Perspectives and practices of nutritionists on dietary supplements for elite soccer teams: a cross-sectional survey study

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

Sports and Active Living

Vitor H. Teixeira¹  João Brito²  Catarina B. Oliveira³  Rodrigo Abreu⁴ 

[1] Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto (FCNAUP), Porto, Portugal;Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health, and Leisure, CIAFEL, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Porto, Portugal;Futebol Clube do Porto SAD, Porto, Portugal;Portugal Football School, Portuguese Football Federation, FPF, Oeiras, Portugal;Portugal Football School, Portuguese Football Federation, FPF, Oeiras, Portugal;CHRC, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NMS, FCM, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal;Portugal Football School, Portuguese Football Federation, FPF, Oeiras, Portugal;Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto (FCNAUP), Porto, Portugal;

关键词: football;    questionnaire;    ergogenic;    recovery;    nutrition knowledge;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fspor.2023.1230969

 received in 2023-05-29, accepted in 2023-07-27,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Introduction and objectivesDietary supplements are part of the nutritional strategies frequently applied in sports performance support. With growing research on this subject and high demand from athletes, nutritionists need to keep up to date with the latest evidence and utility of dietary supplements, particularly in real-world contexts. As information about the use of dietary supplements among elite soccer players is still scarce, this work aimed to know how nutritionists working with elite soccer teams perceive and use these substances in their daily practice.MethodsA questionnaire previously used to describe nutritionists’ beliefs and attitudes regarding the use of dietary supplements in a clinical context was adapted for this study. The online questionnaire was addressed to nutritionists working with elite soccer teams from six European Leagues and Brazil, between November 2022 and February 2023.ResultsOverall, the participants considered themselves well-trained (76.9%), knowledgeable (95.4%), and interested in dietary supplements (95.4%). The majority (70.8%) of the participants agreed or strongly agreed to recommend dietary supplements to soccer players. Personal usage of dietary supplements was associated with recommending supplements (p < 0.001), but no relationships were found with years of experience and academic level.DiscussionNutritionists working with elite soccer players consider the use of dietary supplements for performance-enhancement purposes and not only to compensate for nutritional deficits, which might contribute to their higher interest, training and perceived knowledge about this topic. Participants recognize players’ interest in dietary supplements, and are mindful of the safety and efficacy of these products. The present study suggests that nutritionists working with elite soccer teams are among the highest prescribers of dietary supplements, although personal usage is lower than that of nutritionists working in a clinical context.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© 2023 Abreu, Oliveira, Brito and Teixeira.