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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Bodybuilding Supplements	Graeme	Friday, June 19, 2009
Question: Dear Sir, I took up bodybuilding last year after a break of fifteen years. I have always resisted the 'cult of the body' as much as I can through spiritual reading, prayer and going to Mass. My bodybuilding means a lot to me, but I am still a thin man. I am considering taking the bodybuilding supplement Creatine, or rather a supplement which includes Creatine as one of its ingredients, to build muscle. This substance is naturally present in the body and is involved in the metabolism of protein. I have obtained my doctor's permission to use this substance. However just by accident I happened upon a paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church proscribing the use of drugs except on therapeutic grounds (paragraph 2291). I looked up the word 'drug' in the dictionary and the first definition they gave was 'a medicine or other substance which has a marked physiological effect when taken into the body'. I'm therefore not comfortable about what I intend to do, since I do indeed hope that the Creatine element will produce a 'marked physiological effect' on my body and I would not be taking it on therapeutic grounds. I could only consider It 'therapeutic' under a more liberal, secondary definition of the word. What do you think? My own personal opinion is that the Church has in mind those drugs that are taken in order to achieve a 'high' or some other effect without their doctors' permission. However I pray that I'll be able to accept a negative answer if you cannot see the other way. Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary , Graeme.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Graeme: The context of that passage about the use of drugs is within the topic of respect for health: 2289 If morality requires respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an absolute value. It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to sacrifice everything for it's sake, to idolize physical perfection and success at sports. By its selective preference of the strong over the weak, such a conception can lead to the perversion of human relationships. 2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air. 2291 The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law. This context includes issues of sports and "physical perfection". So while the paragraph may be speaking directly to "recreational" drugs, the principle it presents can be applied to other situations, such as performance enhancement drug in sports (though those usually do harm and would directly apply to 2291) and also artificially enhance "physical perfection" even if those drugs so not cause any harm. Why do you need a drug to build up your body? Why do you need to be "bigger". Weight training and exercise in moderation will do that. If you want more, then you need to consider your motivations; consider vanity. Be happy with what God gave you. Elective cosmetic surgery, hair dye to cover gray, comb overs, hair pieces, other assorted "beauty" treatments, and the use of exercise that is motivated for making one look better instead of for proper health, is all vanity. The whole concept of "bodybuilding" is one of vanity. There is absolutely no need to body sculpt. Exercise and weight training to modestly increase strength and muscle tone is all that is needed. Anything more is vanity. So, while the use of this drug, as long as it does not harm you, may not be sinful, vanity is sinful. Examine you motivations. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Bodybuilding Supplements

Graeme

Friday, June 19, 2009

Question:

Dear Sir,

I took up bodybuilding last year after a break of fifteen years. I have always resisted the 'cult of the body' as much as I can through spiritual reading, prayer and going to Mass. My bodybuilding means a lot to me, but I am still a thin man. I am considering taking the bodybuilding supplement Creatine, or rather a supplement which includes Creatine as one of its ingredients, to build muscle. This substance is naturally present in the body and is involved in the metabolism of protein. I have obtained my doctor's permission to use this substance.

However just by accident I happened upon a paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church proscribing the use of drugs except on therapeutic grounds (paragraph 2291). I looked up the word 'drug' in the dictionary and the first definition they gave was 'a medicine or other substance which has a marked physiological effect when taken into the body'. I'm therefore not comfortable about what I intend to do, since I do indeed hope that the Creatine element will produce a 'marked physiological effect' on my body and I would not be taking it on therapeutic grounds. I could only consider It 'therapeutic' under a more liberal, secondary definition of the word. What do you think?

My own personal opinion is that the Church has in mind those drugs that are taken in order to achieve a 'high' or some other effect without their doctors' permission. However I pray that I'll be able to accept a negative answer if you cannot see the other way.

Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary , Graeme.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Graeme:

The context of that passage about the use of drugs is within the topic of respect for health:

2289 If morality requires respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an absolute value. It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to sacrifice everything for it's sake, to idolize physical perfection and success at sports. By its selective preference of the strong over the weak, such a conception can lead to the perversion of human relationships.
2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.
2291 The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.

This context includes issues of sports and "physical perfection". So while the paragraph may be speaking directly to "recreational" drugs, the principle it presents can be applied to other situations, such as performance enhancement drug in sports (though those usually do harm and would directly apply to 2291) and also artificially enhance "physical perfection" even if those drugs so not cause any harm.

Why do you need a drug to build up your body? Why do you need to be "bigger". Weight training and exercise in moderation will do that. If you want more, then you need to consider your motivations; consider vanity. Be happy with what God gave you. Elective cosmetic surgery, hair dye to cover gray, comb overs, hair pieces, other assorted "beauty" treatments, and the use of exercise that is motivated for making one look better instead of for proper health, is all vanity.

The whole concept of "bodybuilding" is one of vanity. There is absolutely no need to body sculpt. Exercise and weight training to modestly increase strength and muscle tone is all that is needed. Anything more is vanity.

So, while the use of this drug, as long as it does not harm you, may not be sinful, vanity is sinful. Examine you motivations.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum