A B12 deficiency - in data
A CLOSER LOOK
New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens is feeling the heat. A former trainer has said he injected the seven-time Cy Young winner with steroids and human growth hormone, but Clemens says the only injections he received were of vitamin B12 and lidocaine, an analgesic. Lidocaine is sometimes injected into joints to dull joint pain -- a potential problem for an aging athlete -- but B12 injections are more commonly used to treat pernicious anemia and address diet deficiencies in the elderly. Physicians generally believe that the well-nourished rank-and-file don't need it, but the vitamin hasn't lost its luster among those who say it boosts energy.
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin found primarily in animal foods. The body uses it in the formation of DNA and red blood cells, and it's necessary for the healthy functioning of the nervous system. For people who are deficient or at risk of deficiency, injections can be helpful. For a well-nourished pitcher hoping to improve his fastball, not so much.
"Some athletes believe that vitamin B12 injections will increase oxygen [supply to the muscles] and that that enhances performance," says Andrea Giancoli, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Assn. and consultant for the L.A. Unified School District on nutrition and policy. "But in the absence of a vitamin B12 deficiency, the studies don't support that."
Aside from a 1989 report in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, which found that a combination of B1 (thiamin), B6 (pyridoxine) and B12 (cyanocobalamin) improved fine motor skill in target shooting, the evidence is scant, writes Thomas Brenna, professor of human nutrition at Cornell University, in an e-mail.
And B12 injections are not going to give the average person an energy boost, says Dr. David Baron, chief of staff at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital.
"For my entire career, I have encountered patients who have requested B12 shots, and I've been explaining to them that they serve no useful purpose," Baron says. "Honestly, this is an argument that's been going on between Western scientific physicians and complementary and alternative healthcare providers for many, many years."
Some weight-loss programs even recommend B12 injections, says James Hill, director of the human nutrition center at the University of Colorado. "But there's no indication that they're doing any good," he says.
