Supplement Use and Behaviors of Athletes Affiliated With an Australian State-Based Sports Institute

Protein supplement intake by non-athlete gym attendees in Jazan region: misconceptions and gender differences

BACKGROUND

Protein supplements (PSs) have gained widespread popularity among non-athlete gym attendees, who often perceive them as essential tools for muscle growth and recovery. However, misinformation surrounding PSs may lead to inappropriate use and negative health consequences. This study aimed to assess whether non-athlete gym attendees using PSs have greater misconceptions than non-users while also examining the prevalence of PS consumption and gender differences.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 387 participants in the Jazan region was conducted. Customers of 10 fitness centers were screened with a questionnaire comprising questions to measure PS misconceptions. Participants were divided into PS users and non-users. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test to assess the associations between variables. An independent t-test was used to compare the PS Misconception Index Score between the two groups.

RESULTS

A total of 82.4% of non-athlete gym attendees consumed at least one PS. Our findings revealed a significant association between gender and PS utilization (P<0.001), with a higher proportion of females (90.8%) consuming PS than males (77.6%). PS users had a significantly lower PS Misconception Index Score than non-users (26.8 vs. 28.3; P=0.006), indicating that PS users had a higher number of misconceptions. The internet (41.37%) and coaches (gym instructors/trainers) (34.48%) were the most common sources of information about PSs, with muscle gain being the primary reason for consumption (82.75%).

CONCLUSIONS

PS consumption is highly prevalent among non-athlete gym attendees in the Jazan region, with many individuals having misconceptions about their benefits and potential risks. Targeted educational interventions are needed to promote evidence-based knowledge about PSs for gym attendees, as well as for coaches, given that they were among the primary sources of information on supplements.

An online exploratory survey of Australian athletes' and exercisers' use of and attitudes towards ultra-processed sports foods

Sports foods are convenient alternatives to everyday foods to fuel performance. Strong scientific evidence supports their use; however, commercial sports foods are classified by the NOVA system as ultra-processed foods (UPF). Consumption of UPF has been associated with poor mental and physical health, but little is known about athletes' consumption of and attitudes towards sports foods as a source of UPF. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess Australian athletes' intake of and attitudes towards sports foods and UPF. Adult athletes were recruited to complete an anonymous online survey via social media between October 2021 and February 2022. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and Pearson's χ2 test was used to assess potential relationships between categorical demographic variables and consumption of sports foods. One hundred forty Australian adults participating in recreational (n 55), local/regional (n 52), state (n 11), national (n 14) or international (n 9) sports completed the survey. Ninety-five percent reported consuming sports foods within the past 12 months. Participants consumed sports drinks most commonly (73 %) and isolated protein supplements most frequently (40 % at least once per week). Participants reported everyday foods to be more affordable, taste better, present less risk of banned substances, but less convenient and greater risk of spoilage. Half (51 %) of participants reported concern about health effects of UPF. Participants reported regular UPF consumption despite taste and cost-related preferences for everyday foods and health concerns regarding UPF intake. Athletes may need support to identify and access safe, affordable, convenient, minimally processed alternatives to sports foods.

Protein supplement consumption prevalence, habits and complications in adolescents

INTRODUCTION

The consumption of nutritional and protein supplements by adolescents may have important consequences for their health.

METHODS

Prospective observational study based on a survey of adolescents enrolled in 6 schools selected at random in the city of Seville. Our primary objective was to determine the actual consumption of dietary supplements in the adolescent population and quantifying their protein content.

RESULTS

We obtained a total of 263 valid responses that showed a prevalence of consumption of nutritional supplements of any kind of 19.01%, of which 56.0% (10.64% of the total) corresponded to adolescents that consumed protein supplements for a mean protein intake of 0.26 g/kg/day (SD, 0.18). The profile of consumers of any type of supplements differed from that of nonconsumers in age, use of long-term medication and weight loss or high-protein diets. The comparison of adolescents who consumed protein supplements versus nonprotein supplements only evinced a significant difference in the control of supplement consumption. Although most of these adolescents were not subject to external control, 25.92% of those who consumed protein supplements were monitored by a professional, compared to 7.38% of consumers of nonprotein supplements. In the group that consumed protein supplements, 85.18% of adolescents achieved the desired effect and 18.51% reported some form of negative effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of protein supplement consumption among adolescents in our area is 10.64%, with consumption of amounts corresponding to 25% of the recommended daily allowance of protein. The profile of protein supplement consumers is very similar to that of nonprotein supplement consumers.

Dietary Supplements: A Gateway to Doping?

Dietary supplements are widely used among athletes, but many may be unaware of the potential for unintentional doping, especially considering that supplements can often be contaminated with prohibited substances. The reason behind the widespread use of dietary supplements among athletes is often cited as being for the purposes of enhancing health or performance. However, many athletes turn to unreliable sources of information, and often lack knowledge of dietary supplement regulations. The aim of this narrative review is to explore the current research surrounding the psychological constructs (such as norms, attitudes, and beliefs) related to dietary supplement use among athletes that may lead to inadvertent doping. This review also covers possible programme structures that may be effective at preventing inadvertent doping.

Prevalence of Dietary Supplement Use among Athletes Worldwide: A Scoping Review

Athletes represent a major part of dietary supplement users. This scoping review aims to explore the prevalence of dietary supplement use among athletes worldwide, most commonly used supplements, sources of information on dietary supplements and their reasons for use of these supplements. PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycInfo were searched for original research articles. Studies were included if they involved athletes, identified the prevalence of dietary supplement use, and were published after 2017. A total of 26 articles were reviewed. Prevalence of dietary supplement use varied among articles, but sex-based differences related to the types of used dietary supplements existed. Generally, the findings were consistent in terms of reasons for use and sources of information. Unfortunately, the lack of homogeneity regarding the definition of dietary supplements, definition of use, reporting timeframes, and data collection methods complicates the attempt to compare the findings among studies.

Relationship between Volleyball Sports Nutrition Food and Sports Athletes' Training and Physical Health Based on Medical Image Recognition

As we all know, the dietary nutrition of athletes has a great influence on physical condition and exercise ability. A good diet pattern is the basis of a reasonable diet for athletes. It helps to improve the function and physical state of athletes. This article is aimed at studying the impact of nutritious food on athletes' training and physical health. This article proposes the relevant technology of medical image recognition, which is used to study the relationship between nutritious food and the health of volleyball players and athletes, and proposes methods such as weighing method, meal review method, and measurement method, and the purpose is to exercise nutritional research and provide new ideas and methods. In addition, 200 female volleyball players were randomly selected for comparative analysis. The experimental results in this paper show that the energy intake and energy consumption of the female intervention group maintained a balance after the intervention, and there was a significant change in the negative balance state before the intervention. The energy consumption changed from −158.2 ± 156.2 to −157.2 ± 129.6. The number of athletes whose weight is close to the ideal range has increased from 44.8% to 48.5%.

Widespread Supplement Intake and Use of Poor Quality Information in Elite Adolescent Swiss Athletes

Compared with adult athletes, rather little is known about supplementation behavior in adolescent athletes. This study's aim was to determine elite adolescent athletes' supplement use and sources of information relating thereto. A total of 430 (87%) of 496 questioned athletes returned the anonymized questionnaire. Thereof, 84% consumed at least one weekly supplement and 97% indicated some supplement intake during the previous 4 weeks. On average, 13.3 supplement servings were consumed per week. The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile was 4.5, 10.5, and 20.0 servings per week, with a maximum of 67. The most prevalent supplements in use were multimineral products (41% of all athletes), multivitamins (34%), Vitamin C (34%), and Vitamin D (33%). Male athletes consumed significantly more Vitamin C and D, sports drinks, protein powder, and recovery products compared with female athletes; whereas, women consumed more iron supplements. The three most important motives for supplement use were recovery support (40%), health maintenance (39%), and performance enhancement (30%). The most frequent answers to the question "who recommended that you use supplements" were family/friends (36%), a physician (27%), and a trainer/coach (25%). The main three information sources about the supplements in use were the persons who recommended the supplementation (56%), the internet (25%), and information provided by supplement suppliers (11%). A positive doping attitude was associated with the consumption of performance enhancing supplements (p = .017). In conclusion, this study among elite adolescent Swiss athletes indicates a widespread and large-scale use of dietary supplements, which was associated with a low level of information quality.

[Generation "Social Media": use of modern media to gain information regarding sports injuries]

BACKGROUND

 Digital media have found their way into almost all areas of daily life. The aim of this study was to analyse the extent to which injured athletes use online media to gather information on sports injuries or on how to prevent them.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

 Between 07-2017 and 12-2019, both recreational and competitive climbing athletes were surveyed on their use of various media with regard to sports medicine and prevention.

RESULTS

 488 athletes were included in the study (70.9 % male, 29.1 % female, 33.2 ± 10.3 (13-71) years of age). 69.9 % of the athletes use web-based medical content, with the video platform YouTube being most frequently used for specific searches (24.4 %). Younger athletes (< 30y) use video platforms significantly more often than older athletes (p = 0.011). Sports-specific literature is most frequently used by the age group 30-50 years (37.4 %). The age group > 50 uses this medium significantly less frequently (18.8 %; p = 0.013). Competitive athletes use web-based medical content significantly more often than recreational athletes (p = 0.005). The general interest in injury prevention is high, with competitive athletes using relevant content more often. Almost 9 % of all patients interviewed visited a sports-orthopaedic facility because of their online research work.

SUMMARY

 Internet-based medical information is used by 69.9 % of athletes, with the video platform YouTube being most frequently used. Video platforms and sports-specific literature are used significantly more often by younger athletes than by older athletes. Web-based medical content is accessed significantly more often by professional athletes than by recreational athletes. The general interest in injury prophylaxis is high, with competitive athletes using or browsing medical content more often.

High Prevalence of Supplement Intake with a Concomitant Low Information Quality among Swiss Fitness Center Users

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to screen the prevalence of supplement use in Swiss fitness center users and what information sources they consulted.

METHODS

Customers of 10 fitness centers were screened with a quantitative questionnaire.

RESULTS

Eighty two percent of the 417 fitness center users consumed at least one supplement per week. Supplement intake correlated with training frequency (rs = 0.253, p < 0.001). The most prevalent products were protein supplements (used by 49% of the study population), magnesium (34%), and multi-micronutrient supplements (31%). The average number of supplement servings per week among consumers was 17.1 (SD: 16.1, median: 11.0) and the average number of different products used was 6.9 (SD: 4.4, median: 6.0). The most frequently used information sources were the coach/trainer (28%), the website of the supplement seller (26%), and training peers (24%). Thirty seven percent were informed or informed themselves about potential risks associated with the supplement used. The leading reasons for selecting the information source were the desire for scientific-based information followed by the education level of the informing person.

CONCLUSIONS

A high prevalence of supplement intake among Swiss fitness center users was associated with a low level of information quality and a low prevalence of risk information. A discrepancy between a desire for high quality evidence-based information and a contrasting behavior was detected.

Development of a Sport Food Exchange List for Dietetic Practice in Sport Nutrition

Food exchange lists have been widely used in dietary practice in health and disease situations, but there are still no exchange lists for sports foods. The aim of this study was to apply a previous published methodology to design food exchange lists to the development of a sports food exchange list, with sport products available in Spain. A cross-sectional study of the nutritional composition of sports foods, regarding macronutrients and energy, was carried out. A total of 322 sports foods from 18 companies were selected, taking into account their interest in sports practice and with nutritional data provided by companies. Sports foods were divided into seven groups: sports drinks; sports gels; sports bars; sports confectionery; protein powders; protein bars; and liquid meals. A sports food composition database based on portion size usually consumed by athletes and/or recommended in commercial packaging was created. Within each sports foods group, different subgroups were defined due to differences in the main and/or secondary macronutrient. The definition of each exchange list with the amounts—in grams—of each sports food within each group and subgroup, was done using statistical criteria such as mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and Z value. Final exchange values for energy and macronutrient have been established for each group and subgroup using a methodology to design food exchange lists previously published by the authors. In addition, those products with high Z values that can provide greater variability in dietary planning were included. The usefulness of sport foods lists as well as the use of an exchange system in the dietary practice of sports nutrition is discussed, and examples of how to use them with athletes are presented. This first sport foods exchange list showed in this study, with commercial sports products available in Spain, can be a novel tool for dietetic practice and also can allow sport nutrition professionals to develop another sport food list using the methodology described in this paper. Its management would allow dietitians to adapt dietary plans more precisely to the training and/or competition of the athlete.