Giving New Meaning to the Term “Taking One for the Team:” Influences on the use/non-use of dietary supplements among adolescent athletes

The purpose of this article will be to discuss the results of the theory-based Survey to Predict Adolescent Athletes Dietary Supplement Use (r=.9479) to assess intentions, attitudes, and beliefs of 1737 adolescent athletes regarding dietary supplements. A critical review of the literature reveals that most of these products offer no nutritional or ergogenic benefits for normal young athletes. However, data show that athletes take dietary supplements above the national average, and parents, health professionals, coaches, athletic trainers, and the media are consistently cited as influences on use/non-use. Social scientists have called for theory-based research to look beyond what is being taken to the factors that influence use/non-use. Results are presented here with implications for school and athletic personnel who work directly with this population