Nutritional Supplements & Athletes- An Analysis of Potential Side Effects

Abstract

Nutritional supplements are commonly accessible products used as an extension to the normal diet and are mostly used by athletes. Among all users of supplements, the utilization among athletes tends to be more noteworthy than the overall public. With such a vast number of athletes utilizing dietary supplements, it is vital to evaluate about side effects of nutritional supplements among gymnasium going athletes. This study was Analytical, conducted on 57 male athletes from Lahore, who were regularly going to gymnasium since past three months and were using nutritional supplements at the time of evaluation. The most frequently used supplements were the mostly consumed nutritional supplements were protein or whey protein powders (61.4%), multivitamins (56.1%), and creatine (38.6%). Most common side effects after utilizing nutritional supplements were Dry Mouth/Dehydration (n=28, 49.1%), Constipation (n=22, 38.6%), Insomnia/Lack of Sleep (n=18, 31.5%) Nausea (n=17, 29.8%) and Heart Palpitations/Abnormal Heartbeats (n=16, 28%). Pearson’s Correlation indicated that the casein protein and soy protein were the major cause of many side effects. It is concluded that athletes were having some side effects after utilizing nutritional supplements and they were utilizing supplements without consulting a proper nutritionist/dietitian.