Supplements and Safety

Supplements. They can be bought almost anywhere. Do you allow your athlete to take them? Do you even know if he/she takes supplements? Do you know what is in them? Are the ingredients safe?

A recent article does a deep dive into this issue.

"InvestigateTV analyzed the FDA’s database of nearly 1,000 tainted products illegally marketed as dietary supplements since 2007. The results showed 98% of the tainted products were in the performance-enhancement categories. Sexual enhancement products were the most frequently reported, followed by weight loss and muscle building products."

This 2016 paper states that "The most reported DS’s [dietary supplements] were multivitamin/mineral supplements, vitamin C, and vitamin D. The most frequently reported SNPs [sports nutrition products] were energy drinks and isotonic drinks."

Does the FDA regulate supplements? Most people and news reports say "no," but that is incorrect according to the FDA.

FDA Regulation of Supplements

• "Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded.  That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

• FDA is responsible for taking action against any adulterated or misbranded dietary supplement product after it reaches the market."

How Do You Know If The Supplement Is Safe? Here are some questions to ask and answer.

• Has every batch of your supplements been tested for hundreds of contaminants?

• Are the raw materials tested prior to their use in formulating the supplement? 

• Are the raw material suppliers vetted by a scientist BEFORE they are tested by the company?

• Are the ingredients listed, in the amounts listed on the label really in the bottle?

• Has the chemical structure of each ingredient been identified and tested?

• Are there any safety complaints against the supplement manufacturer and/or distributor?

• Does the supplement have the active ingredients that really offer health benefits?

• Are the active ingredients standardized for consistent efficacy and quality?

• Has the supplement been substantiated with scientific clinical studies before it is released?

• Does the company encourage the reporting of any adverse event, even the smallest one, and review each and every event to ensure product safety and quality and update product use recommendations?

• Does the company who produces your supplements have a large number of in-house scientists from multiple disciplines who are responsible for the research and development of the products they make?

• Does the company who produces your supplements have a volunteer (unpaid) scientific board of advisers that includes the top nutrition and anti-aging scientists in the world who meet with the in-house scientists to review research and development?

How Do I Know What Supplements Are Prohibited?

There is NO excuse - prohibited lists are readily available and have been for decades. In 1995, I was on the medical staff of the U.S. Olympic Festival. Every athlete had to declare what supplements they used. All the prohibited supplements were published in a book (remember books, as in before the Internet?).

Below are links you MUST used to check out your supplement.

WADA Prohibited Supplement List 2020

NSF International Certified for Sport Directory

NSF App

Global Drug Reference Online

Why would you use a supplement without checking into it first? Blind trust can lead to a bad outcome. If you can't confirm the safety of the supplement, then don't use it.

Parents, get knowledgeable and guide your athletes. The same for coaches.

It is YOUR CHILD out there. Think about that carefully.

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Schedule a free 30 minute safety and risk assessment with Dr. Steve Horwitz, CEO and Founder of TeamSafe​®Sports and prepare today!

Click here: calendly.com/drstevenhorwitz

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