Long distance runner, James Lea, who competes at University and regional level said he “wasn’t aware of the risks” that multi-vitamin supplements can cause you.
Multi-vitamins can be helpful for those who are unable to reach their daily nutrient needs through diet alone. However, multi-vitamins cannot replace a balanced diet, and taking them in high amounts may result in side effects ranging from mild stomach upset to severe liver and heart problems.
“I never take them to replace my meals, but I was not aware of the risk that they poised,” said Lea.
Dr Meghan Bentley, who did research into how athletes think about nutrition, spoke about athletes taking supplements, in a recent press conference;
“Because of the risk around contamination with supplements, the supplement industry isn’t regulated at a pharmaceutical industry.”
“There is a risk that supplements can contain a bad substance,” said Bentley
‘I will definitely be taking more care of what I consume now.’
Bentley said, “With athletes getting tested regularly as part of the anti-doping agency, if they choose supplements, they have to make sure that they have been batch tested.”
“As a long distance runner I take multi-vitamins regularly to supplement my diet, but I will definitely be taking more care of what I consume now,” said Lea.
With Anti-doping being a very hot topic in athletics, Bentley said, “There is a lot of work athletes need to do behind the scene, because if they get called for testing , they will have to fill out forms, and they will be asked what medication are you taking, what supplements are you taking, they have to show an extensive record that shows they are taking safe supplements.”
Lea has some big events coming up and he said, “I know at University level, I wont be getting drug tested as such, but with some big events coming up, there’s always that risk.”
