Hygiena 2009, 54(3):88-91
Sports Supplements in the Diet of Junior Athletes
- 1 Lékařská fakulta v Hradci Králové, Univerzita Karlova
- 2 Fakulta tělesné výchovy a sportu, Univerzita Karlova
- 3 Pedagogická fakulta, Univerzita Hradec Králové
The purpose of this work was to clarify the sports dietary supplements in the nutrition of young athletes. We analyzed current scientific knowledge concerning sports nutrition, with focus on children and the youth. We conducted a pilot study - structured interviews with 55 students of a specialised sports grammar school were carried out to assess the athletes' personal experience and attitudes.
Results: Only such sports supplements are recommended to young athletes which help to sustain the energy, vitamin and minerals requirements or help to optimize hydratation. On the contrary, supplements containing very high amounts of physiologically effective substances or claiming immediate improvements in sports performance are not recommended. A total of 89 % of athletes in the pilot study used sports supplements. However, along with appropriate sports supplements they also use supplements which are not recommended by sports dietitians due to their uncertain effect on health. The junior athletes have no clear understanding of the physiological reasons of supplement use nor are they able to objectively assess its impact on their performance.
Keywords: nutrition, the youth, sports performance, sports supplements
Received: February 2009; Accepted: May 11, 2009; Published: September 1, 2009 Show citation
