Can one bottle of this drink “cheat” your physical fitness test? Can you drink “nitrogen pump” drinks casually?

Recently, many parts of the country have entered the time for middle school physical education examinations, and some nitrogen pump products that claim to help students improve their grades have "re-emerged".

According to professionals, taking such products during physical examinations will not help improve performance much, but will only provide psychological comfort. Overdose may also cause adverse reactions, which will have a negative impact on test scores and physical health.

"Physical examination magic weapon" is sought after

"Specially for physical examination, run faster", "Sprint physical examination, one step ahead", "One bottle can help you pass the exam"...

The reporter recently searched multiple e-commerce platforms using keywords such as "physical exam magic tool" and "physical test speed-up medicine" and found that there are many merchants selling such products, and most of the product descriptions contain the word "nitrogen pump".

It is understood that most of these products are compound formula products, with the main ingredients including caffeine, creatine, etc. However, the quality and content of these products vary greatly. Some 60 ml products contain up to 180 mg of caffeine. Some merchants claim that these products are suitable for multiple events such as short-distance running, middle-distance running, etc. According to the store homepage information, some related products have sold tens of thousands of orders. The reporter analyzed the comments in the store comment area and found that the buyers included different groups such as physical training students, sports enthusiasts and parents of students.

Some businesses indicate on their homepages that their products are suitable for "adults", but when the reporter consulted as a buyer, the customer service responded that middle school students over 14 years old can take it. The customer service of another store said that 10-year-old children can also use it, "young children just need to pay attention to the dosage, and patients with various diseases such as heart disease need to consult a doctor before using it."

"The products have no side effects and have passed food safety testing. If you are worried about their lack of effect, you can buy an extra copy to try in advance to avoid making mistakes on the day of the exam," said a store's customer service.

It may cause many adverse effects

According to industry insiders, "nitrogen pump" is a nutritional supplement used by some athletes and fitness enthusiasts. It is a food, not a health food, and is only suitable for people with specific needs.

Peng Zihao, a doctor in the Department of Clinical Nutrition at Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, said that "nitrogen pump" is a sports supplement rich in caffeine, various vitamins and some energy substances, which is often used by athletes to enhance their athletic performance. There are indeed certain risks for minors, especially junior high school students, to use it. For example, caffeine has relatively strict requirements for daily intake, and excessive intake may cause adverse reactions such as dizziness and tachycardia.

Candidates are taking the rope skipping test in the physical examination. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Yang Xiaohai)

Tang Yi, a doctor from the Department of Clinical Nutrition at the Second People's Hospital of Guizhou Province, said that relevant studies have shown that children and adolescents have a weak ability to metabolize caffeine. Even a small amount of caffeine intake may have a negative impact on their bodies and even lead to poisoning. Excessive caffeine intake may cause harm to adolescents' sleep quality, cognitive function of the nervous system, etc. Therefore, caffeine intake should be treated with caution.

"From the perspective of exercise physiology, the heart endurance of primary and secondary school students is not mature enough. Early exposure to such stimulant products may cause some harm to their bodies." Liu Hui, a physical education teacher at Wuchuan Middle School in Guizhou Province, said that he does not recommend that primary and secondary school students drink "nitrogen pump" products.

Some industry insiders also pointed out that drinking "nitrogen pump" products may affect the sleep of middle school students, which in turn affects their development. Many medical workers have publicly stated that middle school students are in the stage of physical development, their bodies are not yet mature, and they are more sensitive to excitatory substances such as caffeine. If they consume too much in a short period of time, it may cause excessive excitement of the body, leading to muscle tremors, and even muscle cramps in severe cases. It may also affect emotions, causing anxiety and irritability.

In the comments section of the relevant stores, some netizens said that their children developed back pain and other symptoms after taking the relevant products. A blogger posted a video on a certain platform showing that he bought several "physical test artifacts" and tested them himself and three other adult men. After taking a "physical test artifact", he developed symptoms such as numbness all over the body.

Improving grades is achieved in daily life

The interviewees believe that parents should be cautious about taking "nitrogen pump" products to improve physical exam scores. Peng Zihao said that it is unlikely to improve physical exam scores by taking "nitrogen pump" products. "Caffeine can improve the body's perception and help us stay clear-headed. Taking such products may only improve the day's athletic performance, but it will not exceed one's own level." He said that taking related products may mainly serve as psychological comfort.

Candidates are taking the running test in the physical examination. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Zeguo

Liu Hui often participates in marathons and cross-country running events, and usually has a lot of training. He said that after taking "nitrogen pump" products, he did not feel a significant increase in physical excitement, "the main effect is psychological comfort."

Peng Zihao believes that to improve physical education scores in the high school entrance examination, the most important thing is to have regular exercise and a healthy diet. Continuous physical exercise is needed to improve athletic ability. Parents should pay more attention to help their children develop a good habit of loving sports and exercising frequently, and effectively enhance their physical fitness, rather than taking extreme measures before the physical examination.

In Liu Hui's opinion, physical exercise is like studying cultural subjects. If you put in more effort and train harder in daily life, you will gain more in the exam. It is unrealistic to want to rely on external forces to improve your grades when the exam is approaching.

Shen Xiugang, director of the Education and Sports Bureau of Wuchuan County, Guizhou Province, put forward a series of suggestions: first, schools should offer sufficient physical education classes and leave enough time for students to exercise and improve their athletic ability; second, strengthen publicity and inform students and parents of the side effects of using such products; finally, strictly enforce examination discipline and clearly stipulate that such products shall not be used.

In addition, Shen Xiugang and other interviewees also pointed out that the current organization of junior high school physical education exams can be reformed to reduce the anxiety of students and parents and prevent them from having the idea of ​​using related products. For example, the final physical examination scores of candidates can be comprehensively evaluated by combining their usual sports performance with their exam scores.

Planning and production

Source: CCTV.com

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin