Understanding Athletes' Supplement Use
Author Information
Author(s): Petróczi Andrea, Naughton Declan P, Mazanov Jason, Holloway Allison, Bingham Jerry
Primary Institution: Kingston University
Hypothesis
There is a lack of agreement between the reasons athletes give for using supplements and their actual supplement use.
Conclusion
The study found that athletes often use supplements without a clear understanding of their benefits or side effects.
Supporting Evidence
- 72.7% of athletes reported using multivitamins.
- Vitamin C was the most commonly associated supplement with avoiding sickness.
- Only weak associations were found between motives for use and actual supplement use.
Takeaway
Many athletes take vitamins and supplements, but they don't always know why they're taking them or if they really help.
Methodology
Data from the UK Sport 2005 Drug Free Survey was re-analysed to assess the relationship between supplement use and the reasons for use.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on athletes' self-reports and the exclusion of non-supplement users.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported data, which may not accurately reflect actual supplement use.
Participant Demographics
The sample consisted of high performance British athletes, predominantly male (66.4%) and aged between 19 and 29.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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