Dietary supplements fuel fitness controversy
Catherine Gugel | For The Wichitan

Ya-Rei Chan | The Wichitan

Advanced 5-HTP, Metabolift and Hydroxycut, just a few of the dietary supplements that contain ephedra, can be bought at any grocery store. The supplement burns fat by increasing the metabolic rate. It is also used for bodybuilding and endurance.

It is a plant that has been used for more than 5,000 years in Chinese medicine. In fact, it is considered to be the world’s oldest medicine. Throughout time, ephedra, as known as Ma Huang has been used to treat asthma, typhoid fever, cold and the flu. It reduces upper respiratory infections, nasal congestion, allergies, arthritis and more. Ephedra-based products are fueling a fast-growing nutrition and supplement market. Today a number of MSU students consume dietary supplements containing ephedra, hoping to optimize their workouts. But opinions differ on the effect of these products. Sara Stallman, a recent MSU graduate said she been consuming ephedra-containing supplements for about a year. She currently takes a product called Hydroxycut, but used to take Xenadrine, one of the more popular supplements. “You have to workout. You can’t just lose the weight by taking the pills,” she said. Stallman works out the Wellness Center daily and has lost 15-20 pounds, but attributed her success to the supplements. “I also eat healthy and drink a lot of water,” she said. She takes 12 pills of Hydroxycut a day, which she thinks helps maintain her fitness level. “I am afraid to stop taking it, because just working out won’t be enough. If I stopped, I might have to double my workload.” Metabolic rates are increased by ephedra, which burns body fat. The plant also serves as an advantage for bodybuilding and endurance. However, MSU Soccer Coach Doug Elder advocates boosting metabolism with exercise and eating correctly. “Ephedra stimulates small effects of speed. It is the lazy man’s drug,” he said. The Ephedra Education Council (EEC) lists factual information about dietary supplements containing ephedra and promotes responsible use of such products. It states products containing ephedra are safe as long as they’re taken in moderation. The EEC also said the law requires manufacturers to state the amount of ephedra by “weight per serving size, as declared on their label.” Michael Frank, kinesiology graduate assistant in strength research does not think athletes should take ephedra-containing products. However, he said, “The herb is effective if a healthy individual takes it.” Frank said most athletes have a high-intensity workout during practice, and that their heart rate is already high enough. “I recommend that MSU athletes not take anything with ephedrine or Ma Huang in it,” he said. Eric Mathies, assistant football coach agreed. “If ephedra-containing supplements are used improperly, they can be dangerous.” Senior football player, Jarrod Meno echoed Mathies’ sentiments. “There is no point in taking a chance with those products,” he said. The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements, such as ephedra-containing products. Ephedra is sold in the United States in several dietary supplements, such as Metabolift, NaturalTRIM, Advocare and Xenadrine. These products promise to “help take pounds off” or to “give you the boost you need.” However, the ephedra website said, “The best way to keep unwanted weight off remains reducing your food intake and increasing your daily physical activity. While ephedra is no wonder drug, it can be a valuable aid in helping you get through your chosen diet and exercise regimen.” Several weight-loss drugs contain ephedra, but use a different name on the label. People are often unaware they are consuming ephedra, because they do not recognize the the compound names. Sophomore Dave Fredrick unknowingly consumed products containing ephedra. Although he did not explain, he said the products did not work well with his body. Consumers should be aware that even though a products says it is natural, it is not always safe. Potential users of ephedra are always advised to check a doctor before taking any weight-loss drug herb.

 

Cheerleaders place ninth at nationals
Scotty Coppage | For The Wichitan

The MSU cheerleaders finished ninth in the national cheerleading tournament in Daytona Beach, Florida last week. “This is the best we’ve ever done,” MSU Cheerleading Coach Jennifer King said. “We were very close to getting to finals. They took the top eight so we missed out by one spot.” Close to 200 schools participated in this national. Cheerleading Captain Courtney Copeland felt it was an honor just to have been invited. “We’re a smaller school so for us to go, it’s a big deal,” Copeland said. The MSU cheerleading team had high expectations of making it to finals. But, it did not happen. “Our performance was really good,” Copeland said. “The judges didn’t give us credit for what we did. Other coaches came up to us and told us we should’ve advanced, that we were good enough. We were really disappointed.”

 

Lab__________________________continued from Main

more, Kocurko said. “If you think of something you can do with a map, you can do it with this program,” he said. “Our first project will be mapping areas in North Texas. We’ll start by buying satellite imagery that covers almost every county.” The computer and software for the GIS station will cost roughly $8,500, Kocurko said. The seismometer and its equipment will cost approximately $17,000. When the spring semester concludes, a large hole will be dug outside of Bolin, in which the seismometer will be placed, and a brick building will be built around it. “This should bring a lot of notoriety to the school,” he said. “There are no seismic stations nearby—the closest one is Meers. A lot of schools will probably come to tour our facilities.” The $250,000 endowment, which will also be used for geology scholarships, was given as an unrestricted gift from the estate of Col. George Edley Henry, former base commander at Sheppard Air Force Base, who graduated summa cum laude from MSU in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science in geology.

 

Expert_______________________continued from Main

“It got an even bigger boost as American committees and organizations were established to provide money for the publications needed to combat, connive, convince and conjure on how to get the United States government to officially back this movement,” Anthony said. In response to a question regarding how Middle Eastern and gulf nations view Arafat, Anthony said the collective view is generally favorable. “Arafat has two things going for him that no other Palestinian leader has,” Anthony said. “He is the only one who’s been elected by Palestinian representative institutions over and over again, both while inside the occupied territories and while in exile. Secondly, there is a moral aspect to it, a sort of halo-like attitude over him.” Anthony said Arafat has struggled longer than any Palestinian leader with the Palestinian cause, even postponing marriage until six or seven years ago, because he was “married to the cause, to liberty.” “No one comes remotely close to these two identities and attributes, which are seen as assets,” Anthony said. “No one is about to turn their back on him because of that.” Anthony admitted Arafat is not without his flaws, saying that not everyone finds him to be “their cup of tea.” “But who amongst any political leaders of any country has complete backing and support?” Anthony asked. “As if Sharon of Israel is a paragon or Begin or some of the other leaders the Israelis have had or that we have had over the years?” He said Arabs feel there are moral and ethical components to the claims because Palestinian leaders under Arafat have signed off on relinquishing 78 percent of what was the existing adult Palestinian parents’ territory and their grandparents. “Would any American leader that you can think of in history, or one that might come to mind now, be willing to forego 78 percent of what we are now?” Anthony asked. “In other words, would we be willing to allow 40 of our states to be kissed goodbye and given to Mexico or kissed goodbye and given to Canada?” Anthony said Arafat’s motivation was the recognition that they could not all die as martyrs and suicides, leaving no future for their children and grandchildren. He said this is a loss of major leadership and statesmanship, if looked at from that perspective. “Of course, people in the media don’t ever apply the words ‘statesman’ and ‘leadership’ to him,” Anthony said. He points to media biases, advertisers’ influence on American news content and Jewish interests as the main reasons why the Arab voice is largely absent from American news sources. “It’s not that Arab-Americans are not speaking out. They are now and have been consistently speaking out against the killings but the media doesn’t carry it,” Anthony said. He said about 80 percent of newspaper revenue comes from advertisers who have their own pet projects, bigotries and biases. “They are not reluctant to pull their advertising if they don’t like what they hear or read,” Anthony said. Anthony added that while it’s not true that American Jews own all American media, all six major newspapers read every day by the president, vice president and members of Congress are owned by Jews. “There has been no respect for and no accounting for the power of money and it shows itself here,” Anthony said.

 

 

Community takes part in new cycling program
Scotty Coppage | For The Wichitan

Ya-Rei Chan | The Wichitan

Kathy Wells, assistant director of Recycle Texas, advises Peggy Foix, travel agent, (background) and Tom Donovan, MSU computer science professor, (foreground) as they peddle their way to fitness.

Inside the Outside Education Center at Sikes Lake, people are cycling. The cyclists consist of both MSU faculty and students. Others are just people looking to do a little exercise and burn a few calories. This is a part of the new Re-Cycle Texas Program, developed through the Nursing, Allied Health and Other Health Related Education Grant of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. According to the program’s brochure, 59 percent of deaths occurring in Wichita County are attributed to cardiovascular diseases. Almost 22 percent of the nation is not involved in any physical activity. MSU is trying to lower that figure by getting them involved in Re-Cycle. All eyes are on Kathy Wells, associate director of the program and kinesiology graduate, who teaches the class. “Good workout,” she said, as the class peddles to the end of the workout. “Dr. Kilgore is part of this national initiative called Healthy People 2010.” Wells said. “The goal is to have 6 percent of the population riding a bike in 2010. For Wichita Falls, that means 6,500 people.” Re-Cycle is there for people who want to exercise, but do not have the cash to get a gym membership. “We wanted to remove the barriers,” Wells said. “A lot of people don’t have bikes or they don’t like riding outdoors. We have 25 indoor bikes and 36 outdoor bikes.” According to Wells, when people are in college, they are not as physically active as they used to be. It is hard to find time to exercise when you’re running to class and studying hard, while juggling a job. “It’s an age where there’s a large drop-off in physical activity and exercise.” Wells said. “If we intervene, maybe they’ll continue to exercise and have healthier lives.” Everyone is welcome to sign up and start cycling. It’s free to everyone. “I go to boot camp at the YMCA at 5:45 in the morning,” Peggy Foix, Wichita Falls’ resident said. “It was my friend’s idea to do Re-Cycle. I did it to be healthier and it’s something different. It gets your heart rate up.” Some MSU faculty have gotten into the spirit of cycling and joined the class. “I used to walk so when I heard about this, I decided to try it,” Tina Johnson, developmental math teacher said. “I’m just trying to get some exercise.” The class is over and everyone is reaching for their water bottles. There is a diverse group of people in this class, but they have one thing in common. They all had a good time getting crazy about cycling. Wells said the program will run until August 2003 and if there’s enough support, they will cycle ahead. Indoor cycling classes are offered Monday to Friday and outside bike rides are held on Tuesday and Thursday and also on Saturdays. For more information on the Re-Cycle Texas program, contact Kathy Wells at 397-4470.

 

Tennis team primed for LSC tourney
Zach Duncan | The Wichitan

If the success of the Broncho Invitational is a preview of this week’s Lone Star Conference tournament, then both the men’s and women’s tennis teams may bring home conference titles. The men won all four matches last weekend in Edmond, Okla., beating Central Oklahoma, Eastern New Mexico, Northwestern Missouri and Southeastern Oklahoma. Their anticipated match-up with No. 5 ranked Drury was cancelled due to rain. The men, ranked No. 18 in the nation, are on a nine-match winning streak, including a decisive 8-1 win against previously unbeaten Cameron two weeks ago and a 9-0 shellacking of Southeastern Oklahoma last week in Durant, Okla. “I expect the guys to win the conference tournament,” Head coach Larry Wiggins said. “We’ve beaten everyone in our conference this year except West Texas A&M, and they are in the lower part of the conference.” With a 14-1 record and an undefeated conference mark, the men’s team looks primed for a Lone Star Conference tournament title. The Indians also have not lost on their home court since April of 1998, a streak of 21 games. The women’s team is 11-7 overall and ranked No. 4 in the region. They won three out of four games at the Broncho Invitational, defeating Southeastern Oklahoma, Central Oklahoma and Missouri Southern before dropping its final game to Eastern New Mexico. They also trounced Southeastern Oklahoma last week 9-0 and routed Tarleton State 7-2 the weekend before at the Eastern New Mexico Quad. While the men are expected to win the conference tournament, the women are not the favorite. “We’d like to compete, but Abilene Christian is pretty tough,” Wiggins said about the sixth-ranked team who beat the Lady Indians 8-1 earlier in the year. Even if the women do not fair well at the tournament, Wiggins said that there should be no problem with them receiving an at-large berth to the regional tournament. “They are playing well,” he said about both of his teams. Both the men and women will travel Thursday to Abilene to begin the Lone Star Conference tournament. If they perform this week like they have in the weeks preceding the tournament, a regional berth for both teams is all but guaranteed.