Describing use of muscle-building supplements among adolescents and young adults in Canada

Background

Given the high prevalence of use of muscle-building supplements, such as whey protein and creatine monohydrate, there remains a need for more research to understand use among adolescents and young adults. This study aimed to describe the influences of muscle-building supplement use, the amount of time researching muscle-building supplements, common places of purchase, information sources, symptoms during use, medical attention sought, and perceptions of problematic use.

Methods

Data from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors (N = 912) were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the primary variables and chi-square tests and one-way ANOVAs were used to identify gender differences. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the sociodemographic associations with reported symptoms during use, not seeking medical attention for symptoms, and perceived problematic use.

Results

Protein bars (58.9 %) and whey protein powders or protein shakes (52.2 %) were the most reported muscle-building supplements used. Nearly half (43.7 %) of participants reported social media influencers as a primary influence of use, while over two-thirds (69.3 %) reported seeking information from online websites. Participants spent the most time researching the risks and benefits of creatine monohydrate. Nearly two-thirds of participants reported at least one symptom while using muscle-building supplements, despite 87.8 % of those participants not seeking medical attention. Only 9.8 % of participants perceived their use as problematic, with distinct sociodemographic factors linked to symptoms and perceptions of problematic use.

Conclusions

Findings provide important information about the use of muscle-building supplements among adolescents and young adults that can guide harm reduction and intervention efforts among healthcare, public health, and policymaking professionals.