Use of Dietary Supplements among Professional Athletes in Saudi Arabia

[摘要] The objective of this study was to understand the usage patterns of dietary supplements among professional athletes in Saudi Arabia.The survey consisted of sixteen questions divided into four categories: use of supplements, reason for consumption of supplements, personal beliefs about supplements, and behavior. The questionnaires were given to the three teams residing in Riyadh: Al Hilal, Al Nasr, and Al-Shabab. Out of the 105 athletes surveyed, we found that only 98 are currently taking dietary supplements and the mean age and standard deviation were25.74±2.90. The survey results showed a high percentage of athletes (93.3%;n=98) using different dietary supplements throughout the season, 43.8% (n=43) reported using supplements for performance, and 32.6% (n=32) believed in health benefits as a reason for using dietary supplements. Our results showed that a total of 87 (88.7%), 81 (82.6%), and 51 (52.0%) athletes are consuming sports drinks, vitamin C, and multivitamins, respectively. Meanwhile, those supplements ranking among the least used included omega 6 (18.6%), creatine (16.3%), and Ginkgo biloba (10.2%).A majority of athletes indicated that their use of supplements was for the purpose of improving their health and performance.

[学科分类] 内分泌与代谢学