Athletes looking for something to quench their thirst after a long day at practice might find choosing the popular electrolyte- and nutrient-enhanced Vitaminwater can cause more harm than good.

Certain flavors of the beverage contain substances that are banned, or ‘impermissible’ under the National Collegiate Athletic Association guidelines.

The NCAA’s website lists five Vitaminwater products that have ingredients that could be problematic for many student athletes if present during drug testing.

The flavors ‘Energy’ and ‘Rescue’ make the list of the flavors with banned substances.‘ Both contain caffeine, with guarana seed extract also present in ‘Energy’. According to the NCAA, caffeine will produce a positive drug test if the amount exceeds 15 micrograms per milliliter. This, however, should not be a problem with moderate consumption.‘

Students may not use substances banned by the NCAA, at any time, unless for legitimate medical purposes. A student who tests positive for a banned substance above a certain level will lose a year of eligibility for playing time.

Four of the drinks contain impermissible components, which are substances that do not meet the criteria issued by the NCCA for use as nutritional supplements, and therefore institutions should not provide them to athletes. ‘

‘Power C’, contains taurine (also found in Red Bull), ‘Balance’ has traces of glucosamine, which can be used to repair cartilage and other body functions. ‘B-relaxed’ and ‘Rescue’ contain L-theanine and ECGC, both of which are ingredients in green tea extract.

According to UMass sports nutritionist Caren Weiner University of Massachusetts Amherst athletic students had yet to be notified offically about the new banned drinks as of Wednesday,

Weiner said she had just recently found out about the banned substances, and confirmed that athletes will be alerted, and that the new rules should not be a problem to follow.

‘ ‘Athletes know they’re drug tested,’ said Weiner.‘ ‘It [Vitaminwater],is certainly not worth risking one’s career for.‘ I’m sure a lot of students drink it innocently and think it’s just sugar water.’

Arjun Collins, sophomore on the track and field team, believes that although the new NCAA regulations are not an urgent issue, it is worth letting athletes who may drink a lot of Vitaminwater know of the possible consequences.

‘I know a lot of my teammates drink Vitaminwater, but I don’t think people who normally drink it will be in trouble unless they were having a ridiculous amount each day,’ he said.

Meghan Rodgers, sophomore on the woman’s crew team, also feels as though the new regulations are not something to be concerned about.

‘I knew that too much caffeine could cause you to fail a [drug] test, but I’m not too fazed about it,’ she said.‘ ‘Everything is fine in moderation.’

The NCCA has approved ‘Revive’, ‘Essential’, ‘XXX’, ‘Focus’, ‘Multi-V’, ‘Endurance’, ‘Defense’, and ‘Formula-50’ for consumption by student athletes.

Jessica Sacco can be reached at [email protected]