Iowa Hawkeyes - General Discussion

[gracelhink]

Obviously, we have to take what's written with a grain of salt, . . .
I've take creatine before. (And there's no point in going above the recommended dosage) and I don't feel based off of what's been said, that any of that contributed to the athletes getting rabdo. There's something else not being mentioned.

The focus of the discussion here seems to question Creatine as the bocy building supplement that is troublesome and most likely to cause the presenting symptoms of Rabdo.
The Univ. of Iowa reports also announced the athletes passed drug tests, which seems to exonerate both the athletes and medical personnel from some level of scrutiny.
I am skeptical however, of, "they passed their drug test" being used to "dismiss" carte blanche a relatively rare condition that hospitalized 13 athletes under the supervision of a single university S & C program within an abreviated and unique time frame.
There is just too much coincidence involved to suggest strenuous workout as the sole cause of the levels of debilitating and uniquely identical prognoses.
Like Litl's wife's first reaction, I am also suspicios, but these kinds of investigations generally don't uncover things like this. . . .

http://www.suite101.com/content/unsafe-muscle-supplements-a166597​

The FDA and Dietary Supplements​

Although The FDA has the authority to remove dietary supplements from the market that are deemed unsafe, manufacturers of dietary supplements don?t have to get FDA approval to sell their product. Elizabeth Weise of USA Today, wrote an article appropriately entitled "Report: FDA Lacks Authority over Supplements."​

Weise reports that, "Unlike drugs, which must be approved for safety and efficacy before entering the market, dietary supplements marketed (after) 1994 are presumed safe. FDA must demonstrate that a product presents a significant or unreasonable risk to the public to get it off the market."​

According to a poll, a majority of Americans believe that ?a government agency must approve supplements? prior to release to the public, but Weisel observes that the assumption is untrue.

The Health and Human Services website clarifies the role of the FDA in regulating dietary supplements and explains that, ?Generally, manufacturers do not need to register their products with FDA nor get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements. Manufacturers must make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading.?
The FDA monitors the product to ensure safety and monitors reports of adverse reactions to the substance, but the FDA does not regulate supplements to the same extent as medications. The limitations are especially pronounced in regards to online purchase of supplements. Some of the websites that sell muscle supplements are not even U.S. based.​

Read more at Suite101: Unsafe Muscle Building Supplements: Dangerous Nutritional Supplements http://www.suite101.com/content/unsafe-muscle-supplements-a166597#ixzz1CiwV7QU0</H3>​

 

[gracelhink]

Lots of other FDA warnings about supplements including
Link

<H2>FDA: Stop Using Hydroxycut!

Hydroxycut weight-loss supplements have been linked to serious medical problems, including one death, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning issued on May 1, 2009. In all, 23 reports were received by the FDA of serious health problems that developed in people using Hydroxycut products, including serious liver injury, seizures, cardiovascular disorders, and rhabdomyolysis, a dangerous type of muscle damage. One death, due to liver failure, has also occurred. . . .

Hydroxycut has raised doubt in the minds of consumers in the past. Its original formulation contained ephedra (ma huang), a substance that was banned by the FDA in April 2004 due to reported serious side effects and deaths associated with its use. Now the "new" formulation of Hydroxycut also appears to be unsafe.

</H2>

 

[BB73]

CBS

Hospitals to fire three workers over Iowa players' records

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics will fire three employees and suspend two others after an investigation confirmed they inappropriately breached the electronic medical records of hospitalized football players, a spokesman said Thursday.

The hospital launched an investigation last week after acknowledging the medical records of the 13 Iowa football players who were hospitalized with a rare muscle disorder may have been inappropriately accessed.

Hospital spokesman Tom Moore said the investigation confirmed there were five employees responsible for the breaches, and the student-athletes affected have been notified.

Moore said the hospital will not release the names of the employees involved or their positions. He said the hospital was "in the process" of terminating the three, but would not elaborate on what that would entail. He said the two others would serve five-day unpaid suspensions.

"It is an indication of our commitment to patient privacy," Moore said. "We take this very seriously."

Moore said the violations of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act have been reported to federal regulators, who can choose whether to seek additional fines and jail time against those involved.

The players are affected by rhabdomyolysis, which causes muscle fibers to be released into the bloodstream and can cause kidney damage. They checked into the hospital last week complaining of soreness and discolored urine after undergoing intense workouts following winter break. The players spent several days getting treatment and were all discharged by Sunday.

Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said Wednesday he remains puzzled about what caused the disorder, and the university continues to investigate. The case has raised questions about whether college football players are being pushed too hard, but Ferentz said he did not believe that was the case. He said his teams had done similar workouts three times in the past without injury, and they are designed to be challenging but safe.

Moore would not say whether any of the information inappropriately obtained was leaked to the news media or otherwise released to the public. He said the hospital would not release letters sent to the players that spelled out the details of the breaches.

The hospital said last week that it routinely screens the records of patients, including those with high public profiles, to make sure they are being kept confidential. Under the law, only medical personnel involved in a patient's care should be allowed to review an individual's records.

Cont'd ...

 

[Coqui]

Messing with HIPAA laws is no joke. They might as well throw away their medical license

 

[Muck]

UI handled rhabdo case fairly

University of Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said the criticism drawn after 13 football players were hospitalized for a kidney condition after strenuous workouts reflects a ?need to know now? society.

Barta said the athletic department worked with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and UI communication staff to present the information they had and said he doesn?t know that he would have handled the situation any differently.

?In hindsight, I don?t know how we would do it differently,? Barta told reporters Tuesday after a presentation to faculty leaders. ?At the time, we felt we were giving the information we had.?

The university still is investigating why the players, who have been released from the hospital, were affected by a condition called rhabdomyolysis. Some have blamed excessive practices and criticized Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz for not returning from the recruiting trail when learning the players were hospitalized.

?I feel like we live in a society of immediate reaction, whether we have facts or not,? Barta said. ?I feel, in general, there is a ?need to know now; facts be damned.??

Barta said he had no opinion on the coverage.

.../cont/...

 

[808 Buck]

"I feel like we live in a society of immediate reaction, whether we have facts or not," Barta said. "I feel, in general, there is a 'need to know now; facts be damned'."

ESPN's crack investigative reporters are offended by this remark. I heard it from "sources close to the network."

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

ESPN's crack investigative reporters are offended by this remark. I heard it from "sources close to the network."

My sources tell me one of them is too sleepy to care.

 

[BB73]

CBS.Dodd

Mass transfers could be next stain for Ferentz, Iowa

Any or all of those 13 Iowa players hospitalized last month have a chance of playing football in the fall.

Somewhere else.

A leading compliance authority says it's a "coin flip" under certain conditions whether some, or all, of those players could transfer immediately without sitting out a year. A long-standing NCAA rule requires Division I football, basketball, football and hockey players to sit out a year if they transfer to another Division I school. Loyola Marymount assistant compliance director John Infante, who started the popular Bylawblog.com website, told CBSSports.com that even if Iowa was found to have no culpability in the players' conditions after vigorous workouts on Jan. 24, some could get that transfer waiver.


With the school currently in the middle of a three-month investigation into the incident, dealing with possible transfers could be the next issue for coach Kirk Ferentz. The NCAA has long granted such waivers allowing players to forgo the one-year residency requirement in certain situations. But predicting the outcome of any single case can be dicey. The reasons for requesting a waiver are across the board. Waivers are usually decided on a case-by-case basis but there are examples of mass waivers being granted in unique situations.

Those 13 players were admitted to a hospital last month after workouts suffering from rhabdomyolysis, a condition that leads to the breakdown of skeletal muscle and can cause kidney problems. Some players' urine reportedly had turned dark, a symptom of the condition that has been nicknamed "rhabdo" among health professionals. All the players were released in less than a week. Iowa has not been found responsible for any wrongdoing pending that school investigation. However, some parents of players were reportedly upset about the health scare.

The NCAA's Academic and Membership Affairs division would first evaluate any transfer waiver request. Its director, Brad Hostetter, would not comment directly about Iowa but did say, "We have seen previous cases where student-athletes allege mistreatment at a previous school. We'll review and ask for documentation to substantiate the statements. We'll try to get information from the previous school and everybody who is involved. Each of those situations would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. We're trying to figure out what the motivation for the transfer is and why competing right away is the most appropriate relief for that particular student-athlete."

Asked if there have been any transfer waiver requests from Iowa players in this case, Hostetter said, "Because of the privacy [issues], I'm not comfortable commenting on that particular issue."

Infante said that if "there's no real evidence or proof that the institution was at fault," and the players were allowed to transfer immediately, "that would be precedent setting."

Perhaps, but not an impossible task for waiver seekers. More specifically, Infante was asked: In the event Iowa was not at fault, what if the transfer request was based on a player merely being uncomfortable staying on at the school?

"If that's how the waiver is argued, to me it's a coin flip," said Infante whose blog now appears on the NCAA website.


...
Two of the afflicted Iowa players have been identified. Biff Poggi, father of linebacker Jim Poggi, spoke at the first press conference following the hospitalizations. Citing a source, ESPN.com stated All-Big Ten defensive back Shaun Prater also went to the hospital.

Cont'd ...

 

[BB73]

A review of documents just released (after FOIA requests) shows that Iowa was concerned about the publicity related to the rhabdo story, and that the statement for Ferentz was drafted by others, and there was some discussion about how that wouldn't be realized by the public.

HawkCentral

Documents cite U of I concerns on what to release about hospitalized athletes

University of Iowa athletic officials expressed concerns last month about what to tell the public and reactions to the workout-related hospitalization of 13 Hawkeye football players, a review of hundreds of pages of documents released Tuesday shows.

The situation involving the players, who were treated after strenuous off-season drills, created a public-relations rift that stretched across the country.

In one e-mail exchange among associate athletic director Rick Klatt, athletic director Gary Barta, Iowa?s sports information staff and others, Klatt summarizes criticisms of the Hawkeye football program by writers for SportsIllustrated.com and CBSSports.com.

?Re: national media ? not surprised at all with the reaction ? but I?d like to think they?ll be in touch with Phil/Steve (Iowa sports information) before they elect to go ?nuclear? ? but it also speaks to the importance of getting out in front of this today,? Klatt wrote the morning of Jan. 26 ? two days after players were hospitalized.

The documents, requested by The Des Moines Register and other media under the state?s open records law, provide a glimpse at how officials reacted when players were treated as a result of developing rhabdomyolysis. The condition breaks down muscle tissue, resulting from extreme workouts, dehydration or other factors that can cause severe kidney and permanent kidney damage in some cases.

All players were released from University of Iowa Hospitals within a week of admission.

University representatives are in the midst of an investigation to determine what caused the health issue.

Cont'd ...

Earlier in the week, the AP reported that the head team physician was at the Four Seasons beach resort in Costa Rica that week, at a meeting of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

 

[BB73]

Summary:

- not sure why so many players got rhabdo

- nobody did anything wrong

- but we'll stop doing those workouts

CBS

Report clears trainers in rhabdo case, wants workout axed

AMES, Iowa -- A University of Iowa investigative committee said Wednesday the school should scrap an intense workout that left 13 football players hospitalized, conceding that whatever triggered their injuries remains a mystery.

The five-member panel's report clears the players, trainers and coaches of any wrongdoing, saying similar workouts have been done in the past without any injuries. The January workout, however, led to the 13 football players being diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, which breaks down muscle cells and discolors urine. All the players were treated and none show any lasting effects.

"We're not able to tell you exactly why it happened," said committee member William Hines, a law professor and dean emeritus at the university's College of Law. "We can speculate ... but that's a mystery that will have to remain unsolved."

University President Sally Mason appointed the committee, which released its findings to the Board of Regents on Wednesday.

The report lists 10 recommendations, including abandoning the strenuous workout, which includes back squats with heavy weights. It also calls for everyone associated with the football program to be educated about rhabdomyolysis.

When members of a team become ill or injured after a strenuous workout, all others on the team should be tested to make sure they're not suffering from a condition, according to the report.

Another recommendation suggests the university address long-term health needs of athletes affected by the Jan. 20 incident, including the possible need for psychological counseling. The report said communication with players, their parents and guardians and the public "were not handled well" in that incident.

Cont'd ...

 

[BB73]

Backup CB Willie Lowe is transferrring in the aftermath of the rhabdo episode.

CBS

A rhabdomyolysis scare may have briefly hospitalized 13 Iowa players earlier this year, but it has finally claimed its first permanent casualty of sorts. Willie Lowe, a cornerback who played a key reserve role for the Hawkeyes, announced today that he would be seeking a transfer from the school, according to Joe Schad.

"I would like to be able to sit out a year, regain my strength, feel fine and play again," Lowe told ESPN when asked about the prospect of playing football again. "But I don't know. I am still down 20 pounds and I am having headaches every few days."

Even as the 13 players have all been medically cleared to practice, most are still working to fully recover. There's a world of difference between "allowed to start practicing football again" and "back to normal," after all, and Lowe isn't the only player on that Iowa team who's still struggling to regain his pre-rhabdo form. Still, the fact that some players are at full speed already is promising, considering the fact that there's still five months of off-season left. That number of fully recovered players can only go up, after all.

As far as whether this is the last of the rhabdo-related transfers, that remains to be seen. There's little indication that a mass exodus of players is coming, to put it mildly, but the aftermath of the hospitalization and recovery will take months and years to unfold, long after every player has recovered.

Cont'd ...

 

[BB73]

CBS

Three of 13 Iowa players hospitalized in Jan. quit team

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- When Iowa opens the season Saturday, three of the 13 players who were hospitalized after a now-scrapped weightlifting exercise in January won't be on the team.

One walk-on player and two who were on scholarship quit the team following their hospitalization with rhabdomyolysis, a muscle disorder that caused discolored urine and extreme soreness, according to a report released this week by a committee appointed by President Sally Mason to investigate the injuries.


The walk-on quit before spring practice to concentrate on academics. One of the scholarship players left the team before spring practice, considered transferring and then stayed at Iowa but decided not to play football. The other completed spring practice but left the university for what the report described as unrelated personal reasons.


The report, e-mailed to the Iowa Board of Regents and posted online Tuesday, does not identify any of the players. The second player is believed to be reserve senior cornerback Willie Lowe, who had asked for a release from his scholarship last spring to consider transferring but later decided to remain enrolled at Iowa but not rejoin the team.

Cont'd ...

 

[TDunk]

Have they looked into housing the players in rooms with pink walls?

 

[Bucky32]

@BTNBrentYarina
Brent Yarina
From Iowa: #Hawkeyes RB Marcus Coker has been released from his football scholarship. Wow.

 

[BB73]

CBS

Lawyer: Iowa should have done own inquiry into allegations against Coker

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Iowa officials should have acted sooner after learning star running back Marcus Coker was under investigation for sexual assault, an attorney familiar with the school's handling of such cases said Thursday. Attorney Roxanne Conlin of Des Moines said school officials must explain what actions they took after they learned a woman named Coker in an assault complaint Oct. 28, given missteps involving other assault allegations against Iowa athletes in the past decade.
"Innocent until proven guilty is still the law of the land, but you need to conduct an immediate investigation and the university needs to determine whether or not he did in fact rape somebody. And if he did, he shouldn't be playing football," Conlin said.
The Iowa City Police Department formally closed its investigation into the case last week without filing charges. Authorities say they decided not to charge Coker in late November or early December after it became clear the woman did not want to pursue the matter. At that point, they shared their investigative findings with university officials who were conducting their own disciplinary investigation.
Iowa City Police Lt. Doug Hart said the university was told about the Coker investigation the day before Iowa played Minnesota on Oct. 29. Coker played the final five games of the regular season, but was suspended for unspecified misconduct Dec. 20 before the Insight Bowl. The university announced Tuesday he'd asked for a release from his scholarship and dropped out of classes this semester so that he could transfer.
Coker, the second-leading rusher in the Big Ten with 1,384 yards and 15 touchdowns, has made no comments on the situation. Neither have top university officials.

University vice president for strategic communications Tysen Kendig said the school was editing Coker out of a promotional video that featured him and a handful of other students as success stories. The video, often played for groups of university supporters, touted Coker's success on the football field and his academic prowess in his double majors of physics and astronomy.
...
Conlin, who has represented several women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Iowa athletes in the past, said the university's response has been inadequate. "Things have not gone well in the past. The ball has been dropped, to use a football analogy, so many times that they need to be out making public statements that explain what they've done or what they have failed to do," she said. "It's very frustrating."
In 2002, Conlin acted as a mediator to resolve a felony charge alleging that Iowa basketball standout Pierre Pierce had performed unwanted sex acts on a woman. She helped broker a deal in which Pierce pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, but was allowed to rejoin the team after sitting a year out.
The leniency sparked protests on campus. And Pierce was arrested during the 2005 season on charges that he broke into the home of a former girlfriend, falsely imprisoned and then assaulted her. He served 11 months in prison.
"It turned out to be a horrible thing. It turned out that he was a serial offender. I would never do that again," Conlin said.
The Coker case comes three years after the parents of a female athlete who was assaulted by two football players in a dorm room accused university officials of being insensitive to her and trying to keep the case quiet. Two players were convicted of assault while a third transferred. The dean of students and the school's top lawyer were fired for what President Sally Mason called an inadequate response. Both are suing the school for wrongful termination.

University officials say they have made a number of changes since then, including hiring Monique DiCarlo as a sexual misconduct response coordinator to help victims navigate the university bureaucracy. It was not clear whether DiCarlo, who had not responded to a message seeking comment, played a role in the Coker case.

Cont'd ...