The Impact Of Perceived Safety And Efficacy Of Dietary Supplement Use In Collegiate Athletes

While literature exists on a wide variety of dietary supplements for sports performance, little is understood on how the athletes perceive supplements’ performance and health impact. Athletes’ perceptions of supplement safety and efficacy may reflect on the knowledge the athletes have on what they are taking, which may be useful for professionals and parents in educating athletes about supplements. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the perceptions of safety and efficacy of dietary supplements and their relationship to supplement use. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-one Rhode Island collegiate athletes (age: 20.00 ± 1.23 years) completed a cross-sectional online survey assessing their reported supplement usage and confidence in supplement efficacy and safety. Two one-way ANOVAs were run to assess differences in total supplement use based on perceived efficacy and safety of supplements. RESULTS: Athletes reported taking an average of 4.49 ± 3.39 supplements. An ANOVA revealed significant differences between perceived supplement efficacy groups (extremely confident, very confident, somewhat confident, not confident at all) and total number of supplements used (3, 46.64) = 13.37, p < 0.001. Individuals who are not confident at all in supplement efficacy reported significantly less supplement use compared to those who were extremely confident, very confident, and somewhat confident in supplement efficacy (1.68 vs. 4.32, 3.25, and 2.96, respectively). Differences between perceived supplement safety groups (extremely confident, very confident, somewhat confident, not confident at all) and total number of supplements used were also statistically significant (3, 75.98) = 10.79, p < 0.001. Athletes who are not confident at all in supplement safety reported significantly less supplement use compared to those who were extremely confident, very confident, and somewhat confident (1.91 vs. 3.61, 2.70, and 2.71, respectively). CONCLUSION: Perceived confidence in supplement efficacy and safety is associated with the total number of supplements that athletes take, regardless of if they are somewhat, very, or extremely confident. Future research should focus on the relationship between evidence-based supplement efficacy, athlete knowledge and confidence in supplement use in collegiate athletes. Supported by: Clean Competetion Grant from the Rhode Island Foundation