Dutch Olympic and Non-Olympic Athletes Differ in Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Third-party Supplement Testing

Abstract

Knowledge of third-party testing is important for elite athletes using nutritional supplements to reduce the chances of a positive doping incident. Therefore, we compared the self-reported knowledge and attitudes of N = 601 Dutch Olympic status and non-Olympic status athletes toward an independent Dutch third-party tested system (NZVT) for purchasing nutritional supplements (NSs). Most of the athletes believed that contaminated NSs could lead to a positive doping test (68.0%), and found it unacceptable to use a contaminated NS as a result of incomplete labeling (87.8%). More Olympic status athletes were familiar with the NZVT system (71.1%) than non-Olympic status athletes (24.5%, p < 0.001). Of the athletes knowing about NZVT, Olympic status athletes reported more frequently using the NZVT than non-Olympic athletes (81.7% vs. 50.0%, p < 0.001). Apart from status, more females were familiar with and used the NZVT system for purchasing NSs than males, p < 0.01. In conclusion, many athletes were not familiar with nor used the preferred third-party testing supplement system in the Netherlands when purchasing NSs. While doping warnings and regulations have been in place, considering the risk of unintentional doping use for over two decades, the knowledge of Olympic status and non-Olympic status high-level athletes could still be improved, as many are not reporting the use of third-party testing systems.

Keywords:

• Anti-doping
• contamination
• dietary supplements
• ill-manufactured
• nutritional supplements
• sports nutrition

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Funding

This research has received no specific grant from any funding agency or the commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Authors contribution

DH and FW designed the study; FW initially collected data; DH, KV, and FW analyzed data; DH, KV, and FW undertook data interpretation; Manuscript preparation was performed by DH, KV, OH, and FW. All authors approved the final version of the paper.

Ethical standards disclosure

This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving research study participants were approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Wageningen University, the Netherlands, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Floris C. Wardenaar

Floris Wardenaar, PhD is an assistant Professor and director of the Athleat Field Lab at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University in the USA.

Daan Hoogervorst

Daan Hoogervorst, BS is an independent researcher working as a physiotherapist in the Netherlands.

Kaila A. Vento

Kaila Vento, MS is a PhD student at the ENS program of the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University in the USA.

Olivier de Hon, PhD

Olivier de Hon, PhD is a chief operating officer at the Doping Authority of the Netherlands.