Supplement overview

Question 1

What is a dietary supplement?

Answer 1

A product taken by mouth that contains a ‘dietary ingredient’ intended to supplement the diet.

Question 2

What some alternative names for supplements?

Answer 2

Functional foods
Nutraceuticals
Performance boosting supplements
Ergogenic aids
Dietary supplements

Question 3

What are some forms that supplements can come in?

Answer 3

Enriched food (e.g. vitamin boosted bread)
Functional foods (e.g. Actimel)
Sport foods (e.g. CHO, protein)
Single or multiple nutrient/mineral foods

Question 4

Primary reason that athletes take supplements (due to perception of its effects)

Answer 4

To aid recovery from training

Question 5

Is it worth it? Costs:

Answer 5

Financial (expensive supplements)
Health (may have negative health benefits)
Performance (may actually reduce performance)
Drug test failure

Question 6

Is it worth it? Benefits:

Answer 6

Increased performance
Increased health
Insurance policy
Free samples

Question 7

What does WADA stand for?

Answer 7

World anti-doping agency

Question 8

What to consider when deciding whether a supplement is effective?

Answer 8

Does the supplement reach the target tissue?
Does the supplement result in a physiologically meaningful increase in the target tissue concentration of substate/compound?
Does an increase in conc. result in measurable and reproducible effect on its normal biochemical or physiological function?
Does an increase in its conc. have a measurable and reproducible effect on exercise capacity or fatigue development?

Question 9

From the AIS supplements resource, describe group A:

Answer 9

Evidence level: Strong scientific evidence for use in specific situations in sport using evidence-based protocols

Use within supplement programs: Permitted for use by identified athletes according to best practice protocols.

Question 10

From the AIS supplements resource, describe group B:

Answer 10

Evidence level: Emerging scientific evidence support, deserving further research. Considered for use by athlete under a research protocol or case-managed monitoring situation.

Use within supplement programs: Considered for use by identified individual athletes within research or clinical monitoring situations.

Question 10

What kinds of supplements fall under group A:

Answer 10

Sports drinks, gels, confectionery, bars etc..
Iron, calcium, multivitamin, vit. D, zinc
Caffeine, creatine, B-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, beetroot juice, glycerol

Question 10

From the AIS supplements resource, describe group C:

Answer 10

Scientific evidence is not supportive of benefits or no research has been taken
Not advocated for use by athletes within supplement programs.

Question 11

From the AIS supplements resource, describe group D:

Answer 11

Banned or at high risk of contamination with substance that could lead to a positive doping test.
Not to be used by athletes.

Question 12

What are the risks of supplements use?

Answer 12

1. Contamination: Poor quality control in manufacturing and storage
2. Absence or lower than declared levels of ‘actives’
3. Presence of undeclared doping agents
4. Harmful to health/performance

Question 13

Describe contamination and some of its shocking stats.

Answer 13

Supplements may contain undeclared prohibited substances for example, due to poor manufacturing or deliberate inclusion of ingredients not listed on the label.

Rates of contamination could be as high as 10 - 25% of all supplements across Europe and the USA; most recent reports claiming as high as 38%.

Question 14

What is the name of the website that batch-tests supplements?

Answer 14

Informed sport

Question 15

What are the evidenced based ergogenic aids?

Answer 15

Creatine
Nitrate
Caffeine
Beta-alanine
Sodium bicarbonate