Use of dietary supplements among Brazilian athletes

Hellen Clair Garcez Nabuco,Mariano Martínez Espinosa,Fabricio César De Paula Ravagnani,Vanessa Behrends Rodrigues,Wander Miguel De Barros,Christianne De Faria Coelho Ravagnani

doi:10.1590/1678-98652017000200002

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the prevalence and establish the profile of the consumption of dietary supplements among Brazilian athletes. Methods: A total of 182 athletes of both genders from 20 different sports participated in this study. The athletes answered a questionnaire containing sociodemographic and sports-related questions and were interviewed about the consumption of dietary supplements. Results: Forty seven percent of athletes reported having consumed at least one type of dietary supplement and 38% said they use more than three different types of supplements concurrently. Whey protein was the most commonly consumed supplement, and the most frequently mentioned reason for its consumption was performance improvement. The main source of information was coaches, and individual sport athletes were the greatest consumers and the most likely to seek dietary supplement. Conclusion: Approximately half of the participants used dietary supplements, which on most occasions were recommended by coaches. The consumption profile also revealed multiple supplementation practice and showed that nutrition education is essential for this specific population.

Highlights

According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet and contain vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, and metabolites
The consumption profile revealed multiple supplementation practice and showed that nutrition education is essential for this specific population
Multiple dietary supplement intake is more common among athletes in individual sports, who pointed out their coaches as the main source of supplement recommendation

Summary

Introduction

According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet and contain vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, and metabolites They can be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, powders, or liquids [1]. The most frequently mentioned reasons given by athletes for the use of dietary supplements include increase in energy and strength, improvement in performance, maintenance or enhancement of overall health and the immune system, prevention of nutritional deficiencies, and to speed injury recovery [4,5,6,7] Aiming at obtaining these results, the most commonly consumed dietary supplements by this population are sports drinks, multivitamins and minerals, proteins, and amino acids [8]. Another important aspect is that the effectiveness of several supplements on the market is controversial

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion