Use of supplements by young elite Japanese athletes participating in the 2010 youth Olympic games in Singapore.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of supplement use among young elite Japanese athletes.

DESIGN

Survey study.

SETTING

2010 Youth Olympic Games, Singapore.

PARTICIPANTS

Data were collected from individual interviews during medical evaluations of 75 athletes selected for the Japanese national team.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Main outcome measures included the use of supplements, products used, frequency of use, purpose of use, and relationships between supplement use and athlete attitudes toward a balanced diet.

RESULTS

All 75 athletes agreed to participate in this study, and individual interviews by pharmacists made it possible to collect complete answers from all athletes. Of these athletes, 47 (62.7%) used 1 or more supplement products (average number of products used, 1.1 ± 1.3). The most popular supplement was amino acids, which were used by 33 athletes (44.0%). Of the supplements used, 28 (32.6%) were taken every day, whereas 28 (32.6%) were used only on special occasions. Moreover, 34 of the supplement products (39.5%) were taken to enhance recovery from fatigue, whereas 19 (22.1%) were used to improve athletic performance. Statistical analysis suggested that there was no significant relationship between supplement use and attitudes toward a balanced diet.

CONCLUSIONS

The results revealed widespread supplement use among young elite athletes in the Japanese national team for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games in 2010. Moreover, these athletes apparently used supplements without considering the effects of their normal diets.