also suggests that lower caffeine doses (up to 3mg/kg body weight, ~200 mg) taken before and during prolonged exercise can increase athletic performance. [9,10] Mechanistically, caffeine increases endorphin release, improves neuromuscular function, vigilance, and alertness, and reduces perception of exertion during exercise. [10,11] Despite some benefits from smaller doses, larger doses of caffeine (>=9mg/kg of body weight) have not been shown to increase performance, and may induce nausea, anxiety, and insomnia. [11] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers 400 milligrams of caffeine to be a safe amount for daily consumption, but some pre-workout supplements may exceed this amount in a single serving or fail to disclose the amount of caffeine they contain, so it is important to always review the label of any supplement before consumption. Caffeine powder is also marketed as a stand-alone pre-workout supplement, but the FDA has advised against using this product, as even very small amounts may cause accidental overdose. Powdered caffeine has been linked to numerous deaths—a single tablespoon (10 grams) is a lethal dose for an adult, but the product is often sold in 100-gram packages. [12]

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in skeletal muscle that is synthesized in the body from amino acids and can be obtained from red meat and seafood . In the body, it helps produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy for muscles. Creatine is a popular workout supplement marketed to increase athletic performance, especially for weight training. Research suggests that creatine supplementation increases muscle availability of creatine, which in turn can enhance exercise capacity and training adaptations in adolescents, younger adults, and older adults. [13] Specifically, these adaptations allow for individuals to increase training volume (e.g., the ability to perform more repetitions with the same weight), which in turn can lead to greater increases in lean mass and muscular strength and power. [14-16] Although the exact mechanisms through which creatine improves performance have not been identified with certainty, various theories have been investigated, including the potential for creatine to stimulate muscle glycogen levels. [17,14] Creatine supplementation is primarily recommended for athletes who engage in power/strength exercises (e.g., weight lifting), or for athletes who engage in sports involving intermittent sprints and other brief repeated high-intensity exercises (e.g., soccer, basketball). [13] The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends an initial dosage of 5g of creatine monohydrate (~0.3g/kg body weight) four times daily for 5–7 days to increase muscle creatine stores; once muscle creatine stores are fully saturated, stores can be maintained by ingesting 3–5 g/day. [13] Many powdered creatine supplements recommend this regimen in the directions on their packages. The Society also notes that an alternative supplementation protocol is to ingest 3g/day of creatine monohydrate for 28 days. [13] While the scientific literature has generally found supplementation to be safe at these levels, [18] creatine may not be appropriate for people with kidney disease or those with bipolar disorder. It is important to consult a doctor before taking this supplement. Of note, creatine supplementation has been shown to increase total body water, which causes weight gain that could be detrimental to performance in which body mass is a factor, such as running. [14] The International Society of Sports Nutrition, the American Dietetic Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine have all published statements supporting creatine supplementation as an effective way of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training for high-performance athletes. [19-21;3]

Post-Workout Supplements

A variety of post-workout supplements are marketed to consumers to increase muscle mass through enhanced muscle repair, recovery, and growth. Below is a review of some of the most common ingredients in post-workout supplements.

Carbohydrates

Replenishing glycogen stores after a workout with sufficient carbohydrate intake is important for muscle recovery, and beginning the next workout with sufficient muscle glycogen stores has been shown to improve exercise performance. [22-24] However, normal dietary intake is typically sufficient to restore muscle glycogen stores after low-intensity exercises, such as walking , yoga, or tai chi (3–5 g carbohydrate/kg body weight per day), and even for moderate-intensity exercise, such as one hour or more of walking, jogging, swimming, or bicycling at modest effort (5–7 g carbohydrate/kg body weight per day). [24] Post-workout supplementation with carbohydrates and protein within 24–36 hours is only recommended following strenuous physical activity, which includes one hour or more of vigorous exercise such as interval training, running, swimming, bicycling, soccer, or basketball at a moderate to intense effort (where one can only carry on brief conversations or cannot speak); in this case, 6–12 g carbohydrates/kg body weight per day is recommended to be consumed after exercise to fully restore muscle glycogen stores. [24]

Recommended levels of daily protein intake for the general population (0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight, or about 7 grams of protein every day for every 20 pounds of body weight) are estimated to be sufficient to meet the needs of nearly all healthy adults. [25] Recommendations for protein supplementation during exercise vary based on the type of exercise being conducted: endurance training (e.g., long-distance bicycling) or resistance training (e.g., weight lifting). Very few studies have investigated the effects of prolonged protein supplementation on endurance exercise performance. A review conducted by the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that protein supplementation in the presence of adequate carbohydrate intake does not appear to improve endurance performance, but may reduce markers of muscle damage and feelings of soreness. [26] On the other hand, individuals who engage in high-intensity resistance training may benefit from increased protein consumption to optimize muscle protein synthesis required for muscle recovery and growth, but research is inconclusive, with the majority of studies investigating the effects of protein supplementation on maximal strength enhancement finding no benefit. [26] The extent to which protein supplementation may aid resistance athletes is highly contingent on a variety of factors, including intensity and duration of training, individual age, dietary energy intake, and quality of protein intake. For individuals engaging in strenuous exercise to build and maintain muscle mass, the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends an overall daily protein intake of 1.4–2.0 g/kg of body weight/day. [26] This can be ingested in the form of protein foods or protein powder.

Spotlight on protein powder

Some sources of protein supplements:

• Casein and whey are proteins found in cow’s milk ; roughly 80% of milk proteins are casein, while the other ~20% are whey. [28] Both proteins should be avoided by people who have trouble digesting dairy. Casein and whey contain all essential amino acids and are easily absorbed by the body, but their speed of absorption differs. [29,30] Whey protein is water soluble and rapidly metabolized into amino acids. Casein, on the other hand, is not soluble in water and is digested more slowly than whey—when ingested, it forms a clotted gel in the stomach that provides a sustained slow release of amino acids into the bloodstream over several hours. [31] Studies examining protein supplementation for resistance training suggest that whey’s faster digestion could be beneficial for gains in skeletal muscle mass compared to casein in both young men and in trained bodybuilders. [32,33] Another study, however, found that both proteins resulted in increased amino acid concentrations in the body compared to a placebo, with no significant differences between casein and whey for amino acid uptake or muscle protein balance. [34] Due to casein’s slower rate of absorption, it is often touted on health blogs as being useful for weight loss because it could hypothetically promote fullness, especially if ingested before periods of fasting, such as before bed. However, multiple studies have found no clear evidence that casein is more effective than any other protein source for satiety or weight loss. [35,36]
• Soy protein  powder is derived from soybeans , and unlike many plant-based proteins, it contains adequate levels of all essential amino acids. It is a common alternative to milk protein for vegans or people with dairy sensitivities or allergies. Soy protein is absorbed fairly rapidly by the body, although it is not as bioavailable as animal-based proteins. One study found that soy protein promoted muscle protein synthesis significantly more than casein protein when consumed by healthy young men at rest and after leg resistance exercise, but that soy protein was inferior to whey protein in increasing muscle protein synthesis. [32] A review of studies on milk- and soy-based protein supplementation also found that whey protein was better able to support muscle protein synthesis compared to soy protein in younger and older adults. [37]
• Pea protein powder is made from yellow split peas, and can be an option for vegans or people with allergies or sensitivities to soy or dairy. Pea protein is rich in eight of the nine essential amino acids; it is low in methionine, which can be obtained from other sources including rice and animal proteins. There is limited research on the effects of pea protein. One double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study found that men aged 18 to 35 years who ingested 50 grams of pea protein daily in combination with a resistance training program over 12 weeks experienced similar increases in muscle thickness compared to those who ingested the same amount of whey protein daily. [38] However, all participants experienced similar increases in muscle strength, with no significant difference between those who supplemented with pea protein, whey protein, or a placebo.
• Hemp protein powder is derived from the seeds of the hemp plant. Although there is little research on the use of hemp protein powder as a workout supplement, it contains omega-3 fatty acids and a number of essential amino acids. However, it is not a complete protein, as it has relatively low levels of lysine and leucine. [39,40]

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

Three out of the nine essential amino acids have a chemical structure involving a side-chain with a “branch”, or a central carbon atom bound to three or more carbon atoms. These three amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are called branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). They can be obtained from protein-rich foods such as chicken, red meat, fish , and eggs , and are also sold as dietary supplements in powdered form. BCAAs are key components of muscle protein synthesis, [41] and research has shown that leucine in particular drives protein synthesis and suppresses protein breakdown. [42-43] Although short-term mechanistic data suggests that leucine plays an important role in muscle protein synthesis, [44] longer-term trials do not support BCAAs as useful workout supplements. For example, a trial of leucine supplementation during an 8-week resistance training program did not result in increased muscle mass or strength among participants. [45] Studies have generally failed to find performance-enhancing effects of BCAAs such as accelerated repair of muscle damage after exercise. [46]

Another reason to be cautious of a high intake of BCAAs is its potentially negative effect on glucose metabolism and diabetes. BCAAs, particularly leucine, can disrupt the normal action of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose. In an epidemiological study composed of three large cohorts of men and women followed for up to 32 years, a higher intake of BCAAs (obtained mainly from meats) was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. [47]

Chocolate Milk

Although you may not think of it as a “supplement,” a number of pro athletes have begun to promote chocolate milk as an ideal post-workout beverage due to its combination of protein, carbohydrates, water, and electrolytes (in the form of sodium and calcium). A review of the effects of chocolate milk on post-exercise recovery found that chocolate milk provided similar or superior results compared to water or other sports drinks, [48] while another review found that low-fat chocolate milk was an effective supplement to spur protein synthesis and glycogen regeneration. [49] However, the authors noted that evidence is limited and high-quality clinical trials with larger sample sizes are warranted. Of note, many studies of chocolate milk as a post-workout supplement are sponsored by the dairy industry, which may introduce bias. Chocolate milk generally contains high amounts of added sugars and saturated fat, and is likely most useful for athletes conducting high-intensity exercise for multiple hours a day, such as professional swimmers competing in the Olympics. However, for most individuals conducting moderate-intensity physical activity, such as an hour of jogging or bicycling, water is a healthier alternative as a post-workout beverage.

Electrolytes

Many supplements include electrolytes, which are chemicals that conduct electricity when mixed with water, and include sodium, potassium, and calcium. Electrolytes are important for hydration and the regulation of nerve and muscle function; for example, calcium, sodium, and potassium all work together to help muscles contract properly. The body loses electrolytes through sweating, so sports drinks (which typically contain carbohydrates/sugar and electrolytes) and other electrolyte supplements are often marketed as being necessary after a workout. However, the American College of Sports Medicine has asserted that there is little evidence of any difference in performance between those who drink beverages containing carbohydrates and electrolytes compared to those who drink plain water after exercising for less than one hour. [50] Sports drinks and other electrolyte supplements are generally only appropriate for people exercising vigorously for more than an hour, especially if causes them to sweat heavily. Learn more about sports drinks here.

Bottom Line

Workout supplements such as caffeine and creatine may be used to enhance exercise performance for high-intensity, strenuous physical activity, such as training to run a marathon or power lifting. However, a healthy diet with adequate amounts of healthy carbohydrates , protein , and water is sufficient to fuel the body for moderate amounts of physical activity , such as an hour of jogging or bicycling. As workout supplements are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness, you should consult with a doctor before incorporating them into your exercise routine and discuss if there are any potential contraindications if you have existing medical conditions.

• Sports Drinks
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Last reviewed November 2021

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research paper supplement

<p>As a supplement, should I send in my research report or my research abstract? Will Harvard have time look at my paper if I submit it? (eg. Yale reads the research papers but MIT says they may not). also if my mentor is writing a rec for me, should he/she use the common app teacher rec form ? </p>

<p>thanks!</p>

<p>I think it’s quite a hard decision. I read on a college website (either Yale or Harvard, can’t remember for sure), that in the past, full papers were proved to have a more significant impact. It depends on how long it is. Are your research skills significantly better-shown in your full paper than in your abstract? Is it worth submitting a much longer paper that could possibly be overlooked? You decide :)</p>

<p>And as for the rec, I’m sorry, I can’t answer</p>

<p>Your mentor doesn’t need to use the teacher rec. form. Just writing letter on his/her letterhead will be fine. </p>

<p>I can’t advise on the research paper, except to say if you send the whole thing they can just read the abstract if that’s all they want to read. If you only send the abstract, it’s a lot harder to read the whole paper. So I don’t see a downside to sending the whole paper, unless they specifically tell you not to.</p>

<p>bump… bump…</p>

<p>I agree with mathmom and recommend sending the full paper.</p>

<p>Oh my goodness. You have to write a research paper for Harvard??</p>

<p>No. Its an optional part of the Harvard supplement. There is no requirement of doing research.</p>

<p>How much of an advantage does it give you if you do it?</p>

<p>how about if your research is in surgical medicine… obviously i had data but that is based on patients and their situations… which is private… obviously i have an abstract… but i dont do “regular” research that is open to different universities…</p>

<p>^ Ambitiousteen I am in the same boat as you. You have to talk to your mentor about IRB / SRC approval (I’m sure there is an equivalent in Canada).</p>

<p>EDIT: It’s because as you said the results of the human subjects are confidential.</p>

<p>Smile614, you’re absolutely not expected to write a research paper for the sake of adding to your application.</p>

<p>Students that do advanced science/math/etc research in high school are welcomed to add a paper they have written as a supplement, which would sometimes be evaluated by a professor in the field (similarly to a student with extraordinary musical talent sending in a supplement recording).</p>

<p>Don’t feel bad at all if you don’t have a supplement- almost all students don’t!</p>

<p>yeah I didn’t submit a research paper to MIT, but I’m still deciding about sending it/ an abstract to HYP…I already had my preceptor submit a recommendation</p>

<p>hmmm…i’m not sure about harvard, but i know that the yale admissions lady who came to our school was very big on sending in a research paper supplement</p>

<p>i’m going to think that if you are sending a rec from ur mentor, it would be nice for you to send the whole paper :)</p>

<p>(and lmao could u imagine what our lives would be like if we were required to conduct comprehensive research for top tier schools?!?!)</p>

<p>I sent mine to MIT, Caltech, and Uchicago, but it was in poster format, with everything on one page as if it were going to be presented to ppl at a conference. is that ok? I even blew it up a little more so it can be readable. Also, I did this research with a MIT professor over the summer and co-authored a paper with him, but if it is going to be evaluated by professors in each one of those schools, i’m not sure if they would understand it or not since it focuses only on animal acoustics, unlike on major science topics like physics, cell bio, etc.</p>

<p>For the Harvard application, I read you should include a short statement about how your research report fits in with your academics. Does anyone have any advice about this? How long should it be? Who sees it?</p>

<p>For mine, I just put a short statement putting the research in perspective of my future career goals. I am just sending in an abstract though.</p>

<p>i put my major down as biological sciences but would it be ok to send a research paper about something else I would like to study? (Middle Eastern Studies)</p>

<p>I also already submitted my app, so is it too late to send it anyway?</p>

<p>bump…</p>

<p>^^No it is not too late, you send in supplementary materials seperate from the rest of the app. There are specific guidelines for research abstracts, so go to Harvard admissions website to find out.</p>

<p>thanks, but it doesn’t say on the website whether i should send a research paper if it doesn’t pertain to the major i selected on the application…so should i or should i not?</p>

Human health impact and advanced chemical analysis of fructoborates: a comprehensive review

• Butan, Simona
• Filimon, Veronica
• Bounegru, Alexandra V.

Fructoborates are essential nutritional compounds which have garnered significant attention, due to their impact on human health. Recent studies have also identified fructoborates in other sources, such as certain leafy greens, tubers and medicinal plants, such as ginseng roots. This review delves into the intricacies of their natural occurrence, chemical properties and the myriad of health benefits associated with their consumption. Particular emphasis is placed on calcium fructoborate, given its high content of boron, calcium and fructose, and its profound effects on bone health, cardiovascular function, metabolic syndrome and inflammation. Advanced analytical methods, including spectroscopy and chromatography, are also discussed for their role in detecting and quantifying fructoborates in dietary supplements and other matrices. The review concludes with a look at future research directions, emphasizing the need for further studies on their bioavailability, absorption mechanisms long-term safety and efficacy. However, it is important to mention that there is a predominant focus on recent studies regarding boron and boric acid, with fewer studies concentrating on the specific effects of fructoborates. Additionally, the significant variability at the individual level in response to fructoborates may pose a challenge, considering that individual reactions can vary based on genetic factors, lifestyle and overall health status. Certainly, the evolving research landscape surrounding fructoborates suggests a promising avenue for exploring their potential applications in the development of novel therapeutics and dietary interventions.

• Calcium fructoborate;
• Analytical technique;
• Nutraceutical product;

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I just applied to Harvard and decided to submit research papers...

I just applied to Harvard and Yale, and indicated that I'd supply research papers. However both schools show that I need to access the Applicant Status Portal, which I don't yet have an account for.

I wanted to make sure that my application will go through, and that I'll be able to submit my research later (Harvard deadline passed for me but I submitted app and writing supplement).

• Introduction
• Article Information

eAppendix. Supplemental Methods

eReferences

Data Sharing Statement

• Ensuring the Safety and Value of Supplements JAMA Network Open Invited Commentary July 17, 2023 Peter Lurie, MD, MPH

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Cohen PA , Avula B , Katragunta K , Travis JC , Khan I. Presence and Quantity of Botanical Ingredients With Purported Performance-Enhancing Properties in Sports Supplements. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(7):e2323879. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.23879

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Presence and Quantity of Botanical Ingredients With Purported Performance-Enhancing Properties in Sports Supplements

• 1 Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Somerville, Massachusetts
• 2 Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
• 3 National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University
• 4 NSF International, Ann Harbor, Michigan
• Invited Commentary Ensuring the Safety and Value of Supplements Peter Lurie, MD, MPH JAMA Network Open

Since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned ephedra from dietary supplements in 2004, supplement manufacturers have promoted a complex variety of alternative botanical compounds for sports enhancement. Extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria containing α-yohimbine, the caffeine-like compound methylliberine, the partial β 2 -agonist halostachine, the plant steroid turkesterone, and norepinephrine-like octopamine are all found in plants and are promoted in dietary supplements for their stimulant or anabolic effects. 1 - 3

The FDA does not preapprove these ingredients, or any supplement ingredient, for either efficacy or safety before their introduction, but FDA inspections have found that supplement manufacturers often fail to comply with basic manufacturing standards, such as establishing the identity, purity, or composition of the final product. Given the products’ potentially complex physiologic effects and concerns regarding manufacturing quality, we determined the accuracy of dietary supplement labels declaring R vomitoria , methylliberine, halostachine, octopamine, and turkesterone.

Dietary supplement products were included in this case series if they were labeled as containing 1 of the following ingredients: R vomitoria , methylliberine, turkesterone, halostachine, or octopamine. All products were purchased online, and products were excluded if the actual label did not list 1 of the 5 ingredients. Powder from the dietary supplement products was reconstituted in methanol and analyzed for the presence and quantity of the 5 ingredients and FDA-prohibited ingredients by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. See the eAppendix in Supplement 1 for additional details.

Of the 63 products purchased, 6 did not list 1 of the 5 ingredients on the label; therefore, 57 products were analyzed (13 listing R vomitoria ; 21, methylliberine; 8, turkesterone; 7, halostachine; and 8, octopamine). Twenty-three of 57 products (40%) did not contain a detectable amount of the labeled ingredient. Of the products that contained detectable amounts of the listed ingredient, the actual quantity ranged from 0.02% to 334% of the labeled quantity ( Table ). Six of 57 products (11%) contained a quantity of the ingredient within 10% of the labeled quantity.

Seven of 57 products (12%) were found to contain at least 1 FDA-prohibited ingredient ( Table ). Five different FDA-prohibited compounds were found, including 4 synthetic simulants, 1,4-dimethylamylamine, deterenol, octodrine, oxilofrine, and omberacetam. Six products contained 1 of these prohibited ingredients, and 1 product contained 4 different prohibited ingredients.

Eighty-nine percent of dietary supplement labels did not accurately declare the ingredients found in the products, and 12% of products contained FDA-prohibited ingredients. A prior study 4 of dietary supplements, before the FDA ephedra ban, found that 6 of 12 products (50%) contained ephedra within 10% of the labeled amount. In a more recent study 5 of caffeine content of sports supplements, 9 of 20 products (45%) contained a quantity of caffeine within 10% of the labeled quantity. In the current study, which to our knowledge is the first to quantify these 5 supplement ingredients, only 11% of products were accurately labeled and 5 different FDA-prohibited ingredients were found, including an unapproved drug available in Russia (ie, omberacetam), 3 drugs formerly available in Europe (ie, octodrine, oxilofrine, and deterenol), and 1 drug that has never been approved in any country (ie, 1,4-dimethylamylamine). 6

The study has limitations, including that the sample size was small, only 1 sample of each brand was analyzed, and only supplements containing 1 of 5 targeted ingredients were analyzed. It is not known whether the results are generalizable to other botanical ingredients in sports supplements or whether quantities might also vary among batches within a given brand. Given these findings, clinicians should advise consumers that supplements listing botanical ingredients with purported stimulant or anabolic effects may not be accurately labeled and may contain FDA-prohibited drugs.

Accepted for Publication: May 21, 2023.

Published: July 17, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.23879

Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License . © 2023 Cohen PA et al. JAMA Network Open .

Corresponding Author: Pieter A. Cohen, MD, Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, 300 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02143 ( [email protected] ).

Author Contributions: Drs Cohen and Avula had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Concept and design: Cohen, Travis.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Cohen, Avula, Katragunta, Khan.

Drafting of the manuscript: Cohen, Travis, Khan.

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Cohen, Avula, Katragunta, Travis.

Statistical analysis: Avula, Katragunta.

Obtained funding: Khan.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Travis.

Supervision: Cohen, Khan.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Cohen reported receiving research support from Consumers Union and the PEW Charitable Trusts, and personal fees from UptoDate outside the submitted work; in addition, he was the subject of a civil suit brought by Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, a supplement company, and the jury found in his favor. No other disclosures were reported.

Data Sharing Statement: See Supplement 2 .

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Watch CBS News

Aliens could be "walking among us" on Earth, Harvard researchers suggest

By Neal Riley

Updated on: July 2, 2024 / 11:55 AM EDT / CBS Boston

CAMBRIDGE - Are we alone in the universe? A recent paper from researchers at Harvard University puts an interesting twist on one of humanity's biggest questions.

The paper , which is not affiliated with the university, addresses a resurgent interest in UFOs , known officially as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs by the government. The United States is tracking more than 650 potential UFOs , a Pentagon official said last year.

Harvard researchers Tim Lomas, Brendan Case and Montana Technological University professor Michael Masters put forward a "cryptoterrestrial hypothesis" for the UFOs, theorizing that there's a "concealed earthly explanation" for the sightings. They argue scientists should seriously consider this possibility, alongside explanations that pilots are actually seeing human-made technology or something from an advanced civilization in another part of space. 

"We've seen these cockpit videos so many times ... but what's inside?" Masters said in an interview with CBS News Boston.

What is the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis?

The trio explains that the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis suggests that the intelligent beings responsible for the UFOs may be "concealed in stealth" on Earth or nearby. That could mean they are underground, on the far side of the moon or "even walking among us" and passing as humans.

"We're not saying this is right, we're not saying that this is absolutely 100% the case, we're saying these are some potentialities, these are some possibilities to help explain the origin of these beings," Masters said.

Masters is a biological anthropologist who said he was asked to help research potential explanations for UFOs. He said "aliens" may actually just be humans from far in the future who have figured out how to time travel. 

Are aliens just humans from the future?

Masters said the beings in reported alien encounters are "ubiquitously described as looking just like us." He argues it's highly unlikely that aliens looking just like humans would be from another planet. It "may simply be that they're us," he said. 

"We may go on to look like them," Masters said, referring to typical depictions of "little green men." "Based on our evolutionary characteristics over the last 6 to 8 million years, we are arguably going to have bigger heads, smaller faces, more advanced technology and a lot of these traits are described in association with these beings."

He speculates that the intelligent beings may have "gone underground until we're ready for contact."

"We must seem extremely primitive to them based on what we see flying around in the skies," Masters said.

"Something that we should all be talking about"

A Pentagon report released this year says there's no evidence that any UAP sighting "represented extraterrestrial technology." And while the researchers acknowledge that their paper is "a speculative thought piece," they say it still deserves serious consideration.

"It is something that we should all be talking about," Masters said. 

He said technology from the future could help humans tackle the big problems they face today, such as climate change .

"What if we all just opened our minds to the fact that there's this thing much bigger than us right now, and what could we learn from it?" he said. 

Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.

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Google helped make an exquisitely detailed map of a tiny piece of the human brain

A small brain sample was sliced into 5,000 pieces, and machine learning helped stitch it back together.

• Cassandra Willyard archive page

A team led by scientists from Harvard and Google has created a 3D, nanoscale-resolution map of a single cubic millimeter of the human brain. Although the map covers just a fraction of the organ—a whole brain is a million times larger—that piece contains roughly 57,000 cells, about 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and nearly 150 million synapses. It is currently the highest-resolution picture of the human brain ever created.

To make a map this finely detailed, the team had to cut the tissue sample into 5,000 slices and scan them with a high-speed electron microscope. Then they used a machine-learning model to help electronically stitch the slices back together and label the features. The raw data set alone took up 1.4 petabytes. “It’s probably the most computer-intensive work in all of neuroscience,” says Michael Hawrylycz, a computational neuroscientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, who was not involved in the research. “There is a Herculean amount of work involved.”

Many other brain atlases exist, but most provide much lower-resolution data. At the nanoscale, researchers can trace the brain’s wiring one neuron at a time to the synapses, the places where they connect. “To really understand how the human brain works, how it processes information, how it stores memories, we will ultimately need a map that’s at that resolution,” says Viren Jain, a senior research scientist at Google and coauthor on the paper, published in Science on May 9 . The data set itself and a preprint version of this paper were released in 2021 .

Brain atlases come in many forms. Some reveal how the cells are organized. Others cover gene expression. This one focuses on connections between cells, a field called “connectomics.” The outermost layer of the brain contains roughly 16 billion neurons that link up with each other to form trillions of connections. A single neuron might receive information from hundreds or even thousands of other neurons and send information to a similar number. That makes tracing these connections an exceedingly complex task, even in just a small piece of the brain..  

To create this map, the team faced a number of hurdles. The first problem was finding a sample of brain tissue. The brain deteriorates quickly after death, so cadaver tissue doesn’t work. Instead, the team used a piece of tissue removed from a woman with epilepsy during brain surgery that was meant to help control her seizures.

Once the researchers had the sample, they had to carefully preserve it in resin so that it could be cut into slices, each about a thousandth the thickness of a human hair. Then they imaged the sections using a high-speed electron microscope designed specifically for this project. 

Next came the computational challenge. “You have all of these wires traversing everywhere in three dimensions, making all kinds of different connections,” Jain says. The team at Google used a machine-learning model to stitch the slices back together, align each one with the next, color-code the wiring, and find the connections. This is harder than it might seem. “If you make a single mistake, then all of the connections attached to that wire are now incorrect,” Jain says. 

“The ability to get this deep a reconstruction of any human brain sample is an important advance,” says Seth Ament, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland. The map is “the closest to the  ground truth that we can get right now.” But he also cautions that it’s a single brain specimen taken from a single individual. 

The map, which is freely available at a web platform called Neuroglancer , is meant to be a resource other researchers can use to make their own discoveries. “Now anybody who’s interested in studying the human cortex in this level of detail can go into the data themselves. They can proofread certain structures to make sure everything is correct, and then publish their own findings,” Jain says. (The preprint has already been cited at least 136 times .) 

The team has already identified some surprises. For example, some of the long tendrils that carry signals from one neuron to the next formed “whorls,” spots where they twirled around themselves. Axons typically form a single synapse to transmit information to the next cell. The team identified single axons that formed repeated connections—in some cases, 50 separate synapses. Why that might be isn’t yet clear, but the strong bonds could help facilitate very quick or strong reactions to certain stimuli, Jain says. “It’s a very simple finding about the organization of the human cortex,” he says. But “we didn’t know this before because we didn’t have maps at this resolution.”

The data set was full of surprises, says Jeff Lichtman, a neuroscientist at Harvard University who helped lead the research. “There were just so many things in it that were incompatible with what you would read in a textbook.” The researchers may not have explanations for what they’re seeing, but they have plenty of new questions: “That’s the way science moves forward.” 

Biotechnology and health

This grim but revolutionary dna technology is changing how we respond to mass disasters.

After hundreds went missing in Maui’s deadly fires, rapid DNA analysis helped identify victims within just a few hours and bring families some closure more quickly than ever before. But it also previews a dark future marked by increasingly frequent catastrophic events.

• Erika Hayasaki archive page

What’s next for bird flu vaccines

If we want our vaccine production process to be more robust and faster, we’ll have to stop relying on chicken eggs.

The messy quest to replace drugs with electricity

“Electroceuticals” promised the post-pharma future for medicine. But the exclusive focus on the nervous system is seeming less and less warranted.

• Sally Adee archive page

That viral video showing a head transplant is a fake. But it might be real someday. 

BrainBridge is best understood as the first public billboard for a hugely controversial scheme to defeat death.

• Antonio Regalado archive page

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