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[Definitie:] "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance."
(Wilmore and Costill) 
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1 6 - 0 3 - 2 0 0 5 Vitamin E supplement may harm, not help: study
CTV.ca
People who supplement their diet with a daily dose of vitamin E in hopes of protecting their bodies against heart disease or cancer might actually be doing more harm than good.
According to a new study published in this week's edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), those at the greatest risk of heart disease are actually endangering their health by taking a vitamin E supplement regularly. In a study of nearly 4,000 high-risk patients, researchers from Canada and more than a dozen other countries found that the chance those taking 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin E everyday would wind up in hospital was 40 per cent higher than the group taking a placebo.
"So our main message is that vitamin E does not protect you," said cardiologist and lead investigator of the study, Dr. Eva Lonn. "It may harm you, so there's no reason to take it.'' For the purposes of the study, which in some cases tracked subjects for almost a decade, "high risk" means people over age 55 with a history of heart problems, diabetes, or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Further, a substudy of about 500 people found those who were taking the vitamin were at greater risk for developing a dysfunction of the left ventricle -- a major cause of heart failure. The researchers also concluded that the vitamin did nothing to prevent cancer.
The findings are part of a follow-up investigation to an earlier study, which found that the vitamin had no effect in preventing heart attacks or strokes in more than 9,500 patients who were tracked an average of seven years.
Lonn adds, however, that people don't need to worry that they'll go into heart failure because they've been taking vitamin E. "I see more of the danger . . . in the fact that many of our patients feel that they may be protected because they take vitamins or other natural remedies," she said.
"And they don't do the things that we know help: A healthy diet, a good weight and exercise." Toronto-based nutritionist Aileen Burford-Mason says the study wrongly demonizes the popular supplement -- taken by an estimated one-in-four adults aged 55 and older because of its antioxidant properties.
"This study tells us nothing about the role of vitamin E, which is part of 40 odd essential nutrients that are needed to prevent degenerative disease," she told CTV News.
Vitamin E helps the body repair tissue and control blood pressure and cholesterol, she said, but added that people who've been taking it as a magic pill to ward off serious degenerative diseases have been sorely misled.
"In my opinion, Vitamin E should never be used alone," Burford-Mason told CTV News. "It should always be used as part of a comprehensive approach to nutrient supplementation if you are taking supplements . . . with a good diet."
Found naturally in foods including nuts, whole grains and leafy greens, studies have shown that the average American diet contains an estimated 6-10 IU of vitamin E. Multivitamins typically contain about 30 IU.
The study concludes by claiming that its findings point to wider implications when it comes to taking supplements.
"There is a tendency to accept 'natural products' (eg, vitamins) as being safe, even if they have not been proven to be effective," says the study. "However, our findings emphasize the need to thoroughly evaluate all vitamins, other natural products, and complementary medicines in appropriately designed trials before they are widely used for presumed health benefits."
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