Four days of talking with athletic trainers, supplement users and retailers, and the reporters at the Times Herald-Record concluded their series on dietary supplements and sports nutrition with some interesting commentary.
Kevin Witt noted “trustworthy advice” is needed when buying supplements, but said the scope of where such products are available (i.e., Internet, pharmacy, chain supplement stores) is endless and the expertise of the sales team unknown. However spokespeople for GNC and Vitamin Shoppe told Witt employees are trained to help customers select products, and pharmacist John Cavalluzzi said his training has given him familiarity with ingredients. Cavalluzzi said, “It’s proven that they have positive results for a lot of people, and you can see the difference in those who do.”
Surprisingly, after investigating the dietary supplement industry, Witt claims supplements are “not regulated” by FDA, but by the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act (DSHEA)—in fact the law FDA enforces. He correctly noted manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the safety of their dietary supplements, and that FDA must show a product is unsafe before it can move to restrict its sale or remove it from market.
A more personal view was offered by reporter Kevin Gleason, who said, “The more research I did, the more people I talked to about dietary supplements, the more my mind became a colossal jumble of (mis?)information.” He noted most people tend to agree that the essential element in supporting teen athletes’ health is a healthy diet; however, there are many factors that make that quite complicated. Supplements therefore fill in the gaps in nutrition. But Gleason added the marketing photos and copy for many sports nutrition products can prove tempting to a high school athlete looking for easy results. He advised potential consumers to research products, use common sense in evaluating claims and data, and seek advice from parents and coaches. His conclusion: “All supplements are different. Some are worth taking. Some are worthless.”