The Anti-doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) has reiterated the need for athletes to steer clear of supplements in a bid to achieve a cleaner sport.
Adak’s Director of Education and Research Agnes Mandu revealed that supplements have a 20 per cent risk of containing prohibited substances “hence the need for athletes to shun their use.”
Speaking during the Adak Sports Media Anti-doping Seminar in Diani, Mandu nevertheless clarified that Kenya is yet to formulate a policy to regulate supplements in sports.
However, she reiterated that supplements are some of the risk factors of doping in sports, a good example being Mark Otieno’s Tokyo Olympics woes, where the former 100m national record holder blamed a supplement manufacturer for a contaminated nutritional product which led to his battle with World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Otieno was quoted as saying that after using the product, his anti-doping test returned a positive result and Wada subsequently suspended him.
“More than 20 per cent of the analysed dietary supplements pose a potential risk of doping. Athletes and their teams need to be aware of the issues associated with the use of supplements,” Mandu added.
She noted that the use of supplements doesn’t compensate for poor food choices and inadequate diet.
“We reach out to athletes through outreach programs and inform them that the use of supplements isn’t encouraged by Adak,” she said. “Our foods contain all the nutrients that are required for athletes to stay healthy and in good shape for competition. They (athletes) should just eat well and avoid unnecessary trouble.”
Mandu added that the use of dietary supplements is widespread among elite athletes, as it is among the general population.
She said supplementation with essential nutrients may be beneficial only if a specific nutrient deficiency is medically diagnosed and a food-based solution cannot be easily implemented.
The Adak official also observed that athletes contemplating the use of supplements should consider their efficacy, cost, the risk to health and performance, and the possibility that undeclared contaminants present in some supplements may cause an adverse analytical finding.
