In early September, FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak, MD, published a blog on FIFA.com calling dietary supplements dangerous because of contamination issues and lack of adequate regulation worldwide. This wasn't the first the first time he's come out against dietary supplement use by FIFA players. Back around the time of the 2002 World Cup, Dvorak told the BBC, "A number of food supplements sold over the counter are contaminated by non-declared nandrolone."  At the time, some FIFA players had previously tested positive for nandrolone, and  WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) was pressuring FIFA for increased doping controls and testing program transparency.

The recent blog post by Dvorak reported 35 percent of FIFA players are taking dietary supplements, but the biggest use is among the younger levels, with 50 percent of Under-17 and Under-20 level players reporting supplement use, as are 60-percent of under-16 players in the United States. Dvorak said the players use supplements to increase performance, a benefit he argued is not supported by scientific evidence. His alarm was reports that as much as 70 percent of players do not seek adequate medical or nutritional advice before taking supplements. 

His other worry is what he called insufficient regulation and disclosure of supplement product ingredients, which is a ripe  opportunity for contamination. "It is well established and proven that many of the food supplements are contaminated by prohibited substances such as anabolic steroids and other substances," he wrote.

This is a sore spot for the greater nutritional supplement industry. John Shaw, executive director and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA), called claims the  industry's quality control is poor are "flat out wrong." He argued dietary supplement industry continues to have an excellent safety record despite widespread use, including half of all Americans and many athletes. "In the case of contamination, NPA fully supports all efforts to get contaminated products off store shelves," he assured. "These illegal products are not supplements, and anyone who manufactures or sells them intentionally should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." His suggestion for athletes and all consumers is for them to consult with their doctors or other health care professionals before taking any supplements.

There are many resources for athletes concerned about supplements, including NPA's www.NPAinfo.org/consumers and NSF Internationals Certified for Sport and other quality certification programs.

Interestingly, after some Dutch soccer players tested positive for nandrolone in the lead up to the 2002 World Cup, famous Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy told the Telegraph he took the same vitamins as those players and upon finding out about their positive tests, he immediately to a team doctor for testing. The  vitamins turned out free of contamination, but it serves a good example for all athletes, a mantra that has been repeated hundreds or thousands of times since 2002: athletes, especially those with much to lose from a positive test, should seek assurances, including testing, that the supplements they want to take are safe, effective and free from contaminants.

Simple really.