USE OF NATURAL SOURCES AS REPLACERS OF DRUGS OR DOPING IN ATHLETES NUTRITION

Abstract

Drugs in sport are a concern for medical practitioners because of the implicit risks to the health of the athlete. There are also ethical concerns about cheating by artificially enhancing athletic performance sporting organizations imposed sanctions on the offenders ranging from "warning" to "life ban". Food and dietary supplements have been used to enhance health and athletic performance (ergogenic) since the early Olympic Games. Today athletes at all levels of competition continually work to improve performance, and many consider the use of dietary supplements or engineered foods to gain an additional performance edge or health benefit. This may concern health care professionals because athletes may receive advice and feel pressure from many well meaning supporters and advocates. However, athletes can be vulnerable to misinformation and risk in terms of the safety, legality and efficacy of dietary supplements.