Overview
The AIS Sports Supplement Program was developed to ensure that AIS athletes use supplements and sports foods safely and appropriately. The AIS Sports Supplement Panel regularly reviews current research on supplements and categorises products according to their safety and efficacy. Protocols for the use of various supplements are prepared.
The AIS Sports Supplement Program 2009 has been designed for the specific needs of AIS athletes. It is recommended that other athletes and groups seek independent advice before using any supplement.
Supplements can assist AIS athletes to achieve peak performance. However, poor regulation of the supplement industry allows athletes to be bombarded with marketing hype that exaggerates or completely invents unproven benefits arising from the use of supplements. Unfortunately, the driving force behind the supplement practices of many athletes is not sound science applied to the specific needs of a sport. Instead, some athletes are motivated by fear that their competitors might be taking supplements and that they can't afford to miss out on any 'performance edge'.
The results of the present frenzy of supplements in sport are:
- a small but real risk of a positive 'doping' outcome
- money being wasted on products that simply do not work
- time, money and belief being distracted away from the factors that can really enhance health, recovery and performance
The AIS Sports Supplement Program aims to:
- allow AIS athletes to focus on sound use of supplements and special sports foods as part of their special nutrition plans
- ensure that supplements and sports foods are used correctly and appropriately to deliver maximum benefits to the immune system, recovery and performance
- give AIS athletes the confidence that they receive 'cutting edge' advice and achieve 'state of the art' nutrition practices
- minimise the risk of supplement use leading to an inadvertent doping offence.
The AIS Sports Supplement Program is made available to other sporting bodies under a royalty-free, non-exclusive licensing arrangement. Organisations that have adopted the program are:
- ACT Academy of Sport
- Queensland Academy of Sport
- Rowing Australia
- South Australian Institute of Sport
- Tasmanian Institute of Sport
- Western Australian Institute of Sport
For information, contact Louise Burke at the Australian Institute of Sport.
AIS Sports Supplement Panel
The AIS Sports Supplement Panel makes decisions about the status of supplements within the AIS Sports Supplement Program:
This is a proactive program that has been successful in evolving to meet the continuing needs of our sports and to take advantage of new knowledge in sports science. The panel meets regularly but will meet on request to consider new supplements, or to modify our present classification system. AIS members should contact Louise Burke with any comments.
|
|
|
Lydia Lassila