Supplements

What is a supplement?

In general, supplements are manufactured products like pills, capsules, powders, gels, drinks and bars that contain nutrients, herbs, amino acids or other substances that can affect the body. These are typically available over-the-counter and meant to “Supplement” the diet.

But be aware, there are legally available products on the market that may be harmful to your health, may have negative effects on your performance, and may cause you to test positive.

The regulations for how supplements are manufactured can be less strict than those for medications; and, the manufacturing and sale of supplements can be tightly regulated in some countries but often these regulations are not enforced.

This means that the ingredients a supplement contains, their quality (how pure they are), how they are listed on the label, and where the supplement is purchased can create risks.

Photo with few colors, the vast majority black and white, of a table with some
supplements, with a black pot with white capsules, other capsules distributed on the
table, plus a large black pot. Also, a man's hand pouring a scoop full of powder, which
appears to be something like whey-protein in a shaker cup.

Taking a food-first approach

A common misconception about supplements is that they are a replacement for food or even superior to food. This is not true. They are not a shortcut to good nutrition.

And, if you’re eating well and getting the balance of nutrients and energy you need, it’s likely that using supplements is unnecessary.

Talking to a health professional

After analyzing your diet and making any necessary changes, and before making a decision about using a supplement, talk to a health professional or qualified sports nutrition professional.

But, before advising you, they need to know that you are an athlete and that you must abide by the anti-doping rules.

Risks of Supplement Use

Extreme caution is recommended regarding supplement use.

Very colorful photo with several capsules. This is not a real image, but one created by
computation, where each capsule has several spheres inside, demonstrating that each
capsule is full of many things.
The capsules on that white table are, in the center a red one with the initials “FE” for
Iron; on the left side, a blue one with the initials “Ca” for Calcium; On the right, a yellow
one with the initial’s “P” for Phosphorus. Behind the yellow one with “Zn” for Zinc and
further back one with the initials “Co” for Cobalt. It is possible to see more than 10
colored capsules behind these, but without being able to identify all of them.

Neither WADA nor IBSA is involved in any supplement certification process and therefore do not certify or endorse manufacturers or their products. WADA and IBSA do not control the quality or the claims of the supplements industry.

The use of dietary supplements by athletes is a serious concern because in many countries the manufacturing and labelling of supplements do not follow strict rules, which may lead to a supplement containing an undeclared substance that is prohibited under anti-doping regulations. A significant number of positive tests have been attributed to the misuse of supplements and attributing an Adverse Analytical Finding to a poorly labelled dietary supplement is not an adequate defense in a doping hearing.

Companies producing nutritional supplements are not ruled by very strict regulations. In other words, one never exactly knows the supplement’s composition.

The risks of taking supplements should be weighed against the potential benefit that may be obtained, and athletes must appreciate the negative consequences of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation as a result of taking a contaminated supplement. Use of supplement products that have been subjected to one of the available quality assurance schemes can help to reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of an inadvertent doping infringement.

If absolutely necessary, choose batch-tested

If a supplement is deemed essential and all the other questions have been asked, then it is recommended that a batch-tested supplement is used.

A batch-tested supplement cannot remove all risks associated with supplements and is not for all countries. However, it can significantly reduce them.

Remember

The Principle of “Strict Liability” always applies: you are responsible for any prohibited substance found in your system and an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) can occur whether or not you intended to take a banned substance.