Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (****) *, *37-342
http://www.jssm.org
Review article
Supplement use by young athletes
Jill Anne McDowall
Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
A past review of supplement use among athletes
was conducted by Sobal and Marquart (1994a), which
Abstract
This paper reviews studies of supplement use among child and analyzed literature, published primarily in the 1980 s.
adolescent athletes, focusing on prevalence and type of supple- With the supplement market being what it is today, sup-
ment use, as well as gender comparisons. Supplement use plements are readily available to athletes and are more
among adult athletes has been well documented however there accepted within the athletic culture, thus investigation into
are a limited number of studies investigating supplement use by
current supplementation behaviours is warranted. This
child and adolescent athletes. A trend in the current literature
review will look at the current literature on supplement
revealed that the most frequently used supplements are in the
use among young athletes, a population particularly vul-
form of vitamin and minerals. While health and illness preven-
nerable to the hype and claims put forth by the supple-
tion are the main reasons for taking supplements, enhanced
ment industry.
athletic performance was also reported as a strong motivating
factor. Generally, females are found to use supplements more
frequently and are associated with reasons of health, recovery, Prevalence of supplement use
and replacing an inadequate diet. Males are more likely to report
taking supplements for enhanced performance. Both genders
First, to place the current paediatric literature into context
equally rated increased energy as another reason for engaging in
it is necessary to briefly summarise the adult literature. A
supplement use. Many dietary supplements are highly accessible
major area of the adult research literature regarding ath-
to young athletes and they are particularly vulnerable to pres-
lete supplement use focuses on athletes at the university
sures from the media and the prospect of playing sport at in-
or college level, thus involving athletes over the age of 18
creasingly elite levels. Future research should provide more
direct evidence regarding any physiological side effects of tak- and adult athletes (Froiland et al., 2004; Kristiansen et al.,
ing supplements, as well as the exact vitamin and mineral re- 2005; Sobal and Marquart, 1994a). A study involving
quirements for child and adolescent athletes. Increased educa- athletes attending a US Division I university revealed that
tion for young athletes regarding supplement use, parents and 89% of the subjects had used supplements or were using
coaches should to be targeted to help the athletes make the
supplements at the time the study took place (Froiland et
appropriate choices.
al., 2004). Another study involving US NCAA Division I
university student athletes found that 88% of respondents
Key words: Nutrition, sport, adolescent athletes, dietary sup-
consumed at least one nutritional supplement and 58%
plement.
used two or more supplements (Burns et al., 2004). Addi-
tionally, Canadian varsity athletes (94.3%) have been
found to use one or more supplements at least once per
Introduction
month (Kristiansen et al., 2005).
Supplement use among elite athletes is well docu-
Nutrition is an important aspect of an athlete s training
mented, as a high percentage of Canadian Olympic ath-
program. Although exercise and athletic training is con-
letes were found to consume dietary supplements at the
sidered to increase nutrient needs in some athletes, a bal-
Atlanta (69%) and Sydney (74%) Olympic Games
anced diet with adequate calories can potentially provide
(Huang et al., 2006), 77% Singaporean elite athletes re-
the necessary nutrients (American Dietetic Association,
ported consuming dietary supplements (Slater et al.,
2000; Maughan et al., 2004). It is likely, however, that for
2003), and a high prevalence of supplement use was
various reasons, not all athletes are able to consume a diet
found among competitive athletes (53%) in the United
that meets their nutritional needs and thus resort to nutri-
Kingdom (Airstone et al., 2005). The population reported
tional supplements with the intention of preventing defi-
to most frequently engage in supplementation is elite
ciencies and even enhancing performance (Maughan et
athletes who compete at national, international, and
al., 2004).
Olympic levels (Sobal and Marquart, 1994a). For exam-
Today, the supplement industry is an international
ple, Erdman et al., (2006) found that 88.4% of Canadian
market worth billions of dollars. In 2000, it was reported
elite athletes competing at the provincial, varsity, na-
that sales of dietary supplements in the US reached
tional, North American, and international/professional
US$17.1 billion with an annual increase in consumer
levels reported taking one or more dietary supplements.
spending of more than 10% (Food and Drug Administra-
All levels of athletes engaged in supplement use more
tion, 2002). Although many individuals use supplements,
frequently during the training phase, however athletes
those engaged in sport and physical activity represent a
competing at the international/professional level reported
substantial portion of the population purchasing supple-
using supplements most frequently during both training
ments (Maughan et al., 2004).
Received: 13 March 2007 / Accepted: 18 July 2007 / Published (online): 01 September 2007
Supplement use
338
Table 1. Prevalence of dietary supplement use in young athletes
Author, year N Age (yrs) Prevalence 3 Most Common Supplements Sobal and Marquart, 1994 742 High School 38% Vitamin C (25)
students Mulivitamins (19)
Iron (11)
Kim and Keen, 1999 1,355 16-19 35.8% Vitamin C (41.2)
Multivitamins (27)
Calcium (10.7)
O Dea, 200*-**-**-** n/a Sports drinks (56.4)
Vitamin/minerals (48.7)
Energy drinks (42.3)
Ziegler et al., 2003 105 16 71% Multivitamin/mineral (M-61, F 83)
Herbals (M-44, F-48)
Multivitamin only ( F-42)
Protein bars (M-38)
Bell et al., 200*-***-**-** n/a Multivitamin/minerals (42.5)
Protein (13.5)
Energizers (6)
Nieper, 2005 32 18 62% Multivitamins (45)
Vitamin C (35)
Iron (30)
Scofield and Unruh, 200*-***-**-** 22.3% Meal replacement protein (23.7)
Vitamin-minerals (19.4)
Creatine (16)
(98.3%) and competition (87.1%) while provincial-level grade levels but not actual ages (Sobal and Marquart,
athletes used supplements least frequently during both 1994b) (Table 1). A few recent studies of elite athletes
training (89.6%) and competition (73.6%) (Erdman et al., have included young athletes in the population sample,
2006). however with the exception of Slater et al. (2003), the
Prevalence of supplement use among young ath- ages included in the studies did not distinguish between
letes is not as clearly documented as the adult and elite the age groups thus it was not possible to determine the
athlete literature. There are a limited number of recent prevalence of supplement use by the young athletes in the
studies conducted in the 1990 s and 2000 s investigating sample. Slater et al. (2003), on the other hand, found that
supplement use by child and adolescent athletes though 77% of respondents used dietary supplements within the
the same issues also appear to be pertinent to this younger year previous to the study, however, no difference was
age group. Investigating this particular population is im- found in relation to age and 53.8% of respondents were
portant as studies show that supplement uses amongst the under the age of 20 (Slater et al., 2003).
child and adolescent athlete population is widespread (see Such a variance in age could affect the results, as
Table 1). the older athletes may have more access to supplements
Sample sizes used in the reviewed studies varied and may be more exposed to supplement use. Dietary
substantially from 32 to 1,355 and the prevalence of sup- intakes of younger athletes are most likely to be moni-
plement use among child and adolescent athletes ranged tored by a parents or guardian and therefore they would
from 22.3% to 71% (Table 1). With the exception of the have less freedom to engage in supplement use compared
Scofield and Unruh (2006) study, the larger studies found to older athletes who would have more opportunity to
a lower prevalence rate than the studies with the smaller engage in unsupervised supplement use. The older ado-
sample sizes. This substantial difference could be the lescent athletes may be pressured by their peers and team
result of the inconsistent methodologies of the studies mates to use supplements, and would have easier access
thus implying that the prevalence rate may not be as high to supplements than their younger counterparts. On the
as anticipated. Two studies (O Dea, 2003; Bell et al., other hand, one study found that young athletes reported
2004) did not look at the overall prevalence of supple- taking supplement because their mothers gave them to
ment use and instead focused only on the use of individ- them (O Dea, 2003) thus suggesting that younger athletes
ual supplements, thus narrowing still the amount of avail- might have little control over their supplement intake.
able data on overall prevalence rates of supplementation The level of competition the subjects engaged in
practices in young athletes. differed and thus could have had an effect on the preva-
Variation also occurred among the ages of the par- lence of supplement use. Five studies (Kim and Keen,
ticipants included in the studies. Although the focus was 1999; Metzl et al., 2001; O Dea, 2003; Scofield and
on young athletes, five studies examined a range of ages Unruh, 2006; Sobal and Marquart, 1994b) investigated
(Kim and Keen, 1999; O Dea, 2003; Scofield and Unruh, supplement use among high school athletes, one study
2006; Sobal and Marquart, 1994a) while two studies fo- (Bell et al., 2004) focused on students enrolled in health
cused only on a single age (Nieper, 2005; Ziegler et al., and wellness classes, and two studies (Nieper, 2005;
2003). Studies also differed in the actual ages included in Ziegler, et al., 2003) focused on elite-level athletes. Some
the studies; one included subjects as young as 11years studies covered a wide scope of sports, especially those
(O Dea, 2003), others included athletes aged 19 years, focusing on high school athletes, where others examined
and another investigated high school athletes, reporting athletes of particular sports, such as track and field
McDowall 339
Table 2. Prevalence of most commonly used vitamin/mineral supplements.
Author, year N Multi- Multi- Multi- Vit C Iron Ca Vit A B Vits Vit E
vit and vit mineral mineral Sobal and Marquart, 1994b 742 - 19 - 25 11 9 9 8 8
Kim and Keen, 1999* 1,355 3.1 27 - 41.2 9.5 10.7 4 2.8 1.2
O Dea, 2003 78 47.8 - - - - - - - -
Ziegler et al., 2003 105 61(M), 33 (M), 8 (M), - - - - - -
83 (F) 42 (F) 21 (F)
Bell et al., 2004 333 42.5 - - - - - - - -
Nieper, 2005 32 - 45 - 35 30 - - - -
Scofield and Unruh, 2006 139 19.4 - - - - - - - -
(Nieper, 2005) and figure skating (Ziegler et al., 2003). protein milk supplements (4%), and coenzyme Q10 (1%).
There is also diversity in the type of sport, which Ziegler et al. (2003) also found multivitamin/minerals to
the various participants were engaged in. Athletes in- be the most popular supplement by both male (61%) and
volved in multisports (2 or more sports) tend to engage in female (83%) adolescent athletes. To specifically investi-
supplement use more frequently than athletes involved in gate creatine use among young athletes, Metzl et al.
a single sport (Scofield and Unruh, 2006). Two studies (2001) surveyed middle and high school athletes aged 10
included athletes from only specific sports (Ziegler et al., to 18 years and found that 62% reported using Creatine.
2003; Nieper, 2005), while others explored supplement This usage is despite recommendations for athletes under
use across a range of sports. Supplement use among par- the age of 18 not to consume it or any performance-
ticular sports, mainly those requiring athletes to make enhancing substance (American Academy of Pediatrics,
weight or the more aesthetic sports is also more preva- 2005).
lent. Sobal and Marquart (1994b) found that wrestlers Although the risks associated with vitamin and
(59%) were more likely to use supplements than others mineral supplementation are not as severe as the risks
such as softball, hockey, and golf players (each 50%) with involved with using ergogenic aids such as steroids, am-
gymnasts not far behind (40%). phetamines, and human growth hormone, young athletes
Also, most studies used questionnaires to investi- could potentially start out using vitamin and mineral sup-
gate supplement use, however, one study (O Dea, 2003) plements, then progress to more dangerous substances
used focus groups and another study (Ziegler et al., 2003) (Sobal and Marquart, 1994b). Many dietary or nutritional
used anthropometric measures and food records, as well supplements have the reputation of being harmless be-
as questionnaires. cause they consist mainly of naturally occurring com-
pounds and tend to be advertised as safe and legal per-
formance-enhancing substances as opposed to the banned
Types of supplements used
substances such as anabolic steroids. Unfortunately, de-
spite their seemingly natural composition, not all sup-
Despite these methodological variances a trend emerged
plements are tested by the Food and Drug Administration
which revealed that the most frequently used supplement
(FDA) therefore claims of safeness and reliability cannot
among young athletes is a form of vitamin/mineral sup-
be trusted (Metzl et al., 2001). The effects and dosage
plement. Studies investigating only vitamin and mineral
recommendations of supplements are also not regulated
supplementation (Sobal and Marquart, 1994b; Kim and
so there is no guarantee that they will provide the alleged
Keen, 1999) found the most frequent forms of vita-
outcome (Clarkson et al., 2002). Furthermore, taking
min/minerals consumed tend to be vitamin C, multivita-
single vitamins and minerals is potentially harmful, as
mins, iron, and calcium (see Table 2). These results coin-
large doses can lead to toxicity and interactions with other
cide with a more recent study which also included a range
nutrients (Kim and Keen, 1999; Maughan et al., 2004;
of what were termed ergogenic aids such as Creatine
Sobal and Herbert, 1988).
and caffeine, and again, the most commonly used sup-
plements by adolescent athletes were multivitamins, vi-
Reasons for supplementation
tamin C, and iron (Neiper, 2005).
The supplement list included in the reviewed stud-
ies differed however vitamin/mineral supplements were With the use of supplements increasing amongst the child
consistently one of the most frequently used supplements. and adolescent athlete population, it is important to inves-
A study of adolescent athletes (Bell et al., 2004) investi- tigate the reasons for the athletes adopting this behaviour.
gated the use of several supplements which are readily Burns et al. (2004) found that adult athletes reported using
accessible to adolescents found that in addition to vita- vitamin and mineral supplements frequently and consid-
mins and minerals, protein (14%), energizers (6%), and ered them to have the highest impact on heal-
Creatine (5%) were also consumed. Contradicting these ing/rehabilitation, while protein supplements and Creatine
findings are results from another study (O Dea, 2003) in were considered to have the highest perceived impact on
which the most frequently used nutritional supplement sport performance. Other reasons for supplement use cited
was sports drinks (56%), with vitamin/mineral tablets by adult and elite athletes include increased energy, en-
second (49%), followed by energy drinks (42%), herbal hanced performance, improved health, prevention of
supplements (18%), guarana and creatine (5%), high nutritional deficiencies, prevention of illness, increased
Supplement use
340
Table 3. Prevalence of supplement use of male vs. female adolescent athletes.
Author N (Total) N (Users) Prevalence of Use
M F M F M F
Ziegler et al., 200*-**-**-**-** 65 76
Nieper, 200*-**-**-**-*-** 75
Schofield and Unruh, 200*-**-**-**-*-** 6
muscle mass, and improved recovery (Erdman, et al., lence of use, types of supplements used, as well as rea-
2006; Froiland, et al., 2004; Kristiansen, et al., 2005; sons for use. Specific gender comparisons are largely
Slater et al., 2003). confined to three of the reviewed studies, which explored
In the child and adolescent athlete literature, the the percentages of males and females using supplements.
reasons for supplementation are similar. High school It was found that females engage in supplement use more
athletes have reported growth (48%), illness prevention frequently than their male counterparts which was consis-
(44%), illness treatment (37%), enhanced performance tent with the trend observed in previous reviews of the
(31%), tiredness (28%), and muscle development (28%) literature (Sobal and Marquart, 1994a; Sobal and Muncie,
as the important reasons for consuming supplements (So- 1988) however in the current review, one study (Scofield
bal and Marquart, 1994b). and Unruh, 2006) found conflicting results (see Table 3).
Nieper (2005) found that the primary reasons for The other four original studies included in this review
UK junior national track and field athletes to consume either accounted for gender differences only in particular
supplements included health (45%), immune system aspects of data analysis (Kim and Keen, 1999; Perko et
(40%), and performance (25%). Enhancement of athletic al., 2000; O Dea, 2003; Sobal and Marquart, 1994b), or
performance is certainly on the minds of adolescent ath- compared genders for individual supplements (Bell et al.,
letes, as a study conducted by Perko et al. (2000) found 2004), not overall use.
that adolescent athletes agreed that most athletes their age In terms of reasons for supplement use, males tend
need dietary supplements a) to improve sports perform- to put more emphasis on the athletic performance-
ance (17.7%), b) taking dietary supplements would help enhancing effects of supplements where as females tend
all athletes perform better (27.4%), c) taking supplements to be more concerned with the health benefits (Slater et
is a safe way to improve sports performance (32.7%), d) al., 2003; Sobal and Marquart, 1994b). Neiper (2005)
that supplements give you more energy (41%), and e) confirmed this by revealing that female UK junior na-
taking supplements is a good way to build muscle tional track and field athletes reported taking supplements
(44.8%). for health issues (33%) and strengthening the immune
The influence of elite and professional athletes en- system (44%) with performance and strength (both 11%)
gaging in supplement use cannot be ignored. Highly pub- reported as less important. The primary reason males
licized accounts of athletes, who are idolized by children consumed supplements was to improve performance
and adolescents, using supplements and ergogenic aids (36%) and males (45%) consumed ergogenic aids (de-
may glamorize supplement use and encourage young fined as Creatine and caffeine) more often than females
athletes to mimic their actions (Calfee and Fadale, 2006). (11%).
Young athletes are under great pressure to attain Zeigler et al. (2003) found that male and female
increasingly higher levels in sport, thus they may be en- elite figure skaters differed considerably in terms of their
ticed to seek alternative means to be able play at elite motivation for consuming supplements. Females used
levels or to be noticed by professional scouts. The high supplements to prevent illness (61%), increase energy
economic value and social status of a professional athletic (39%), and make up for an inadequate diet (28%). Males
career may lure young athletes to engage in supplement used supplements to increase energy (41%), prevent ill-
use as a means for developing the competitive edge to ness (34%), and enhance performance (21%). This is
make it as a professional sports person (Calfee and evident in the types of supplements used most frequently
Fadale, 2006). used by each gender. Females consumed multivita-
The desire to play sport at the varsity or collegiate min/mineral supplements most frequently (83%), fol-
level is another justification for young athletes to engage lowed by herbal supplements (48%), and multivitamin-
in supplement use. Athletes expecting to play sports after only supplements (42%). These supplements could be
secondary school are more likely to take dietary supple- categorized as health-related supplements, where males
ments (Sobal and Marquart, 1994b). In North America, also used multivitamin/mineral (61%) and herbal supple-
playing sport at the university or college level comes at a ments (44%), they were taken less frequently, and instead,
high financial cost thus the quest to secure and maintain males consumed protein bars (38%), protein powders
an athletic scholarship may be another motivator for using (15%), amino acid powders (8%), and Creatine (3%)
performance-enhancing substances (Calfee and Fadale, more frequently than their female counterparts,
2006). This may also become a factor in the UK, as uni- confirming that males tend to use supplements claiming a
versities are beginning to offer sports scholarships to more ergogenic effect. The only exception to this is that
attract and retain skilled athletes. females (35%) consumed energy drinks and bars slightly
more frequently than males (33%).
Gender comparisons
Critique of literature and future research
Supplement use tends to differ across genders for preva- directions
McDowall 341
Several limitations should be acknowledged whilst con- with misconceptions regarding the nutritional require-
ducting this review of the supplement use literature. Most ments for maximal sport performance, and thus their
studies included in this review used a form of question- dietary habits tend to be poor (Reading et al., 1999).
naire to assess supplement use among athletes, however, To further investigate the factors influencing ath-
one study (O Dea, 2003) used focus groups, and another letes to engage in supplement use, it may be beneficial to
(Ziegler et al., 2003) used a combination of questionnaire explore the link between health and athletic performance.
and other anthropometric measurements. The question- Although research has demonstrated that enhancement of
naires used were different, and although addressing simi- sport performance is a primary reason for supplementa-
lar matters, subtle differences could affect the overall tion, overall health concerns also emerged as a key moti-
results. vator, especially for females, and was often more promi-
Another issue in reviewing the literature is that dif- nent than sport performance (Kim and Keen, 1999; Sobal
ferent studies investigated the use of different supple- and Marquart, 1994b). Vitamins and minerals are consid-
ments in the questionnaires. For example, some included ered a nutritional supplement, however, it is possible that
sports drinks, energy drinks, caffeine, herbal supplements athletes, who are generally concerned about their health
while others included a few supplements, while others and aware of the impact optimal health has on athletic
still focused only on vitamin and mineral supplements. To performance, view vitamins and minerals as more of a
achieve an accurate account of the prevalence and fre- pharmaceutical or medicine than a supplement. Since
quency of use of all types of supplements, studies should vitamin and mineral use is so prevalent among athletes, it
incorporate a more uniform method of examining sup- is likely that there is a misunderstanding as to the role of
plement use which would include a uniform categoriza- vitamins and minerals in the diet, their function in main-
tion of supplements, as well as a standardized list of the taining overall health, their role in athletic performance,
types of supplements to include in the analysis to enable and how they are best obtained from the diet. Athletes
direct comparisons between the findings of various stud- want to be as healthy as possible and tend to consume
ies. This process would allow researchers to obtain a more vitamins and minerals to maintain health rather than boost
complete interpretation of the current usage of supple- performance therefore it may be advantageous to deter-
ments among the young athlete population. mine a different approach to studying and addressing
Further research is needed regarding the effects of vitamin and mineral use by athletes.
high toxicity levels of vitamins/minerals in adolescents, as
they are the most frequently consumed supplement by the Conclusions
population. The nutritional component of the young ath-
lete s training program is especially crucial as there are In conclusion, it is important to recognize sporting or-
many connections between nutritional deficiencies, ganizations such as UK Sport, who are acknowledging the
growth, development, athletic performance, and injury need to educate young athletes about supplement use. To
prevention (Petrie et al., 2004). A major concern for do this, UK Sport have decided to focus their efforts on
health professionals and the sporting community is that their attitudes and values of supplement use in sport. UK
the effects of supplement use on the growth and develop- Sport has commenced a research project involving over
ment of children and adolescents are unclear. Minimal 1,000 young athletes in the UK (UK Sport, 2006). As well
experimental research exists regarding the performance- as increased education for young athletes regarding sup-
enhancing qualities or adverse effects of ergogenic sub- plement use, parents and coaches also need to be targeted
stances focusing exclusively on adolescent athletes under to help the athletes make the right choices.
the age of 18 (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005). Promoting physical activity in children and adoles-
Many physiological changes are occurring during these cents is particularly important at this time of increasing
developmental stages thus making it difficult to fully incidence of childhood obesity. Instilling a healthy atti-
understand the physiological implications of regular con- tude about exercise and sport in youth is imperative, but
sumption of supplements by this age group (Calfee and the message may become misconstrued if the emphasis is
Fadale, 2006). More direct evidence is also needed re- to excel at all costs, thus suggesting to young athletes that
garding potential physiological side effects of taking any using supplements is the key to success. Supplement use
type of supplement. among young athletes is a current and substantial issue
Another area requiring further research is the exact that merits future study in order to provide as much accu-
vitamin and mineral requirements of child and adolescent rate information as possible for both professionals and
athletes. Most of the research currently available shows consumers.
that athletes tend to have a greater food intake that ne-
gates any increased need for vitamins and minerals. The Acknowledgments
majority of these studies are however, citing results
I would like to thank the staff at the Children s Health and Exercise
of studies conducted in the 1980 s and 1990 s. More
Research Centre, University of Exeter, for their warm hospitality during
current empirical evidence would be beneficial, as al- my work placement. I would especially like to thank Prof. Craig Wil-
though in theory, the diets of athletes should be better and liams for his guidance and support.
more complete than their non-athletic counterparts, this
cannot be assumed. It is quite possible that that the diets References
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Jill Anne McDOWALL
Kristiansen, M., Levy-Milne, R., Barr, S. and Flint, A. (2005) Dietary
Employment
supplement use by varsity athletes at a Canadian university. In-
Dietitian, Nutrition Consultant, Sessional
ternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
lecturer for the Department of Family and
15, 195-210.
Nutritional Sciences, University of Prince
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Journal of Sports Sciences 22, 95-113. Edward Island
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Nutrition), MSc. (Psychological Research
tional track and field athletes. British Journal of Sports Medi-
Methods), RD (Registered Dietitian)
cine 39, 645-649.
Research interests
O Dea, J.A. (2003) Consumption of nutritional supplements among
Dietary supplement use, nutrition knowl-
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edge, and disordered eating among young
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Giving new meaning to the term taking one for the team : in- E-mail: ***@****************.**
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