Athlete, are you sure your supplements are safe?
Can I ask you a question?
If you made it to your national champs next year, would that count as success for you?
What about if you made the final of your national champs?
I was 18 when I made my first senior national championship final. I don't say that to boast, I say that because, at 18, I never anticipated what would happen immediately after that final.
I was drug tested.
Yes.
At 18 years old.
Unsponsored.
Not a "professional" athlete.
But due to random selection, they pointed at me and said, "YOU... we want to test you."
Of course, everything went fine (apart from the fact that I couldn't wee for ages lol). But do you know that things could've easily gone a different way (and not because I was cheating either) ...
According to Informed Sport:
“As many as one-in-ten supplements can be contaminated with ingredients and compounds prohibited in sport, so you need to ensure that the product you buy considers contamination as seriously as you do.”
That means that even if you're not intentionally trying to cheat, the supplements you take (yes, that includes protein shake) could have traces of banned substances in them without you even knowing…
Unless, of course, you do what Informed Sport suggests and only buy products that take contamination into consideration.
That’s where Informed Sport comes in.
Informed Sport is a global testing and certification programme for sports and nutritional supplements. Essentially, they batch-test products for banned substances before they’re released to the public, ensuring peace of mind for athletes when they see the Informed Sport logo on a product.
So, yes, you may not be a professional athlete at this time. But if you have any desire to reach even a national standard in the sport, then you’d be wise to start taking these things into consideration if or when you purchase your supplements.
There are literally hundreds of brands certified with Informed Sport now as well, so your choices are definitely not limited.
For more information about Informed Sport, be sure to visit their website.
And if you haven’t seen my latest video about the topic, check it out here.
I hope it helps to inform your sport. 🙃
Yours in Track,
Torema x
(26.10.22)
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About The Author
Torema Thompson is a 100m sprinter, qualified personal trainer & UKA speed athletics coach. She is passionate about helping athletes and fitness enthusiasts go from newbies to masters in their athletics and/or fitness.