Nutritional Supplement Use by Dutch Elite and Sub-Elite Athletes: Does Receiving Dietary Counseling Make a Difference?

Of the 778 surveyed Dutch competitive athletes, 97.2% reported using nutritional supplements at some point in their sports career.

• 84.7% of athletes indicated they had used nutritional supplements in the last 4 weeks.
• The most commonly used supplements over the past month included isotonic sports drinks (44.1%) and multivitamin and mineral preparations (42.9%).
• Dietary counseling was linked to a higher likelihood of using vitamin D, recovery drinks, energy bars, and specific isotonic drinks.
• In contrast, dietary counseling was associated with a lower prevalence of using certain supplements like combivitamins and energy drinks.
• These findings suggest that dietary counseling may influence athletes' choices regarding nutritional supplements.

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