ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AMONG STUDENTS OF THE FACULTY OF SPORT AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Supplements are products widely used among athletes to improve sports performance and reduce fatigue symptoms. The aim of the study was to determine the differences of the use of dietary supplements among students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Niš (by year of study and gender), as well as the differences between the frequency and duration of physical activity with the use of dietary supplements. The survey was conducted on a sample of 201 students of both genders, all four years of undergraduate studies, aged 19 to 23. The respondents completed questionnaire containing questions related to dietary supplementation, physical activity and the existence of fatigue symptoms. Survey results show that 40.8% of respondents use supplements. Male students used dietary supplementation more often than female . Students most commonly take vitamins (68.3%), proteins and amino acids (15.1%) whereas 5.6% of them use minerals. The results have shown that with the increase of the year of study, the number of students taking supplements decreases significantly. Also, the analysis of the results by gender showed that male students were more likely to take amino acid supplements. No differences were found between the duration and frequency of physical activity and the use of supplements. It could be concluded that with the increase of the year of study, we note positive changes in students' attitudes to the use of supplements, which could be explained by the acquisition of knowledge in the field of sports nutrition and supplementation through the curriculum contents of the study program.