The Easiest Way To Check Your Supplements and Medications
Athletes are responsible for what goes into their bodies, regardless of how something enters the athlete’s system. So, athletes must be meticulous when choosing supplements and when prescribed medications. So, how do we check what is safe, and what isn’t?
Supplements
Websites such as Informed Sport allow users to check which supplements and brands are safe to use for athletes. When shopping for supplements online or in person, look for products featuring the Informed Sport logo. However, it’s not enough to just check that a product has the Informed Sport logo and just assume it’s safe to use, this is simply the first line of screening athletes must use to ascertain safe products.
Each product should have a batch number printed on the packaging. The batch number must be checked for each individual group of products before use. This number can be found on the products, often referred to as ‘BN:’ followed by a numerical code. This number can be checked on the Informed Sport website, or using the Informed Sport app! This allows a quick scan of the product’s barcode to identify the product type, and then allows you to type in the unique batch number to confirm that the product has been tested and screened for banned substances.
Medications
Just like supplements, athletes must be careful when taking medications. However, things are a little different as medications are often essential to health, quality of life and survival. Some medications are banned outright, others at certain times of the year, others only in certain sports, and often medications cannot be replaced by a clean alternative, a full breakdown of the anti-doping process can be found in our full Guide to Anti-Doping in Swimming article.
Checking medications is similar to supplements, using the website Global DRO and selecting the correct information such as country, sport, etc. Global DRO also features an app which makes this process even easier. Just be sure to keep a record of your searches in case you need them later.
