Dietary Supplement Use in Athletic Populations

Dietary supplements are widely embraced by athletes across all levels of competition as a means to optimise performance, support recovery and address nutritional shortfalls. Commonly used products include protein powders, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and specialised ergogenic aids such as creatine and caffeine. While some supplements have well-established benefits under specific training regimes, indiscriminate use can expose athletes to health risks, contaminant ingestion and inadvertent breaches of anti-doping regulations. Quality assurance and certification schemes aim to mitigate these hazards, yet variations in manufacturing standards and labelling practices persist worldwide. Behavioural factors, such as confidence in coaches or peer influences, often drive decision-making around supplement choice, while gaps in nutritional literacy can lead to suboptimal or unsafe regimens. The global nature of sport has prompted collaborative efforts among sports organisations, regulatory bodies and researchers to establish clearer guidelines, improve analytical methods for contaminant detection and develop educational programmes. Emerging work highlights the need for an integrated approach that combines robust scientific evidence, athlete education and policy measures to ensure that dietary supplementation delivers intended benefits without compromising athlete health or fair play.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Dietary Supplement Use in Athletic Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dietary supplement use in athletic populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ergogenic aid: A substance or device that enhances energy production, endurance, recovery or performance.

Inadvertent doping: Unintentional ingestion of prohibited substances through contaminated or mislabeled products leading to anti-doping violations.

Quality assurance certification: Independent testing programmes that verify supplement purity and the absence of banned compounds.

Behaviour-change intervention: Structured strategies grounded in psychological theory aimed at modifying habits and adherence to safe practices.

Micronutrient: Essential vitamins and minerals required in small quantities for metabolic functions and performance support.

References

1. A Behaviourally Informed Approach to Reducing the Risk of Inadvertent Anti-doping Rule Violations from Supplement Use. Sports Medicine (2023).
2. Athletes’ nutritional demands: a narrative review of nutritional requirements. Frontiers in Nutrition (2024).
3. Ergogenic properties, safety evaluation and regulations of selected ingredients in testosterone booster dietary supplements. Food Reviews International (2023).