Are Cheap Supplements Safe for Professional Athletes?
In this post I want to discuss the safety of cheap supplements and see if you are in anyway putting your self at risk by using cheap supplements. To clarify supplements we are referring to common supplements such as protein powders, creatine and fat burners that can be readily bought over the counter at any UK sports supplement shop.
In the UK the term supplement is a broad name for vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies, and other substances taken orally and regulated as foods. These are subject to the general provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990, the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 and the Trade Descriptions Act 1968.
Under these laws manufactures need only to exhibit proof that their product can do what it says only if they contain medical claims. For example if you wanted to produce a supplement that cured cancer you would need proof that your product could indeed do this. The manufactures of cheap supplements however can say their product improves speed and strength without requiring any proof that they do so.
The situation is similar in the US where the supplement industry is also poorly regulated. U.S. law defines supplements as foods and cheap supplements can go on the market until they are proven dangerous, unlike drugs which must first be proven safe before they can be sold. Even a dangerous supplement is then difficult to get pulled from the shelves as the manufactures do not have to report adverse side effects.
One example is the case of Metabolife and its popular Ephedra products. The FDA tried for years to make them hand over health complaints they received and when they did there were 13,000 of them – despite the company president claiming they had not received a single one!
Unfortunately not all cheap supplement manufactures have your best interest at heart and some can be dangerous to your health. That is why even when buying cheap supplements you should exhibit due diligence on the companies product you are buying. This is especially true for competitive athletes who could find themselves slapped with a hefty ban and fine if the supplement they are using has traces of a banned substance. So always make sure your supplement has been tested doping safe.
Even at that, professional athletes are advised by the IOC to avoid all cheap supplements as often traces of banned substances may not show up in a test of the product but that level may show up in the test of a drug tested athlete. Contamination can occur with the raw materials, capsules the supplements or stored in or the machines used in the manufacturing facility even when equipment is thoroughly cleaned.
A 2003 study carried out by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) found that of 643 supplements tested, 15% contained banned substances high enough for an athlete to fail a drugs test yet not listed on the product labels.
Therefore any athlete that could be subject to doping control needs to exhibit great care and due diligence before using cheap supplements.
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Tags: atheletes, cheap supplements, doping control
