Investigation of supplement use and knowledge among Japanese elite athletes for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic/Paralympic games and the Beijing 2022 winter Olympic/Paralympic games

Abstract

Elite athletes frequently invest in the use of supplements to optimize their dietary regimens and enhance their athletic performance. However, unregulated and unplanned use of supplements can lead to adverse consequences, including anti-doping rule violations or health issues. Thus, athletes should verify their diets, consider scientific evidence, and take necessary precautions regarding supplements before use. To date, no study has explored whether athletes check these factors before using supplements. This study aimed to investigate supplement use using a questionnaire administered to 1,392 athletes (including candidate athletes) who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic/Paralympic and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic/Paralympic Games. Participants were categorized as follows: 1,040 participants in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, 83 in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, 239 in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, and 30 in the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. We collected data on supplement use and gained further knowledge through interviews with the athletes. Approximately 70% of Tokyo 2020 Olympic/Paralympic and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic athletes and approximately 50% of Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympians used supplements. Over 50% of athletes had not received a doctor's diagnosis or a dietitian's evaluation before supplement use. Moreover, only 50% of the athletes who used dietary supplements reviewed the scientific evidence for the dietary supplements before using them and justified their choice based on their own investigation, while those who did not use dietary supplements cited either a lack of need or fear of an anti-doping rule violation. Considering the holistic health and performance of athletes, as well as the risk associated with unregulated use, such as overdose and anti-doping rule violations, there is a need for nutritional education on supplement use for athletes and their entourages.

Development of a screener to assess athlete risk behavior of not using third-party tested nutritional supplements

“…The next strongest impact on the algorithm was based on athletes not searching for information before using a supplement. In the current study, one-fifth of the athletes reported not to search for information on their own, which was substantially lower than earlier reported, as 50% of Japanese elite Olympic athletes reported not reviewing scientific evidence before using nutritional supplements ( 30 ). Two other predictors, both contributing with a similar weight to the algorithm, where purchasing supplements outside of what the athletic department provides, as well as taking advice from non-experts, increased the chance of inconsistent TPT use.…”

“…Almost two-thirds of the athletes discussed supplement choices with their registered dietitian, which was the fourth predictive variable, being associated with a lower risk of not using TPT supplements. This can be related with better informed choices by athletes when counseled by a dietitian ( 16 ), while in reality athletes also report lower percentages for consulting a dietitian related to supplement use, ranging in other recent publications from 25% ( 33 ) to 50% ( 30 ).…”

“…This includes for example semi-professional football players in South Africa, of which almost all (87%), never attended a workshop on safe supplement use, while reporting WADA familiarity ranging from 16% ( 29 ). On the contrary, up to 95% in Japanese Olympic and Paralympic athletes reported familiarity with the WADA prohibited substance list, still half of them used supplements without the advice of a doctor or dietitian ( 30 ).…”

Effects of CurraNZ, a New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract during 1 Hour of Treadmill Running in Female and Male Marathon des Sables Athletes in Hot Conditions: Two Case Studies

“…In competition and exercise training, dietary supplement use is widespread and common among elite athletes (e.g., Japanese Olympic and Paralympic athletes [ 5 ], Spanish elite male and female athletes [ 6 ], gym members [ 7 ], recreationally active students [ 8 ], and ultramarathoners [ 9 ]). In addition, many position statements have provided evidence for the ergogenic nutritional potential of dietary supplements and nutritional considerations in different cohorts (e.g., [ 10 , 11 ]), including for single-stage ultra-endurance events [ 12 ].…”