OU explains violations

By John Shinn
The Norman Transcript

June 15, 2007 12:52 am

— Oklahoma released a “fact sheet” Thursday explaining what substances given to athletes resulted in the school self-reporting a secondary violation to the NCAA.
According to the sheet distributed by OU’s media relations department, the violation occurred when Cytomax and Endurox R4 were provided to athletes.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday the violations occurred because OU’s strength and conditioning staff provided banned substances.
Both products in question contained amino acids and Cytomax also contained ginseng. Neither is a banned substance by the NCAA. But college athletics’ governing body prohibits athletic staff from distributing it.
Both are sports drinks.
CytoSport, the maker of Cytomax, states on its Web site the drink is designed to, “reduce lactic acid levels, reduce cramping and post-workout soreness, and promote re-hydration.”
Pacific Health Labratories, the maker of Endurox R4, states on its Web site its drink is used to, “speed muscle glycogen replenishment and rebuild muscle protein after exercise, antioxidants to reduce post-exercise muscle damage and glutamine to help reduce muscle stress.”
Glutamine is an amino acid.
NCAA bylaws allow schools to provide “only nonmuscle-building nutritional supplements” that give athletes additional calories or electrolytes.
OU says its football strength and conditioning staff ordered a version of Cytomax that didn’t contain amino acids or ginseng, but was sent the wrong product.
The shipment of Endurox R4 was returned to the manufacturer April 17.
The infractions were uncovered by OU’s compliance staff and deemed secondary violations by the NCAA.
The NCAA defines secondary violations as ones that are isolated or inadvertent in nature, provides or is intended to provide only a minimal recruiting, competitive or other advantages and does not include any significant recruiting inducement or extra benefit.
NCAA spokeswoman Gail Dent, in an e-mail sent to the Associated Press said, “the NCAA does not endorse, support nor recommend any supplement product, and encourages student-athletes to rely on food for their nutritional needs, and to avoid supplement use.”
NCAA Division I-A athletic programs, apparently, are going a different direction.
In a 2005 survey of NCAA member schools, 89 percent of Division I-A respondents said that they provide nutritional supplements to student-athletes. Only 21 percent of Division II members and 15 percent of Division III members reported supplying supplements.
The survey is taken every two years.
The Associated Press
contributed to this story