Supplement Safety

Supplement use in athletes is predicted to be around 60-80% on average, with use ranging from 11-100% in some sports (1). Common reasons for supplement use in sport include but aren’t limited to; correcting a nutrient deficiency, providing a convenient source of energy, improving performance, aiding recovery and improving general health. Whilst most supplements have a wealth of research behind them (e.g. creatine (2), beta alanine (3)), others (e.g. ashwagandha) still have limited research on their benefits for performance - or are lacking research in specific populations (e.g. lots of research in the elderly, but limited in athletes). It’s important to carefully consider the benefits vs risks when deciding to add a supplement into your nutrition regime. 

What are supplements?

There is no single agreed upon definition for what constitutes a supplement, however the most commonly used is ‘a food, food component, nutrient, or non-food compound that is purposefully ingested in addition to the habitually consumed diet with the aim of achieving a specific health and/or performance benefit.’ (5). Supplements can be further divided into sub-categories including sports foods, medical supplements, ergogenic supplements, functional foods and other supplements (6). They should be used as they are described - to ‘supplement’ a balanced diet, rather than be relied upon to meet dietary and nutritional recommendations.  

What are the potential risks of supplementation?

There are multiple risks that need to be considered when choosing whether to take supplements or not. These include supplement contamination, risk of overdosing, accidental doping, and adverse health effects. Whilst many supplements are safe on their own, the mixing and incorrect dosing of supplements by athletes who haven’t gained advice from a nutritionist can lead to health problems (6). The biggest concern for many athletes is the risk of consuming a banned substance, either intentionally or unintentionally - both of these carry substantial consequences. Accidental doping accounts for 6-9% of failed drugs tests (1), mainly through contamination of the product or incorrect product labelling. 

How can I reduce these risks?

To mitigate the risk of doping or adverse health effects, it’s important to firstly know what substances are banned in your sport, and then use a product which has been third-party batch tested. The easiest way to find out which substances are banned is via the World Anti-doping Association (WADA) website (https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources) - this contains a list called The Prohibited List which outlines all banned substances. This is updated in January every year, so it’s important to re-check your supplements yearly. There are multiple third-party batch testing companies/directories; Informed Sport (https://sport.wetestyoutrust.com/), NSF Certified for Sport (https://www.nsfsport.com/) and the Cologne List (https://www.koelnerliste.com/en/product-database) are the most commonly used in the USA, Europe and Middle East. Using a supplement which has been certified by one of these testing companies is a good way to know you are consuming what you think you are. Finally, if you still aren’t sure, consult a nutritionist or dietician.

Why iidro?

All iidro products are batch-tested and listed on the Informed Sport directory, so you can be safe in the knowledge that our products contain what they say they do, and have been produced to the highest standard. 

References:

(1)    Jagim, Andrew R et al. “Prevalence of adulteration in dietary supplements and recommendations for safe supplement practices in sport.” Frontiers in sports and active living vol. 5 1239121. 29 Sep. 2023, doi:10.3389/fspor.2023.1239121

(2)    Wax B, Kerksick CM, Jagim AR, Mayo JJ, Lyons BC, Kreider RB. Creatine for exercise and sports performance, with recovery considerations for healthy populations. Nutrients. (2021) 13(6):1915. 10.3390/nu13061915

(3)    Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Stout JR, Hoffman JR, Wilborn CD, Sale C, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: beta-alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. (2015) 12(1):30. 10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y

(4)    Backhouse, S.H. A Behaviourally Informed Approach to Reducing the Risk of Inadvertent Anti-doping Rule Violations from Supplement Use. Sports Med 53 (Suppl 1), 67–84 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01933-x

(5)    Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et alIOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athleteBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2018;52:439-455.

(6)    Garthe, I., & Maughan, R. J. (2018). Athletes and Supplements: Prevalence and Perspectives. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 28(2), 126-138. Retrieved Dec 4, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0429