A–Z of supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance Part 1

British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009;43:728-729

All the above terms (and more) have been used to entice the unwary (and wary!) athlete to spend money on dietary products that claim to enhance their health and sports performance.

The Oxford English Dictionary definition of suppplement is: "Something added to supply a deficiency". Yet many supplements, or their individual ingredients, are nutrients or food chemicals for which the body does not have an estimated or theoretical requirement. Thus there are clearly other factors that underpin their use by athletes.

There are many reviews on supplementation in athletes, some of which are very good. Our aim is not to replicate these, but to give a series of very brief overviews, some of which will be by experts in the field. Our main aim is simply to demystify some of the many supplements on the market in order to provide a useful
resource for athletes, sport and exercise enthusiasts, along with allied professionals such as nutritionists, coaches, physiotherapists and doctors.