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I\u2019m a massive supporter of our military, and when I heard military supplements were under fire for active duty, I started scratching my head.<\/p>\n
For starters, I think our service members should be able to get free supplements for as long as they are active duty. You want protein powder? Tell them the flavor you want. You need a multivitamin? They\u2019ll be sure you have it right away.<\/p>\n
Heck, I don\u2019t even care if they provide steroids for service members if they want them.<\/p>\n
Anything that gives us an advantage, I\u2019m down for. We\u2019re talking about people who are putting their lives on the line for our freedom and protection. Give them whatever the heck they want.<\/p>\n
The fact is that dietary supplements have always been popular in the military. From pre-workouts<\/a> to protein powders, many service members use them to support training, recovery, and performance.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s a growing question that keeps coming up.<\/p>\n Are military supplements actually allowed?<\/p>\n The short answer is: it depends (everyone hates that answer). But it depends on what\u2019s inside the supplements. And that\u2019s where things get complicated.<\/p>\n In this article, I want to take a deeper dive into some information I was presented and shed some light on what\u2019s going on as it relates to military supplements.<\/p>\n Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new supplements into your current regimen.<\/em><\/p>\n The Department of Defense (DoD) has a prohibited list of dietary supplement ingredients that service members are not allowed to use.<\/p>\n This policy doesn\u2019t just apply to individuals. It also prevents on-base retail stores from selling products that contain those banned ingredients.<\/p>\n The list is managed through the Department\u2019s Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) program<\/a> and serves as the central authority for identifying prohibited ingredients across all branches of the military.<\/p>\n The reasoning behind the list is simple.<\/p>\n These men and women are already risking their lives, so I\u2019m totally on board with making sure what they put in their bodies is safe.<\/p>\n The goal of the list that the DoD created is to protect health, maintain the integrity of drug testing, and preserve military readiness. All things that I can get behind.<\/p>\n Ingredients that could pose safety concerns or interfere with drug testing are considered incompatible with military service. That being said, I\u2019m still of the stance that military members should have access to steroids to optimize their testosterone levels.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019d prefer to have our military be of physically fit and conditioned men and women. I\u2019m talking G.I. Joe caliber. Sure, they have to pass tests to make it through, but I\u2019d be looking for constant progress across the board with physical fitness and body composition.<\/p>\n Not for nothing, over the past few years, we saw the requirements drop for our military, and I\u2019ve seen people wearing a uniform where the threads were screaming for dear life as those buttons were about to shoot off their uniform like a .556 round leaving the barrel of a rifle.<\/p>\n But let\u2019s keep going.<\/p>\n Much of the skepticism around military supplements goes back to a specific moment when things \u201ckinda sorta\u201d went sideways with supplements.<\/p>\n In 2011 and 2012, supplements containing the stimulant DMAA were widely sold on military bases. This included exchange stores and on-base GNC locations.<\/p>\n At the time, these products were authorized for sale.<\/p>\n Then things changed.<\/p>\n After reports of serious adverse events and increasing regulatory concern, the DoD imposed a moratorium. DMAA products were ordered off base shelves. Later, DMAA became prohibited.<\/p>\n For many service members, this sequence raised red flags. Products that were once sold on base suddenly became forbidden nearly overnight.<\/p>\n Some individuals later faced consequences for using supplements that had previously been available through official military retailers. That didn\u2019t exactly sit well with service members who like using supplements.<\/p>\n Military supplements were officially under fire at that point.<\/p>\n DMAA wasn\u2019t the end of the issue.<\/p>\n As DMAA disappeared, manufacturers introduced new stimulant compounds marketed as replacements. One of those was DMBA<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2014, military exchange systems once again pulled certain fitness supplements from shelves. The concern centered on DMBA\u2019s safety profile and the lack of human testing data.<\/p>\n The pattern looked familiar. Products were sold. Concerns surfaced. Then they were removed.<\/p>\n These repeated cycles reinforced the belief throughout those up the chain of command that the prohibited list reacts to the market instead of staying ahead of it.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\nThe DoD Has a Prohibited List of Military Supplements<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Protecting Health, Testing, and Readiness<\/h3>\n
The Controversy That Sparked Distrust<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The DMAA Incident<\/h3>\n
Same Story, Different Stimulants<\/strong><\/h2>\n
DMBA Enters the Market<\/h3>\n