Writing in the Journal of Athletic Training, researchers found that 45% to 89% of athletes use supplements, consuming eight different nutritional supplements on average during the last year. Nearly every athlete surveyed by the researchers from six NCAA Division I athletic departments reported using at least one nutritional supplement.
“Nine out of 10 NCAA Division I collegiate athletes questioned reported the use of nutritional supplements,” the researchers wrote. “However, a large proportion of these athletes reported inconsistent use of TPT supplements. General supplement knowledge and recognition of TPT organization logos was low.”
This knowledge differed depending on the gender of the athlete.
Arizona State University professor Dr. Floris Wardenaar, a researcher on the study, told NutraIngredients-USA that knowledge gaps may exist because a third of athletes only meet with their in-house sports registered dietitian one to two times per year.
“There was a substantial group [of survey respondents] that just did not get nutrition information covered as a whole, and maybe there was just less or limited focus on the use and purchase of third-party tested supplements in this specific group,” he said.
Doping-related substances
Collegiate athletes use dietary supplements in workout recovery and to enhance their athletic performance. Among the supplements they take are sports drinks and protein or energy bars as well as ergogenic aids, which are intended to improve performance. These often include caffeine, creatine and dietary nitrate.
Although many collegiate athletes consume supplements, they often do so without noting whether these supplements have undergone third-party testing (TPT). Untested supplements may expose athletes to substances banned by the NCAA.
“Based on a meta-analysis, nearly 30% of dietary supplements examined contained substances not listed on the label, including doping-related substances,” the researchers noted. “Athletes participating in NCAA competition are subject to drug testing, and if a positive doping test is identified, the repercussions can include loss of eligibility to participate and compete.”
Third-party testing organizations offer regulated accreditation standards established by the International Standard Organization, and the researchers described that most TPT programs provide quality assurance testing that can determine whether a nutritional supplement contains banned substances.
The goal of the study was to gauge NCAA Division I athletes’ knowledge of TPT products and TPT organization logos, as well as nutritional supplement consumption and collegiate athletes’ self-reported use of TPT supplements.
Study details
The study included survey responses from 410 student athletes who responded to at least 70% of the questionnaire. Participants could mark agree/disagree/not sure for the multiple-choice questions about self-reported nutritional supplement knowledge.
Many athletes reported most frequently using sports drinks, such as electrolyte replacement beverages, and close to 70% of the participants said these drinks were TPT. Other popular supplements were protein shakes and recovery drinks of which more than half reported these as TPT. Most athletes also use caffeine, but only 42% of those consumers indicated that the product was TPT. A total of 79% of athletes who consumed creatine reported that the products they used were TPT.
Of the athletes who reported using supplements, 38% noted they were consistent with taking supplements that were TPT. A total of 48% of athletes purchased supplements outside of what their athletic department offered.
“[Among] 404 student-athletes, 67% reported to recognize at least one out of nine TPT organization logos, but no clear relation existed between TPT logo recognition and the consistent use of TPT supplements,” the researchers explained.
Among the study’s findings were notable differences in supplement use between female and male athletes.
Female athletes were not as likely to buy supplements outside of what their athletic department offered compared to their male colleagues. They also recognized TPT organization logos less often than male athletes and were less likely to use more than three supplements, usually vitamins and minerals.
“In the sports science literature, there is a substantial gap between what is known about male vs. female athlete behavior,” Dr. Wardenaar said. “Despite physiological difference between sexes, practitioners such as sports dietitians often need to base their decisions on research done in males. It is often assumed that females are more interested in the topic of nutrition, whereas it is also assumed that males are more interested in using nutritional supplements.”
Source: Journal of Athletic Training
doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0098.24
“Collegiate Student-Athletes’ Use and Knowledge of Third-Party-Tested Nutritional Supplements: An Exploratory Study”
Authors: Kinta D. Schott et al.
