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• Players are advised to exercise extreme caution regarding the use of any dietary supplement as no guarantee can be provided that any particular supplement, including vitamins and minerals, ergogenic aids and herbal remedies are totally free from Prohibited Substances.
• The biggest risk associated with the use of dietary supplements is cross contamination or lacing with substances that are prohibited. A product could contain ingredients that are also not listed on the label which are prohibited.
• Strict Liability – A Player is solely responsible for any Prohibited Substances found to be present in his or her body. It is not necessary that intent or fault on the Player’s part be shown in order for an anti-doping rule violation to be established. Nor is lack of intent a defence to testing positive to a Prohibited Substance because of a contaminated supplement.
• Players are more likely to benefit from a healthy, well balanced diet which should be put in place by an appropriately qualified nutritionist.
• Dietary or nutritional supplements, ergogenic aids and herbal products should only be used where the nutritional review and supplementation process is controlled and individually monitored by appropriately qualified medical practitioners or nutritionists.

Players who insist on using dietary supplements should consider the following risk assessment prior to using any dietary supplement.

1. Seek expert guidance to assess your dietary and performance needs from an appropriately qualified person.
2. Is there any valid evidence that the supplement you feel you need to take really works? Many of the claimed benefits are not clearly supported by scientific research.
3. Be wary of products that claim to increase strength, muscle mass or weight loss
4. Research well known products/brands.
5. Read the label and list of ingredients very carefully.
6. Avoid purchasing supplements over the internet.
7. Avoid sharing supplements with fellow Players or friends.
8. Avoid purchasing supplements from a manufacturer who also produces supplements that contain or are known to contain Prohibited Substances.
9. Have the supplement tested by a laboratory to ensure the batch does not contain any Prohibited Substances prior to using it.

Case study:

Adam Dean - A 17 year old Rugby Player was achieving his highest honours at his age group in Rugby, receiving international caps for England at the under 18 group. Following the pressures of being told he needed to be “bigger, faster and stronger”, Adam began the use of supplements to complement his training and diet. Although aware of having to adhere to the rules of the Prohibited List, the education Adam had received had not made him fully aware of the risk of potential contamination of supplements and he decided to make his decision based on his own research. Adam chose a supplement that did not have any prohibited substances on the product label, a product that also made claims of being “suitable for drug tested athletes.” Assuming that the information provided by the manufacturer was accurate and substantiated, Adam began to take the supplements as part of his training regime. Adam tested positive for 19-Norandrosterone (a prohibited anabolic agent) and the only explanation Adam could comprehend was that the positive test was attributable to the supplements that he was taking. Adam was banned for 2 years from Rugby.