We hear so much in the media about ergogenic aids and dietary supplements that lots of misconceptions can arise. Through the grapevine, we all think everybody is taking lots of supplements, but is that reality? A Canadian study is one of the first to explore dietary supplement use across a wide range of athletes.
Vast Market and Grey Areas
One of the fastest growing segments of the athletic market in the past decades has been the dietary supplements market. From simple multi-vitamins to complex amino acids to sports drinks, the market has simply exploded in variety. This has been fueled by both marketing forces such as the growth of nutritional retailers, and also be the increase in recreational athletes wanting to get the most from their training.
Unfortunately, the darker side of dietary supplements is the potential to morph into illegal performance-enhancing products. As we all know, there have been many high-profile cases of athletes testing positive for a banned substance where it has been demonstrated to be caused by supplement contamination. This has led to it being the “automatic” defence of any athlete testing positive.
Where this truly becomes problematic is that athletes of all levels become leery of dietary supplement use because of its link with positive tests or doping scandals. We have written a number of stories on dietary supplements in Toolbox, and my position has always been that athletes should be informed about the risks and benefits of supplements, and to use them as appropriate but with clear information.
Erdman et al
So the important question becomes “what do athletes consider a dietary supplement?” and also “who takes what?” A recent study by former national level Canadian cyclist Kelly Anne Erdman in the Feb 2006 issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise tackles these exact questions.
In Erdman’s study, 582 high-performance athletes were surveyed for their dietary supplement (DS) practices and opinions, preferred means for DS education, and anti-doping opinions using a validated questionnaire. The breakdown of athletes were as follows:
• 314 males, 268 females.
• Age range 11-42 y (mean 20 y)
• 27 sports activities
• Abilities level: provincial (68), national (101), North America (61), international or professional (89), and varsity (263).
Summary of Results
1. Prevalence of DS. 513 (88.4%) of subjects reported taking DS over the past 6 months, with 3.08 DS’s being used per user. Provincial level athletes tended to use fewer DS than other competitive levels. DS use was common to both training and competition, with most users utilizing a DS daily.
2. Types of DS. Sports drinks were the most common DS reported at all levels, except for international athletes reporting multivitamins and minerals as the most common DS. Next most common DS across most groups tended to be sports bars or multi-vitamin/minerals.
3. Sources of Information. Somewhat surprisingly, the most common source of DS information across ALL competitive groups were “family or friends.” This is somewhat disturbing, as it demonstrates that athletes are gaining a lot of their information through heresay and anecdotes rather than professionals or scientific information.
4. Reasons for DS. A mix of top reasons across competitive levels, with top responses fairly evenly split across “energy,” “health,” and “recovery.” This demonstrates a wide and probably healthy level of motivation for using dietary supplements.
5. Where DS obtained. The most common source for DS across all competitive levels were the plain old grocery store, followed fairly far behind by health food stores except for international/professionals, who are the lucky ones getting freebies.
Summary
In reading this study, the biggest surprise and potential concern for me is that family and friends formed the most prevalent source of DS education and information. I find this disturbing because this can easily lead to the “keeping up with Joneses” mentality, where what you hear in the locker room becomes the main driving force and subconsciously motivating athletes to do the same.
Therefore, what this study really screams out for is detailed and objective sources of information and educational initiatives, and that every organization with a stake in promoting the health of athletes, from regional sports governing bodies all the way through to WADA, should make access to information and education concerning dietary supplements and anti-doping a major priority.
References
1. Erdman KA, Fund TS, and Reimer RAInfluence of performance level on dietary supplementation in elite Canadian athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 38: 349-356, 2006.
About Stephen: Stephen Cheung is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Dalhousie University, with a research specialty in the effects of thermal stress on human physiology and performance. He can be reached for comments at stephen@pezcyclingnews.com
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
As the final Madison got underway the arena was packed to the rafters, all the talk of Six Days in crisis forgotten for now. The finale was ... More....
Six Day racing comes to Berlin for the 99th time on Thursday, 28th January, 2010 with the great tradition of winter track racing in Germany in a ... More....
American Classic spent the last couple of years reworking their line up and the 420 Aeros are the latest to leave the bench. Take a look at the new ... More....
A couple years in the making, Pez head up to see arguably the top custom builder on the planet. We hit Serotta's NY shop, take a peek at their ... More....
You’ve still got today and all of tomorrow to ‘git ‘er done! Your holiday shopping that is… and armed with the complete set of 4 gift guides ... More....
If the stocking's not full - somebody's not doing their job. Good thing we're here to help with a big ol' bag full of the kind of stuff we'd love to ... More....
Winter riding is almost upon us - except for you lucky Aussies - and that means less riding outdoors. But with an indoor trainer and a Netflix ... More....
Many ergogenic aids, both legal and illegal, have been touted as the magic bullet that will improve cycling performance. What about something that ... More....
Having goals is one of the important first steps in achieving your dreams. They can be small goals or they can be big goals, but without them you’ll ... More....
Is cycling your religion, or at least one of them? If so, you’re not alone. Many people define themselves as “spiritual,” even if they don’t practice ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Sunday July 20th 1969; that’s 40 years ago now but I remember it clearly as the day that I first became aware of professional bicycle racing – I was ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Coming on four years ago, Saul Raisin was one of THE big things in US pro cycling. Top 40 in a hard Tour de Suisse and mountain king at the Tour de ... More....
The last time we spoke to Garmin's Steve Cozza was after the 2008 Paris - Tours; where he produced another solid performance from a consistent and ... More....
Just about to start his second season with Cervélo - thanks to strong Classic rides and his first Grand Tour finish, in the Giro - Englishman, Dan ... More....
In October, nine-time Tour de France rider Frankie Andreu announced that he would be Director Sportif of the Ohio-based KENDA Pro Cycling p/b ... More....
With so many (too many?) others looking back to best-of-2009 or decade highlights, why not look ahead? A new decade beckons, after all, so who better ... More....
We first talked with Lostende Bike Tours owner and avid cyclist Allan Reeves about his Pyrenees Cycling Challenge, from the Atlantic to the ... More....
So, riding in Texas is mostly flat, with only tumbleweeds and armadillos to avoid right? Well, not exactly. You see, Austin is situated in what’s ... More....
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
The loss of Franco Ballerini is not one that will be forgotten anytime soon. The sport's best are at a loss and two of the greatest riders of our ... More....
Updated! Hallelujah, they're racing in Qatar, and I just got back from celebrating with every other New Orleanian on Bourbon Street. There's ... More....
It was a dark Sunday morning in Italy when the news services announced that Franco Ballerini, ex-professional, former dual Paris-Roubaix winner and ... More....
The maracas shake, 'Cara mia, mine !' blasts from the PA. Bang! The little cannon fires and the hall fills with smoke. Yes, this is the right place, ... More....
When the K-Mart Classic of West Virginia stormed through the state in the mid-90s, it opened awareness as to just how great the bike riding is in ... More....
After riding the final 17 sectors of Paris-Roubaix yesterday, and typing to you with still swollen, sore, and blistered hands, I understand to my ... More....
Stephen Cheung is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Dalhousie University, with a research specialty in the effects of thermal stress on human physiology and performance. He can be reached for comments at 
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/amclass/amc420alarge.jpg",900,698);)
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/serotta/meilarge.jpg",2000,1244);)
