Did you know that almost half of adults who regularly exercise in the United States take sports supplements? Whether it is for building muscle or giving them an energy boost, these powders and pills are very popular.
But what if you have epilepsy? If you take anti-seizure medication, it’s important to talk to your doctor about possible risks. For example, there could be interactions between the medication you take for epilepsy and workout supplements.
What are sports supplements?
Sports supplements are products that are intended to improve athletic performance. They include things like proteins and amino acids as well as various vitamins, minerals and herbs.
People choose to use sports supplements for a variety of reasons. Surveys suggest that some of the top reasons include:
- Support with the building of muscle
- Improving performance
- Increasing endurance
Sports supplement companies may market these products as a convenient way of delivering proteins, nutrients or calories to users' bodies when they are following a workout plan.
You should always check the packaging of sports supplements to verify if they’ve been approved for human consumption. Ask your doctor before taking sports supplements.
There are some supplements that should never be taken, such as anabolic steroids, which can be bought illegally online or from outside the United States. These products could have very harmful side effects - including seizures.
Learn more: Food and epilepsy
Epilepsy and workout supplements
If you visit most health food stores, you will likely come across numerous workout supplements containing a huge range of ingredients. This variety makes it difficult to say precisely what the best supplements for epilepsy patient use might be, or if there are any you shouldn't use. If you’re interested in taking a sports supplement, check with your doctor first.
The issue with epilepsy and workout supplements is that some of these products may contain ingredients that could trigger your seizures or make anti-epileptic medication less effective.
For example, many sports supplements contain lots of caffeine . Depending on the dose of caffeine, this may make some people more likely to have seizures, or make certain seizure medicines less effective. Studies have also shown that other ingredients contained in some sports supplements, including ephedra, St. John’s wort, ginkgo biloba and creatine, may trigger seizures in some people.
However, there is also some contradictory evidence too. For example, some research suggests creatine may have an anticonvulsant effect.
If you’re thinking of taking a sports supplement, speak to someone on your epilepsy treatment team first.
Related: Vitamins and epilepsy
Speak to your doctor about epilepsy and workout supplements
There is currently relatively little research into the effects of sports supplements on epilepsy and how they might interact with anti-seizure medication. So, the best approach is to speak with your doctor whenever you're thinking of taking any new kind of dietary product.
