title: Nutritional supplement use by elite young UK athletes: fallacies of advice regarding efficacy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective was to study nutritional supplement use among young elite UK athletes to establish whether a rationale versus practice incongruence exists, and to investigate the sources of information. Survey data were analysed for association between supplements used and motives for using such substances among young athletes along with the sources of advice and literature precedents on supplement effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were elite UK male and female athletes, within the age range between 12 and 21 (n = 403), mean age 17.66 +/- 1.99. Associations between type of supplements and reasons for using supplements were tested by calculating Pearson's chi2 and the strength of these symmetric associations shown by phi association coefficients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Single supplement use was reported by 48.1%, with energy drinks being the most popular, consumed by 41.7% of all athletes and 86.6% of the supplement users in the sample. No agreement was observed between athletes' rationale and behaviour in relation to nutritional supplements except for creatine. Among health professionals, nutritionists and physiotherapists, followed by coaches, were most frequently consulted. Answers regarding reasons and supplements used showed incongruence and suggest widespread misinformation regarding supplements and their effects is an issue for the young athlete.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Widespread supplement taking behaviour was evidenced in the young elite athlete population with the most notable congruence between rationale and practice among young athletes being performance-related. Young athletes in the present sample appear to be less 'health conscious' and more 'performance focused' than their adult counterparts. Further research, using a full list of supplements, is warranted to test the hypothesis that health consciousness is less dominant in supplement choice by young athletes.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, UK. a.petroczi@kingston.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petróczi
authors.forename: Declan P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Naughton
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bloodworth
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McNamee