Barriers to safe supplement use
- Player and staff education
Although there are extensive testing and certification processes in place, there are still barriers to athletes being able to use safe products. Lack of nutrition education among staff and players can be a major stumbling block when it comes to knowing the benefits or risks of using sports supplements and knowing which products or brands are most appropriate to use (as can be seen from our list of players above). Generally, athletes will rely on the knowledge and experience of the staff in their club or association to guide them in a number of areas.
When it comes to nutrition and sports supplements, if staff and players do not possess adequate knowledge on the topic, they may be less inclined to use supplements, or they may be at risk of making poor purchases. It is therefore vital to encourage education on nutrition and sports supplements in coaching staff so they understand safe product programs (like Informed Sport), and also transfer that knowledge to their players. In this way, athletes may then understand that although many sports supplements can aid their performances, only those with the Informed Sport quality certification should be used.
Practical Tip – There are a number of product types out there that state they can help improve your performance as an athlete. However, it’s important to access information that is structured and shared by experts in the nutrition field. Some of the best open-access examples of this are the IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements and the high performance athlete, and recommended dietary supplements which are recommended for footballers, which is found on the Barcelona Innovation Hub.
- Access to batch-tested products
Another barrier staff and athletes may encounter is access to batch-tested products. Depending on where you are in the world, you may or may not have access to an extensive range of sport supplements brands. In some areas, the number of certified tested brands may be limited – either due to supplement brands not following testing and certification processes, or lack of supply of imported tested products. Due to the lack of availability, athletes may be inclined to consume the ‘next best thing’. This is a common mistake, as someone who doesn’t understand the associated risks will assume that one non-certified protein product from a manufacturer is just as good as their certified protein-product. However, this will place the athlete at a major risk, and these situations should be avoided.
While there may be a desire for players to utilise sports supplements to help improve their performance or recovery, it is not worth the risk of facing a lengthy ban. If you cannot gain access to a safe and tested product, it is advisable to wait until you can rather than take the risk of using a non-certified one.