IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete

Ronald J Maughan¹, Louise M Burke^{2

3}, Jiri Dvorak⁴, D Enette Larson-Meyer⁵, Peter Peeling^{6

7}, Stuart M Phillips⁸, Eric S Rawson⁹, Neil P Walsh¹⁰, Ina Garthe¹¹, Hans Geyer¹², Romain Meeusen¹³, Lucas J C van Loon^{3

14}, Susan M Shirreffs¹, Lawrence L Spriet¹⁵, Mark Stuart¹⁶, Alan Vernec¹⁷, Kevin Currell¹⁸, Vidya M Ali¹⁹, Richard Gm Budgett²⁰, Arne Ljungqvist²¹, Margo Mountjoy^{22

23}, Yannis P Pitsiladis¹⁹, Torbjørn Soligard²⁰, Uğur Erdener¹⁹, Lars Engebretsen²⁰

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine, St Andrews University, St Andrews, UK.
² Sports Nutrition, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, Australia.
³ Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Family & Consumer Sciences (Human Nutrition), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.
⁶ School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
⁷ Western Australian Institute of Sport, Mount Claremont, Australia.
⁸ Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
⁹ Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science, Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
¹⁰ College of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
¹¹ The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sport, Oslo, Norway.
¹² Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Preventive Doping Research, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany.
¹³ Human Physiology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.
¹⁴ Department of Human Biology and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
¹⁵ Human Health & Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
¹⁶ BMJ, London, UK.
¹⁷ Department of Science and Medicine, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Montreal, Canada.
¹⁸ English Institute of Sport, Loughborough, UK.
¹⁹ Medical and Scientific Commission, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, Switzerland.
²⁰ Medical and Scientific Department, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, Switzerland.
²¹ Anti-Doping Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden.
²² Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, Health and Performance, Centre University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
²³ Medical and Scientific Commission Games Group, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, Switzerland.

PMID: 29540367
PMCID: PMC5867441
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099027

IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete

Ronald J Maughan et al. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Apr.

. 2018 Apr;52(7):439-455.

doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099027. Epub 2018 Mar 14.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine, St Andrews University, St Andrews, UK.
² Sports Nutrition, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, Australia.
³ Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Family & Consumer Sciences (Human Nutrition), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.
⁶ School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
⁷ Western Australian Institute of Sport, Mount Claremont, Australia.
⁸ Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
⁹ Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science, Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
¹⁰ College of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
¹¹ The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sport, Oslo, Norway.
¹² Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Preventive Doping Research, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany.
¹³ Human Physiology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.
¹⁴ Department of Human Biology and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
¹⁵ Human Health & Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
¹⁶ BMJ, London, UK.
¹⁷ Department of Science and Medicine, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Montreal, Canada.
¹⁸ English Institute of Sport, Loughborough, UK.
¹⁹ Medical and Scientific Commission, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, Switzerland.
²⁰ Medical and Scientific Department, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, Switzerland.
²¹ Anti-Doping Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden.
²² Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, Health and Performance, Centre University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
²³ Medical and Scientific Commission Games Group, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, Switzerland.

PMID: 29540367
PMCID: PMC5867441
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099027

Abstract

Nutrition usually makes a small but potentially valuable contribution to successful performance in elite athletes, and dietary supplements can make a minor contribution to this nutrition programme. Nonetheless, supplement use is widespread at all levels of sport. Products described as supplements target different issues, including (1) the management of micronutrient deficiencies, (2) supply of convenient forms of energy and macronutrients, and (3) provision of direct benefits to performance or (4) indirect benefits such as supporting intense training regimens. The appropriate use of some supplements can benefit the athlete, but others may harm the athlete's health, performance, and/or livelihood and reputation (if an antidoping rule violation results). A complete nutritional assessment should be undertaken before decisions regarding supplement use are made. Supplements claiming to directly or indirectly enhance performance are typically the largest group of products marketed to athletes, but only a few (including caffeine, creatine, specific buffering agents and nitrate) have good evidence of benefits. However, responses are affected by the scenario of use and may vary widely between individuals because of factors that include genetics, the microbiome and habitual diet. Supplements intended to enhance performance should be thoroughly trialled in training or simulated competition before being used in competition. Inadvertent ingestion of substances prohibited under the antidoping codes that govern elite sport is a known risk of taking some supplements. Protection of the athlete's health and awareness of the potential for harm must be paramount; expert professional opinion and assistance is strongly advised before an athlete embarks on supplement use.

Keywords: diet; performance.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Hierarchy of evidence used to establish good practice focused on the issue of nutritional supplements.

**Figure 2**
Flow chart to guide informed decision making and reducing risk of antidoping rule violation during nutritional supplement use. MD, medical doctors.

**Figure 3**
Flow chart to guide informed decision making and reducing risk of antidoping rule violation during ergogenic supplement use.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

Cited by

Health-Related Quality of Life in Rugby Athletes: The Role of Dietary Supplements and Their Consumption.
Sapuppo W, Monda A, Giacconi D, Gregori Grgič R, Saccenti D, Mineo CM, Monda V, Allocca S, Casillo M, Monda M, Di Maio G, La Marra M. Sapuppo W, et al. Sports (Basel). 2024 Oct 8;12(10):270. doi: 10.3390/sports12100270. Sports (Basel). 2024. PMID: 39453236 Free PMC article.
An intervention to optimise coach-created motivational climates and reduce athlete willingness to dope (CoachMADE): a three-country cluster randomised controlled trial.
Ntoumanis N, Quested E, Patterson L, Kaffe S, Backhouse SH, Pavlidis G, Whitaker L, Barkoukis V, Smith BJ, Staff HR, Gucciardi DF. Ntoumanis N, et al. Br J Sports Med. 2021 Feb;55(4):213-219. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-101963. Epub 2020 Sep 11. Br J Sports Med. 2021. PMID: 32917672 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
Sports Supplement Consumption in 316 Federated Female Road Cyclists.
García-Durán J, González-Jurado JA, Sánchez-Oliver AJ. García-Durán J, et al. Nutrients. 2024 Aug 4;16(15):2563. doi: 10.3390/nu16152563. Nutrients. 2024. PMID: 39125442 Free PMC article.
Beetroot juice ingestion does not improve neuromuscular performance and match-play demands in elite female hockey players: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
López-Samanes Á, Pérez-Lopez A, Morencos E, Muñoz A, Kühn A, Sánchez-Migallón V, Moreno-Pérez V, González-Frutos P, Bach-Faig A, Roberts J, Domínguez R. López-Samanes Á, et al. Eur J Nutr. 2023 Apr;62(3):1123-1130. doi: 10.1007/s00394-022-03052-1. Epub 2022 Nov 19. Eur J Nutr. 2023. PMID: 36401662 Clinical Trial.
Dietary Acid-Base Balance in High-Performance Athletes.
Baranauskas M, Jablonskienė V, Abaravičius JA, Samsonienė L, Stukas R. Baranauskas M, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul 24;17(15):5332. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17155332. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020. PMID: 32722186 Free PMC article.

See all "Cited by" articles

References

1. Bailey RL, Gahche JJ, Lentino CV, et al. . Dietary supplement use in the United States, 2003-2006. J Nutr 2011;141:261–6. 10.3945/jn.110.133025 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Fennell D. Determinants of supplement usage. Prev Med 2004;39:932–9. 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.03.031 - DOI - PubMed
1. Supplements UNood. Dietary supplement health and education act of 1994. 1994. https://ods.od.nih.gov/About/DSHEA_Wording.aspx#sec31994 (accessed 22 Nov 2017).
1. Maughan RJ, Depiesse F, Geyer H. International Association of Athletics Federations. The use of dietary supplements by athletes. J Sports Sci 2007;25(Suppl 1):S103–13. 10.1080/02640410701607395 - DOI - PubMed
1. Garthe I, Maughan MRJ. Athletes and Supplements - prevalance and perspectives. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. In Press 2018. - PubMed

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
- scite Smart Citations
Medical
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- MedlinePlus Health Information

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete

Affiliations

IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

Similar articles

Cited by

References

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical