February 7, 2013
Using supplements is risky
You should already be aware that the use of supplements can present a risk to athletes and may result in a positive drugs test.
What are supplements?
Although there is no clear definition, dietary supplements are products used alongside a normal diet to improve general health and wellbeing or enhance sporting performance.
They can include sports drinks or vitamin tablets, which claim to help with building muscle, increasing endurance, weight gain or loss, improving suppleness, rehydrating, aiding recovery or overcoming a mineral deficiency. Dietary supplements can be found in pill, tablet, capsule, powder or liquid form.
Why are they such a high risk?
Supplements can present a high risk for several reasons:

- They do not fall under the same regulations as food and medicines. This means they do not have to state all their ingredients on the label, so you may not know what you're taking
- Advertising of supplements can suggest untested claims about their benefits
- Production of some supplements has low quality control, which means that there is a chance of contamination with other products that may be banned substances.