Dietary Supplements For Athletes: What Are The Risks?

Once reserved for bodybuilders, dietary supplements and protein-enriched products are becoming more widespread, including among casual athletes. However, be cautious: sports supplements are not without risks! The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) is raising the alarm about their composition and potential side effects. Here's an explanation.

Which products are being singled out?

In July 2024, even as the Paris Olympic Games might encourage the French to get back into sports, Anses is alerting the general public about the risks of dietary supplements for athletes.

The products targeted by the health safety agency are supposed to improve athletic performance, increase muscle mass, or reduce body fat. These can include energy bars, recovery drinks, or vitamin and/or protein powders.

The use of these products was once limited to the small world of bodybuilding but has now spread to athletes of all levels and particularly among teenagers. It is estimated that 25% of teenagers enrolled in a sports club use them.

These types of supplements can be found in specialized stores as well as in gyms and on the Internet, which tends to make them more commonplace. However, their composition is far from benign…

What are the risks of dietary supplements for athletes?

A study published in the American scientific journal Jama has demonstrated that sports supplements taken regularly without medical advice are dangerous to health.

These products can indeed contain numerous substances: proteins, amino acids such as creatine, but also additives and minerals manufactured through industrial processes.

Among adolescents, who are significant consumers of these products, this type of dietary supplement can lead to stunted growth and infertility according to Anses.

This health safety agency also indicated that between 2016 and February 2024, 154 new cases of adverse effects were reported after consuming these products, averaging more than one case per month. Two deaths occurred, and four people had life-threatening conditions, according to official statistics.

Among the reported adverse effects are notably hepatic, cardiovascular, neurological, and renal problems:
• renal failure;
• tachycardia;
• hypertension;
• anxiety;
• mood disorders.

What are the recommendations of Anses?

Given the severity of potential side effects, Anses has issued a number of recommendations regarding dietary supplements for athletes.

The health safety agency advises against the use of these products for several categories of people:
• adolescents;
• pregnant or breastfeeding women;
• patients with a history of cardiovascular diseases.

Even if you do not belong to these categories, it is safer to seek medical advice from your general practitioner or pharmacist before taking this type of dietary supplement.

What are the points to check?

As with all dietary supplements in general, you should avoid online orders from unknown suppliers. On the Internet, you risk ordering adulterated or fraudulent products, whose actual composition does not match the listed ingredients.

Before buying dietary supplements to boost your athletic performance, always check the following points:
• the seller's identity and the reputation of their website.
• the legal notices and general terms of sale.
• the list of ingredients, which should be clearly visible on the packaging.
• the presence of the European anti-doping standard Afnor NF EN 17444.

Warning: according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), some supplements for athletes promoted by influencers on social networks and sold online contain substances prohibited for sale in France, such as anabolic androgenic steroids, ephedrine, or clenbuterol.