The number of people taking nutritional supplements has increased rapidly due to heightened health consciousness; however, cases of doping through supplement intake have also increased. Therefore, pharmacists need to share not only instructions related to medication, but also anti-doping (AD) directions for supplements with athletes. However, reports on the use of supplements in athletes are limited, and the actual situation is unknown. Then, we conducted a questionnaire survey on 1,249 physical education university students regarding the use of supplements and their awareness on doping. We also examined the steps that need to be taken by pharmacists to facilitate AD.
We found that 60％ of the respondents had taken supplements, 50％ of whom (i.e., 30％ of the total respondents) continued to do so. Furthermore, 40％ took multiple supplements and were at risk of ‘inadvertent doping.’ Most of the respondents took supplements for improving muscle strength, fatigue recovery, and malnutrition. Furthermore, friends and seniors were often the triggers for supplement intake, suggesting that leaders and teams were also involved. Since many respondents purchased supplements at drug stores, it is important for pharmacists to educate athletes and their leaders about AD. Further, supplements, like pharmaceuticals, are constantly advancing and therefore pharmacists need to expand their knowledge and strive to expand their role.
