Supplements in Sport and the Associated Risks
UK Sport has developed an educational resource to help the sporting community better understand the risks associated with supplement use and to assist athletes in making informed choices about their dietary needs. While no guarantee can be given about the safety of any supplement, the emphasis of this resource is to manage the risk and minimise the threat of committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation through taking a contaminated supplement.
There are a number of difficulties in ruling out the possibility of contamination of a supplement and contamination can occur from several sources. The reality is that the lifestyle, training and competition demands on some athletes may not allow sufficient time to be able to ingest sufficient food to meet energy needs and there may be possible circumstances that necessitate supplement use. Therefore, minimising the risk is essential. Although the risk of supplements can be nullified by not taking any, avoiding the use of supplements for some athletes is not realistic.
To ensure that supplements do not contain even trace amounts of any Prohibited Substance the following may be checked during the manufacturing process:
- No Prohibited Substance can be introduced as a by-product of any part of the manufacturing process
- The product (including the raw ingredients) is physically separate from potential sources of contamination at all stages of manufacture, processing, packaging and distribution.
In making an informed choice, athletes must ensure they have the necessary information to undertake a proper risk/benefit analysis. At a minimum they should:
- Assess Efficacy: Is there valid evidence that the supplement really works? Is it needed if the athlete already has a well-balanced diet? Are the advertising claims substantiated?
- Assess Quality Assurance: Has the product been manufactured, packaged and distributed in such a way that will minimise the risk of a contaminated product reaching an athlete?
- Avoid purchasing supplements from a manufacturer who also produces supplements that contain Prohibited Substances
- Understand the reason why some supplements could contain Prohibited Substances as contaminants
- Understand what supplement testing for Prohibited Substances is
- Seek expert guidance to assess your dietary and performance needs and supplement requirements (registered nutritionist or accredited sports dietician).
NOTE: The UK Sport Supplements in Sport and the associated Risks document is currently being reviewed and updated and will be available again online shortly.
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