What medications are banned by the NCAA?
What if I have ADHD?
Do I need one?
What do I need to bring?
I've heard about the NCAA's recommendation on sickle cell trait. What is it and should I get tested?
What immunizations do I need?
Dear Bulldogs,
The Athletic Training staff at Truman State University wants you to have a healthy athletic career. Please review the links on this page in order to help us protect your health. All Truman athletes must complete an insurance form. Click on the link below to learn about Truman's insurance policy and complete the form.
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Complete the insurance form today! All athletes must complete an insurance form. Learn about the insurance policy here. |
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What medications are banned by the NCAA? What if I have ADHD? |
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What do I need to know if I have been diagnosed with ADHD? |
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Physical Exam Do I need one? What do I need to bring? |
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Sickle Cell
Trait I've heard about the NCAA's recommendation on sickle cell trait. What is it and should I get tested? |
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What immunizations do I need? |
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I am taking supplements to achieve optimal performance. What supplements are illegal? | |||
As a new athlete to Truman State University, you are required to have a physical exam before participation in Bulldog Athletics. In order to allow the Truman medical staff to understand your health and to ensure a thorough physical, this exam must be completed by the Truman team physicians (a high school physical or physical from a personal physician will not be accepted). The Truman physical is at no cost to the athlete. The physicals are scheduled for the beginning of the season and coordinated with the team schedule.
The medical history portion of the exam is extremely important. Please look at the medical conditions listed below. If you have experienced any of these conditions, come prepared with paperwork that documents the condition and clears you for participation. (x-rays, MRI’s, operative reports, physician notes). It is important that you know the date of injuries, dates and descriptions of surgeries, etc. If the physicians are unsure of any of your history, they will require notes from your physician. This may delay your participation in Truman athletics.
The Athletic Training Staff at Truman wants to make athletic participation as safe as possible for the athletes. If, during your physical exam, our Team Physicians feel that you have a medical condition or injury that puts you at risk, you will not be allowed to participate until your safety can be assured. This may require information from your physician, diagnostic testing, x-rays, EKGs, or a visit to a specialist. Although this situation is rare, you must understand that since your condition is pre-existing and not a result of participation in Truman athletics, you will be responsible for any bills that result from this testing. We will do our best to help you work with your insurance company to coordinate payment.
Before you take any medications or supplements, it is very important that you ensure that they are not on the NCAA banned substances list. There are several different medications, commonly prescribed by physicians, that contain substances that are banned by the NCAA. Some examples include: Adderall, Anadrol, Androgel, Cylert, Dexedrine, Epogen, Lasix, Oxandrin, Ritalin, Testodern, and Fenesteride. Please review the list of NCAA banned substances before taking any medication.
There are several pharmacies in Kirksville. If you are regularly prescribed medication, you may want to switch your medications to a pharmacy in Kirksville. Some of the local pharmacies include:
Wal-Mart Pharmacy 660-627-1297
Elliott Pharmacy 660-665-9871
HyVee Pharmacy 660-665-7400
Rider Drug
660-665-4666
Walgreen Drug
660-665-3063
It is common for athletes to take supplements to help them achieve optimal performance. It is important that you thoroughly investigate any supplement before using it to enhance your training or performance. Some over-the-counter supplements that can be purchase at a nutrition store or on-line contain substances that are banned by the NCAA. Consult the list of NCAA banned substances before taking any supplements. Because the supplement industry is not regulated in the same manner that food and drugs are, these products carry a risk in adversely affecting our student-athletes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate the supplement industry; therefore, purity and safety of nutritional/dietary supplements cannot be guaranteed. Impure supplements may lead to a positive NCAA drug test.
Medication for ADHD is banned by the NCAA due to its possible performance enhancing effects. The NCAA does offer a waiver for those who truly have the condition and are prescribed the medication. If you are taking any medication for ADHD, you must complete the paperwork for a medical exception. This needs to be done before you arrive on campus.
You must acquire a letter from the prescribing physician that documents the following: description of the evaluation process, statement of diagnosis, history of ADHD treatment, statement that a non-banned alternative has been considered, and a statement regarding follow-up visit. Please review the NCAA guidelines on medical exceptions and ask your physician to provide you with the appropriate paperwork. The NCAA has provided a sample evaluation that may help your physician. Here is a sample letter, requesting the information from your physician. The letter includes a form developed by the NCAA to help physicians provide the required information. It is very important that the Athletic Department receive this documentation prior to or upon your arrival to campus.
Each year you participate in NCAA athletics, you must obtain annual follow-up from your physician. If you already have an initial diagnosis letter on file with the athletic training department, you still need to provide updated documentation each year that you participate in athletics. This documentation must reflect an annual follow-up was performed and must contain a description of your current treatment. This documentation may be a letter from your physician or a copy of your medical record.
Contact Michelle Boyd, (660-785-7364) Head Athletic Trainer, with any questions.
Before arriving on campus, all incoming students will receive a Medical History questionnaire from the Student Health Center. This questionnaire contains questions about medical conditions and immunizations. The Student Health Center requires that all Truman students have official documentation verifying they have completed 2 doses of the measles vaccine before arriving on campus. Students must also have been vaccinated for the meningococcal virus or have signed a waiver before moving into the dorms. Please check the Student Health Center's website for more information.
Beginning August 1, 2012, all NCAA Division II athletes must either provide results of a sickle cell solubility test (SST) or decline the test through a written waiver. This must be completed prior to any participation in athletics.
What is sickle cell trait? Sickle cell trait is the inheritance of one gene for sickle hemoglobin and one for normal hemoglobin. People with sickle cell trait have abnormal hemoglobin, oxygen carrying cells, that change shape when the body experiences extreme exertion. These sickle, or quarter-moon, shaped cells can clog arteries and prevent vital oxygen from reaching working tissues. Although episodes of sickling and resultant death are very rare in athletes with sickle cell trait, the NCAA suggests that all athletes know their sickle cell trait status. You can learn more about sickle cell trait by watching this NCAA video.
How do I know if I have it? First check with your pediatrician. U.S. law requires that all Americans are tested at birth. This law went into effect at different times in each state, so you may not have been tested. Testing for sickle cell trait can be done by a simple blood test called Sickle Cell Solubility Test (SST). You family physician can order the test. Sickle cell trait has a prevalence rate of 8-10% in African Americans and 0.046% in nonblack Americans.
What if I have sickle cell trait? First, give a copy of your tests results to the athletic training staff at Truman. Second, learn as much as you can about sickle cell trait. Currently, no sports medicine organization suggests any restrictions for the athlete with sickle cell trait. Because the chance of sickling is more likely when the athlete is exercising in a hot environment, medical organizations suggest the athlete take time to acclimatize, drink plenty of water, and stop if they feel abnormal weakness, undue fatigue, or muscle cramping.
Where can I learn more? Visit the following websites to learn more about sickle cell trait: