Dietary Supplements Use in Competitive and Non-Competitive Boxer: An Exploratory Study

AbstractIntensity training, talent, and an adequate diet represent the crucial factors for the success of athletes.Unfortunately, athletes prefer intaking substances to quicker and easier increase their performance compared totraditional training. For this reason there has been a significant spread of enhancing substances drugs and dietarysupplements (DS), although, as already broadly evidenced, the abuse of those substances could seriously damageathletes’ health. Indeed, DS could contain substances that are not declared on the label, which are banned by theWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This exploratory study aims to investigate DS phenomenon, specifically, wewant to describe this phenomenon among boxers, analyzing typologies of DS intaken, knowledge about DS, mainreasons for justifying DS abuse, and places where boxers buy them and potential consultants about suggesting theirconsumption. Data were collected through a total of 214 anonymous self-report questionnaires administered toboxers in Campania (Italy), 169 questionnaires were considered valid. The study collects data exclusively for maleathletes. Indeed, the results demonstrate that boxers, mainly men (88.4% of the sample), practice sport mostly forfun and they intake DS for balancing out nutritional deficiencies and having more energy. Mineral salts (N=88) andvitamins (N=85) are broadly intaken compared to other substances. The consumption of DSis recommended bycoach in the competitive athletes (N=33), against non-competitive boxer whom consultant is the doctor (N=25).Boxers mostly buy the supplements in the drugstore. In summary, the results demonstrate that boxers widely intakeDS for improving their performance. Also, implications for research and practice are discussed.