Prevalence and attitudes towards nutritional supplements use among gymnasium goers in Eldoret Town, Kenya

Abstract

Active people in sports or regular exercises make up a significant portion of individuals using nutritional supplements (NS). Therefore the purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of NS (types, sources of information), motives for going to the gym, reasons for consumption of nutritional supplements and attitudes towards nutritional supplements among gymnasium users in Eldoret Town, Kenya. Data was collected using a questionnaire from 210 participants who were sampled through systematic convenience sampling from 11 gyms in Eldoret Town, Kenya. The study found that majority (55.3%) of the respondents used nutritional supplements and most of them used the supplements believing that they enhance their performance at the gym and therefore perceived usage of supplements as acceptable. The major reasons for going to gym were to enhance health, body building and to stay fit. Most (91%) of the gym users got the information about NS from the internet and the most consumed NS were protein supplements (72%), followed by sport drinks (69%) and fish oils (60%). It is concluded that gym goers use nutritional supplements and have positive attitudes towards their use. Therefore, this study recommends that users should be sensitized on the value, precautionary measures and side effects of using nutritional supplements.