About the Project

A large body of research has shown that the use of nutritional supplements (NS) represents one of the most important risk factors for doping use in both elite and recreational sport settings. Almost all athletes who use doping substances also report NS use, and many NS users who don’t use doping express more favourable attitudes towards doping use.

Accordingly, at least 1 in 5 of the marketed NS are contaminated with doping substances, and 8.8% of positive doping tests in organised sport are attributed to the consumption of contaminated NS. At the same time, NS represent a rapidly growing market that is largely unregulated across European countries, and the majority of athletes in elite and recreational sport use NS almost on a daily basis.

NS users are largely unaware of the potential health risks of NS use, and even have poor knowledge of the main active ingredients of the supplements they use. Lastly, the marketing/labelling practices used by the NS industry remain unregulated and may represent an additional risk factor for doping.

The main goal of the proposed project (IRIS) is to combat doping by educating athletes in recreational and elite sport to become more risk savvy and make informed choices about NS use.

Main objectives

1. Evaluate athletes' risk perceptions and attitudes towards NS use in recreational and elite sport in six European countries.
2. Analyse the marketing/labelling practices of the NS industry, with an emphasis on practices that may promote doping and undermine the athletes' health and clean sport values.
3. Co-develop and implement a web-based educational tool to improve athletes' risk assessment towards NS and support informed decision-making.
4. Provide policy and practice recommendations about the ethical promotion and marketing of NS and about education initiatives that tackle the doping risk that is associated with NS use.

Main tasks

1. A field research with up to 50 participants per partner in order to identify risk and protective factors.
2. A desk research to identify marketing/labelling NS industry.
3. The development of the IRIS Informed Choice Tool.
4. The evaluation of the IRIS Informed Choice Tool with up to 50 participants per partner.
5. A report on the risk and protective factors. Report on the marketing/labelling NS industry.