Supplement Connect
No organization can guarantee the safety, efficacy or non-prohibited status of a dietary supplement.
Due to the current regulatory framework, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not evaluate dietary supplement products prior to them being brought to the market.
As such, it is very important that athletes and athlete support personnel are aware of the risks associated with taking dietary supplements.
USADA has created Supplement Connect as an online resource to help athletes and athlete support personnel, realize the concerns surrounding the use of dietary supplements, recognize risk, and reduce the risk of testing positive or experiencing health problems if an athlete chooses to use supplements.
USADA Supplement Connect Resources
Realize: There are risks associated with using supplements
Dietary supplements are risky because they could contain prohibited substances that can cause a positive anti-doping test or ingredients that cause health problems.
This section is designed to help you realize that:
- You can be harmed by supplements
- Laws and regulations cannot always protect you from dangerous products
- Doctors, coaches, and peers may not understand the risks of using supplements and could recommend unsafe products
- Your reliance on dietary supplements may be unnecessary
Recognize: Supplement risk when you see it
While there is no way to be completely sure about the safety of supplements, there are some warning signs you can learn to recognize when it comes to identifying risky supplements. As an athlete, it is up to you to evaluate the risk you’re willing to accept when using supplements. If you do choose to use supplements despite the risks, USADA’s recommendation is to reduce that risk by using only NSF Certified for Sport supplements.
If you choose to take your chances on an uncertified supplement, then these warning signs at the link below should raise serious red flags for you.
Reduce: Your Risk
If athletes to use supplements despite the known risks, USADA has always recommended that athletes use only dietary supplements that have been certified by a third-party program that tests for substances prohibited in sport.
USADA currently recognizes NSF Certified for Sport ® as the program best suited for athletes to reduce the risk from supplements.
Using an NSF Certified for Sport ® product significantly reduces, but does not necessarily eliminate, the chance of testing positive and being sanctioned. Under the rules, if an athlete tests positive and establishes the source as a contaminated NSF Certified for Sport ® product, the athlete could get a much-reduced sanction, but there likely would still be a consequence.
Energy Drink Resources
The articles below provide information on the health and safety of energy drinks. These links will give you insight to making educated choices on how you want to hydrate your body in and out of training.