mteg...the second sentence identifies the drink as C4 Extreme. Soooo I guess it wasn't Jacked3.

meant to say mis-information

Way too much information. Since they did't describe the drinks in question, and being somewhat knowledgable on the subject, my guess is the drink was probably Jacked3 which contains Arginine, creatine, Beta Alanine (amino acid), Caffeine, Schizandrol A (antioxidant), and 1,3-Dimethylamylamine HCI. 1,3-Dimethylamylamine HCl is also known as Methylhexaneamine or DMAA. This would fall into a banned substance, but legal for consumption. Contrary to popular belief, there is very little research to long term effects of creatine on the system. Reason being that atheletes didnt start using this untill the early 90's. Used correctly, there is nothing wrong with a highschool athelete (or adult) using it for extended periods of time. Dehydration is the problem as you need to consume ample amounts of water with it. What will happen is that when blood tests are taken while on Creatine, you will test higher in certain tests...indicating possible renal kidney damage. This is all reversed after abstaining for 2 weeks from it's use. I know because I've had extensive bloodwork done over the years for work (health ins), medical, and personal. All and all the amounts in a normal serving of 1-2 a day of Jacked3 would cause no damage to a highschool teen (although starting out persons not used to stims like caffiene, etc.. might get the shakes) and directions are explained on the package. I've personally used this in the past, it has benefits and negatives not printed but commonly known in the athletic community. I think last time I used it, I did 3x the recommmend serving (I weigh more and have a higher tolerance to such things) with no negative side effects (except 1). For those that think thats crazy, it's no different than people that drink a pot a coffee before leaving for work and drink another one while there there. Scoop size for this about a tablespoon, so your not getting a lot. As to the negative side effect, bodybuilders refer to it as "stim d***" which when used (any stimulant) for too long, a man loses his abiltiy to maintain an erection-which is different than someone using anabolic steroids (where natural testosterone is reduced while on which goes back to normal when a person stops using). Is it safe-yes, but persons with pre existing heart problems should use. Should a high schooler use it-up to parents. Should athletes use to enhance performace-sure but if event bans a substance you are technically "cheating". As with any stimulate (caffiene, ephedrine, etc...) and creatine drink, plenty of water needs to be consumed-also on package.

Coaches and parents need to start monitoring better the use of the "energy" drinks by teens. They are extremely harmful to their health and there are far better alternatives to boost energy without all the caffeine and phenadrine-based chemicals. I see far too many teens and athletes in general using these energy drinks without learning more about what they can do to their bodies. Many of them contain some of the same chemicals, only at lower concentrations and combinations, responsible for athlete deaths in the 90's that later became banned. Folks, if your child is drinking anything with an ingredient ending in "drine", they're drinking a stimulant that excellerates heart-rate and can damage kidneys and other organs. This is not like when we would drink Mt. Dew or Jolt Cola. This stuff is dangerous.

There are a lot of things that are legal that aren't necessarily good for you or can be dangerous to your body if not properly used. One of those substances is creatine - while perfectly legal, it can damage your kidneys if not properly used. It is banned by HS and college sports.

The players violated the athletic code and are paying the stated penalty for doing so. How is that an over reaction?

I think this is an over reaction.

How can they ban it if its legal? Seems pretty stupid.