Are there concerns with Olympic athletes promoting supplements?

All eyes are on the summer Olympics watching our favorite athletes compete for gold!  These athletes have put in a tremendous amount of hours of hard work and sweat to be able to compete at this level, but unfortunately we hear too often that they are endorsing dietary supplements to enhance their performance.  Health experts are concerned that teen athletes may be influenced by these products the Olympians are promoting, according to a recent article.  Supplement use among student athletes is not new. In the 2005 NCAA survey, 41 percent of student athletes reported the use of nutritional supplements. So the question remains, are dietary supplements safe for teen athletes?

(Article by Philly.com)

What is a dietary supplement?

According to the United States Olympic Committee, a dietary supplement is a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, liquid or other food form intended to supplement a whole food diet.  Sports supplements are classified as dietary supplements and are known to have ergogenic benefits (i.e. sports performance enhancement).  The Dietary Supplement Health Education Act does not require dietary supplements to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

Do you know what you’re buying?

Manufacturers are required to list all of the ingredients on the label, but, some products may contain banned substances even if the ingredient is not listed due to manufacturing practices or contamination. Assessing the quality of potency, and purity of the supplement is important, and should be researched through third party testing groups, including:

• NSF
• United States Pharmacopeia
• Consumer Lab
• Informed Choice
• BSCG

How do I know if a supplement is safe?

The FDA must identify that a supplement is not safe before removing if from the shelf; however, manufacturers are not required to provide any information on safety or effectiveness of the their supplements. According to the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition practice group for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there are some basic tips to figure out if a supplement is safe for use.

1. Research if the supplement is from a reliable source:

• The National Center for Drug Free Sport (The password: ncaa1, ncaa2, or ncaa3)
• NCAA
• US Anti-Doping Agency
• International Olympic Committee

2. Avoid “Red –flag” claim terms such as:

• Energizer
• Fat Burner
• Metabolic Booster
• Proprietary Ingredients
• Testosterone Booster