From Ephedra to creatine: using theory to respond to dietary supplement use in young athletes

Sport dietary supplements have garnered national media attention in their popularity with young athletes. Research shows the vast majority of claims made for these products are unproven, and health risk increases with use. There is an increasing need to understand why there athletes are considering using these products. Two theories, the Theory of Reasoned Action, and The Theory of Planned Behavior are often applied to help predict behavior, and contain elements that may help health educators examine sport dietary supplement use and develop appropriate interventions by incorporating each theories constructs into one behavioral model. The purpose of this manuscript is to explore the application of the Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory of Planned Behavior to sport dietary supplement use to better understand the influences in young athletes