Nutritional supplements are food products designed to supplement the normal diet of a healthy person. However, nutritional supplements may contain prohibited substances and, consequently, their use has resulted in anti-doping rule violations. FINCIS cannot guarantee whether nutritional supplements are considered to contain doping agents or not.
Pure nutritional supplements do not typically enhance performance if the athlete’s diet is varied and contains an adequate amount of vitamins and micronutrients. Energy drinks and protein products may be used to replace normal food items, especially after training, to boost recovery and ensure adequate energy and protein intake.
In addition to the risk of anti-doping rule violations, the use of nutritional supplements may also involve potential health risks, such as undesirable interactions with medicines and impurities. More information on the supervision of nutritional supplements in Finland and general instructions can be found on the websites of the Finnish Food Authority and the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea.
Nutritional supplements and anti-doping rule violation risks
The use of nutritional supplements involves a risk of committing an anti-doping rule violation, as they may contain substances prohibited in sports, such as stimulants, anabolic steroids, compounds that boost the secretion of growth hormone and diuretics, commonly as either impurities or intentional additives.
When nutritional supplements are used, the following things should be considered:
- Prohibited substances may be listed on the labelling.
- The product may contain prohibited substances which are not listed on the labelling.
- The products may include prohibited substances as impurities.
- Only a small amount of the ingredients of products that contain plant extracts are known.
The compositions of nutritional supplements are not controlled like the components of medicine. Therefore, FINCIS cannot categorise nutritional supplements as permitted or prohibited with regard to doping agents. This also applies to homeopathic products and other non-medicinal products.
Nutritional supplements that involve the highest risks
If an athlete uses nutritional supplements, they must carefully consider whether there are reasonable grounds for using the supplements that cannot be remedied by adjusting their diet. If an athlete must use a nutritional supplement, they must check the list of prohibited substances to see whether any prohibited substances are listed in the ingredients of the nutritional supplement in question. Even if a prohibited substance is not listed on the labelling of a nutritional supplement, the responsibility always lies with the athlete in the event of an adverse analytical finding. Micronutrients, vitamin products and other nutritional supplements should be selected from the range of products offered by a reliable manufacturer and bought from a reliable supplier, for instance, from a pharmacy. Primarily, FINCIS recommends the use of a micronutrient or vitamin product available as a medicinal product from a pharmacy.
Although the safety of nutritional supplements can never be fully guaranteed, the following products must be carefully avoided:
- The product is not specified to be nutritionally important but it is advertised to
- improve performance,
- increase the effects of training,
- increase muscle strength,
- increase hormone levels or
- improve the metabolism of fats.
- The product’s ingredients are not listed or known.
- The product is advertised to contain
- hormone precursors or “boosters” (DHEA, androstenedione),
- selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs such as LGD-4033, andarine),
- stimulating compounds (ephedrine, amfetamine derivatives such as DMAA, DMBA),
- compounds that accelerate the secretion of growth hormone (ghrelin mimetics, hexarelin, GHRP, GHRP-2 etc.) or
- fat metabolism boosters (β2-agonists such as clenbuterol, higenamine or other sympathomimetics).
- The scientific names of the ingredients include
- prefixes andro-, epi, epithio-, gonado, 17α-, 17β- or
- suffixes -diol, -dione, -stene or -stane.
- The route of administration of a nutritional supplement is other than oral.
- The product is acquired from a foreign supplier online.
Same caution as with nutritional supplements should be applied in the case of homeopathic products and other non-medicinal products.
Tested and certified nutritional supplements
It is not possible to analyse the chemical compositions of nutritional supplements through FINCIS. However, there are several certification programmes around the world that test the composition and purity of nutritional supplements at the manufacturer’s request. Well-known certification programmes include:
- Informed Sport (UK)
- NSF Certified for Sport (USA)
- Cologne List (Germany)
These programmes test batches of nutritional supplements for prohibited substances. It is important to note that certification programmes do not test all substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List and the number of substances tested varies from programme to programme. Using a certified product does not eliminate but reduces the risk of the nutritional supplement containing a prohibited substance. It should be remembered that FINCIS does not guarantee the purity of a certified nutritional supplement with regard to doping agents. The athlete is responsible if the use of the product results in a positive doping test.
If an athlete chooses to use a nutritional supplement, FINCIS recommends the use of certified products to reduce the risk, especially if the athlete uses, for example, high-risk products that aim to influence performance rather than correct nutritional deficiencies.
Minimise the risks associated with the use of nutritional supplements
Ignorance is not an explanation. In the event of an anti-doping rule violation, it is the athlete’s responsibility to demonstrate how the prohibited substance entered their body and that they have taken all necessary measures to minimise the risks associated with the use of the nutritional supplement. Despite these measures, even accidental anti-doping rule violations related to nutritional supplements may result in ineligibility.
- Assess the necessity of use and risks with an expert.
- Only use nutritional supplements if the need for them has been determined by a specialist (e.g. physician or dietician).
- Aim to meet your nutritional needs with a balanced diet.
- Check all ingredients on the package against the list of substances prohibited in sport.
- Perform comprehensive Internet searches on the product and take screenshots of them.
- Obtain products from a reliable manufacturer (use tested products where possible).
- Take a photo of the product so that the label, list of ingredients, manufacturer and batch number are visible.
- Record the products you use and the use date and report them in the doping control form in connection with the doping test.
- Understand your responsibilities – the athlete is always responsible for the substances found in their body (principle of strict liability).
