Prevalence and Pattern of Dietary Supplement Use in Bodybuilding Athletes

Abstract

Using sports supplements is a common strategy for improving athletic performance. The prevalence of using sports supplements among adolescent and young athletes has been increasing in recent years. This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 200 bodybuilding athletes. The data collection tool was a pre-made questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed among the athletes by available methods and collected after filling out. The chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression model were used to analyze the data. The prevalence of using sports supplements was 62.5% (n=125), with males accounting for 67.5% (n=135) of the consumers. Various forms of proteins (43.5%, n=87), vitamins (40.5%, n=81), and hormones (38.5%,n=77) were the most commonly recommended supplements by the coaches (58.4%,n=73) and other athletes (31.2%,n=9). The sports supplements have been considered to have no side effects by 16.8% (n=21) of the athletes; however, 19.2% (n=24) mentioned cardiac adverse events, and 13.6% (n=17) pointed to renal complications as potential consequences of supplement use. The results of statistical tests and a logistic regression model showed a statistically significant relationship between sex, age, education and income, and sports supplement use (p=0.001). According to the results of this current study, a significant proportion of bodybuilding athletes take sports supplements without being aware of the side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an educational program to inform the population about the mechanism of action of supplements in the body and also educate athletes and coaches about the correct use, side effects, and irreversible consequences of improper supplements use.