TY - JOUR
T1 - Dutch Olympic and Non-Olympic Athletes Differ in Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Third-party Supplement Testing
AU - Wardenaar, Floris C.
AU - Hoogervorst, Daan
AU - Vento, Kaila A.
AU - de Hon, Olivier
N1 - Funding Information:
This research has received no specific grant from any funding agency or the commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Knowledge of third-party testing is important for elite athletes using nutritional supplements to reduce the chances of a positive doping incident. Therefore, we compared the self-reported knowledge and attitudes of N = 601 Dutch Olympic status and non-Olympic status athletes toward an independent Dutch third-party tested system (NZVT) for purchasing nutritional supplements (NSs). Most of the athletes believed that contaminated NSs could lead to a positive doping test (68.0%), and found it unacceptable to use a contaminated NS as a result of incomplete labeling (87.8%). More Olympic status athletes were familiar with the NZVT system (71.1%) than non-Olympic status athletes (24.5%, p < 0.001). Of the athletes knowing about NZVT, Olympic status athletes reported more frequently using the NZVT than non-Olympic athletes (81.7% vs. 50.0%, p < 0.001). Apart from status, more females were familiar with and used the NZVT system for purchasing NSs than males, p < 0.01. In conclusion, many athletes were not familiar with nor used the preferred third-party testing supplement system in the Netherlands when purchasing NSs. While doping warnings and regulations have been in place, considering the risk of unintentional doping use for over two decades, the knowledge of Olympic status and non-Olympic status high-level athletes could still be improved, as many are not reporting the use of third-party testing systems.
AB - Knowledge of third-party testing is important for elite athletes using nutritional supplements to reduce the chances of a positive doping incident. Therefore, we compared the self-reported knowledge and attitudes of N = 601 Dutch Olympic status and non-Olympic status athletes toward an independent Dutch third-party tested system (NZVT) for purchasing nutritional supplements (NSs). Most of the athletes believed that contaminated NSs could lead to a positive doping test (68.0%), and found it unacceptable to use a contaminated NS as a result of incomplete labeling (87.8%). More Olympic status athletes were familiar with the NZVT system (71.1%) than non-Olympic status athletes (24.5%, p < 0.001). Of the athletes knowing about NZVT, Olympic status athletes reported more frequently using the NZVT than non-Olympic athletes (81.7% vs. 50.0%, p < 0.001). Apart from status, more females were familiar with and used the NZVT system for purchasing NSs than males, p < 0.01. In conclusion, many athletes were not familiar with nor used the preferred third-party testing supplement system in the Netherlands when purchasing NSs. While doping warnings and regulations have been in place, considering the risk of unintentional doping use for over two decades, the knowledge of Olympic status and non-Olympic status high-level athletes could still be improved, as many are not reporting the use of third-party testing systems.
KW - Anti-doping
KW - contamination
KW - dietary supplements
KW - ill-manufactured
KW - nutritional supplements
KW - sports nutrition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092241967&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85092241967&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/19390211.2020.1829248
DO - 10.1080/19390211.2020.1829248
M3 - Article
C2 - 33021113
AN - SCOPUS:85092241967
SN - 1939-0211
VL - 18
SP - 646
EP - 654
JO - Journal of Dietary Supplements
JF - Journal of Dietary Supplements
IS - 6
ER -