Factors to consider: 

• Have you received expert advice on your individual nutritional needs, and discussed it with your support team (e.g., sports dietitian or sports doctor)? 
• Can you get the nutrients you need from food (i.e., without using a supplement)? 
• Could a more balanced schedule, with appropriate levels of training, sleep, recovery and work or study, help you achieve your goals? 

Key reminders 

• The safest option is a food-first approach to nutrition. 
• When you seek expert advice, tell them you are an athlete who could be tested at any time. 

Factors to consider:

• Supplements are manufactured in factories, and not medical labs. This increases the risk of cross-contamination. 
• Inaccurate labelling, whether deliberate or accidental, makes it difficult to know what’s really in supplement products. 

The risk of buying a supplement with a prohibited substance in is 10-15% and the risk of this is higher where the supplement is manufactured in some countries more than others.
 

Key reminders

• Supplements can contain banned substances.
• Athletes can, and do, test positive as a result of contaminated supplements.
• Article 10.4 of the WADA Code states it is the individuals’ responsibility to prove no fault in the event of any positive finding from an anti-doping test if suspected from a contaminated supplement.

Factors to consider: 

• Have you found evidence that the supplement is effective, and discussed it with your support team (e.g., sport dietitian, sports doctor)? 
• Is evidence that the supplement is effective from a trusted source? Note that social media isn’t a trusted source for this type of information.  
• Does the supplement sound 'too good to be true'?  
• Be skeptical of claims, or influencers, telling you that a product works. What is their motivation? 

Key reminder

• Be skeptical of claims, or influencers, telling you that a product works.

• Supplements use in athletes under the age of 18 should only be considered after consultation with a qualified professional and not under the instruction of a coach.
• All athletes have a choice to decline consuming any supplement even if it is a supplement for a non-life-threatening clinical reason. 

Factors to consider:

• Are any of the supplement’s ingredients on the current Prohibited List? 
• Have you considered any key red flag ingredients on the label?
• Is the dose safe for you? 
• Have you discussed the possible side effects of supplement use with your support team?
• Have you told your support team about other medications or supplements you are taking to ensure the supplement does not negatively interact with them? 

Key reminders 

• Supplements can contain substances that are prohibited in sport - and they may not be listed on the label.  
• Using incorrect doses, or thinking ‘more is better’, is dangerous for your health. 
• Words like ‘herbal’ or ‘natural’ do not necessarily mean it is safe. 

Factors to consider:

• Has the supplement been batch tested for banned substances by a well-established 3^rd party program? 
• Do you know the difference between batch testing and 3^rd party certification?
• Does the number on the supplement packaging exactly match the batch testing certificate? 
• Have you taken a screen shot of the batch number and downloaded the certificate of the product from the Quality Assurance program app or website?

Key reminder

• Batch testing is not the same as a certified quality assurance program, but it does mean you can have increased confidence in a specific batch over a product that is not batch tested.

Factors to consider:

- Have you kept a record of the supplement’s batch number?
- Did you receive exactly what you ordered?
- Do you have a plan for reviewing your supplement use?
- Have you considered each of the factors presented in this Guide?
- Have you checked Aspetar’s guidelines on selecting a supplement to reduce the risk of contamination?

Key reminders

- If tested, remember to list all substances you have used on your paperwork.  
- By taking supplements you risk testing positive for a prohibited substance. 
- Athletes are 100% responsible for anything found in their sample. 
- Use only supplements from a quality assured certified testing program.