Nutrition Supplementation Practices of Recreational Gym Users in Uganda’s Capital City: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: This study focused on investigating the prevalence of nutritional supplement (NS) usage, establishing their source and the motivating factors for the usage of NS among Gym users in Kampala city, Uganda.Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional research design. Multistage random sampling techniques were used to select 45 gym users among the 5 divisions that constitute Kampala city. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS Version 26, where means, SD, frequencies and percentages were obtained. Chi-square tests were used for categorical comparisons between variables. Results: The results showed that there were more male participants (62.2%) than female participants (37.8%). The majority (76.9%) of gym users obtained NS from retail stores such as pharmacies, (10.2%) from their sports coaches, (7.7%) nutritionists/dieticians, and (5.1%) from team mates. Non-professional gym users (62.3%) reported higher levels of energy drink consumption than professional gym users (26.7%). The consumption of vitamins, herbal products and proteins was also considerably high. We also identified coaches/trainers (30.8%) as the main source of information, followed by nutritionists/dieticians (23.1%) and online websites (20.5%). Most gym users strongly agreed that supplements increase endurance training, increase strength, and make one healthier.Conclusions: The prevalence of nutritional supplement usage among gym users was high, with energy drinks and herbal products being the most preferred supplements.

Motivators of Indiscriminate and Unsafe Supplement Use among Young Australians

Background: There is growing concern about the self-administration of supplements, which can often be indiscriminate, counterproductive to health, and serve as a gateway to more harmful drugs and substances. Research suggests that high uptake of performance- and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs) is correlated with body image to accentuate masculinity. This study provides insights into limiting unhealthy supplement usage. This research identifies reasons for casual unhealthy supplement use among young adult Australians through the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) lens, providing practitioners with insights into developing interventions to deter their use. Method: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten participants aged between 18 and 40, using a convenience sample. Leximancer analysis was used to assess word co-occurrence and map to TPB constructs. Results: Leximancer identified positive attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control towards supplement usage. Key themes that influenced supplement use were weight loss, body image, nutrition, training, education, challenges, need, and time. Furthermore, using TPB constructs, affective and instrumental attitudes and prevailing norms were observed when investigating what would cause an individual to use supplements in an unhealthy manner. Conclusion: Through understanding the motivations of indiscriminate supplement use across the Australian population, the study has uncovered several social factors that may reduce or limit the practice of unsafe supplement usage.

Liver and kidney function markers among gym users: the role of dietary supplement usage

Dietary supplements have been increasingly used by gym users and are often consumed without the guidance of a health professional. Moreover, the indiscriminate supplements use can have adverse health effects, such as changes in liver and kidney function. The aim of this study was to verify the association between dietary supplements intake with alterations in the liver and kidney function among gym users. A cross-sectional study with 594 gym users (mean age 37±14 years, 55.2% women) from a city in southern Brazil. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the use of dietary supplements. The markers of the liver (alanine aminotransferase; ALT, aspartate aminotransferase; AST, alkaline phosphatase; AKP, gamma-glutamyltransferase; Gama-GT) and renal (creatinine and urea) function were also evaluated on a subsample of the study population. Data were analyzed by Binary Logistic Regression, adjusted for sex, age and education. The prevalence of dietary supplement intake was 36.0%. Individuals who intake dietary supplements showed a higher prevalence to present slight alterations in the AST enzyme and in the urea after adjustments for potential confounders. In conclusion, the use of dietary supplement was associated with slight alterations in AST enzyme and in the urea among gym users. These findings show the importance of using supplements correctly, especially with guidance from professionals trained to avoid possible risks to health.

Dietary Supplement Use among Primary Health Care Attendants in Abha City, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Dietary supplements are commercially available manufactured products used as an addition to the normal diet and involve vitamins, minerals, herbs (botanicals), amino acids, and various other products. With the use of a cross-sectional survey, the present paper intended to analyze dietary supplement usage and its health and sociodemographic determinants among attendants of primary health care centers in Abha City, southwestern Saudi Arabia. The sample was selected randomly using the two-stage cluster sampling technique. The study included 438 participants (115 males and 323 females). Their ages ranged from 18 to 59 years, with an average of 36.2 ± 11.7 years. The study showed that 330 people used dietary supplementation, giving a prevalence of 75.3% (95% CI: 71.1–79.2%). The most commonly used supplements were multivitamins (215, 65.2%), specific vitamins (60, 18.2%), and mineral pills (38, 11.5%). Advice from health care workers was the most frequent reason for using dietary supplements (49.4%). The majority (71.2%) reported feeling a better quality of life after using dietary supplements. The most frequent disadvantages of using dietary supplements were constipation and headache (30%) and the most frequent advantage was increasing appetite (59.8%). The people who most frequently recommended the use of supplements were health care workers (190, 57.6%), followed by friends or family members (62, 18.8%), and people on social media (43, 13%). Females had a significantly higher probability of using dietary supplements than males did (Cor = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.21–3.27), and those with a chronic disease had a considerably higher likelihood of using dietary supplements (cOR = 3.48, 95% CI = 2.04–6.06). Age, educational level, and marital status were not significantly related with dietary supplement usage. In conclusion, health care workers should focus on females and persons with chronic diseases in their practice. They should provide them with evidence-based advice regarding the use of dietary supplements. Continued medical education training programs tailored to the needs of health care staff addressing this issue should be provided. New guidelines should be developed to help health professionals to provide their patients with comprehensive care at the primary health care level.

Choline Intake Was Mildly Associated With Hypertension Among Older Adults in Cross-Sectional NHANES 2011–2014

Objectives The study objective is to investigate the relationships of choline intake with blood pressure (BP) and hypertension among U.S. adults aged ≥65 y using the sample from the 2011–2014 National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES). The association between choline-containing supplement usage and BP in adults aged ≥20 y was also assessed to confirm previous findings. Methods The cross-sectional associations of choline intake with prevalent hypertension (n = 2113) and BP (n = 843) were assessed among the NHANES older adults using logistic and multiple linear regression models for complex surveys, respectively. Logistic regression was used to test the association between supplemental choline use and prevalent hypertension in adults aged ≥20 y (n = 9561). Effect modification by sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) and comorbidity were also investigated. Results Among older adults, choline intake interacted with BMI (P-interaction = 0.04) such that choline intake tended to be associated with lower odds of hypertension among people with BMI lower than 18.5 kg/m2 (odds ratio [95% Confidence Interval], OR [95% CI]: 0.64 [0.4,1.00]; P = 0.052). Choline intake was not associated with systolic BP. In contrast, its relation to diastolic BP differed by comorbidity (P-interaction = 0.03) with a negative direction of association observed among those who were free of comorbidities and a positive direction observed among those with comorbidities. No association was found between choline supplement use and the odds of hypertension. Conclusions Collectively, these results suggested that the associations of choline intake with BP levels and hypertension risk among older adults are mild and dependent on other risk factors. A higher choline intake may be beneficialy associated with BP among people who have healthier profiles. Funding Sources This study was supported by the Young Faculty Research Grant, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Prevalence of Protein and Pre-Workout Supplement Use among High School Football Players and Potential Product Contamination

The purpose was to determine the prevalence of protein and pre-workout supplement usage in high school football players and how many products contained banned substances or dangerous ingredients. A national sample of 102 high school football players was recruited via Qualtrics Research Panels to complete a cross-sectional online questionnaire. Data were summarized as means with standard deviations (SDs) and frequencies with proportions (%). A majority (59.8%) of high school football players reported currently using a protein supplement. Just under one-third (29.4%) reported currently using pre-workout supplements. Five participants reported using a pre-workout product that contained a known NCAA banned substance. Many of the products used contain banned, regulated elsewhere, or unknown substances. Secondary school ATs must educate athletes regarding the use of nutritional supplements and the potential dangers of ingesting banned or unknown substances.

Supplement Usage Pattern in a Group of COVID- 19 Patients in Tehran

Objective: The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a highly transmittable and pathogenic viral infection, causes severe acute respiratory syndrome and was spread throughout the world in early 2020. The effects of vitamin and micronutrient supplements on the prevention and treatment of COVID- 19 seems challenging in scientific considerations. On the other side generally, experts warn against over-consumption of these supplements. Materials and methods: This study aimed to investigate the vitamin and micronutrient supplementation usage pattern in past history of patients with COVID-19 via a cross-sectional inquiry. Totally 510 patients referring to the infectious disease clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran from March 2020 to May 2020 were recruited. The inclusion criterion was suspected patients for COVID-19 based on clinical findings and CT scans of the lung. The infected patients included both inpatients (171) and outpatients (339). Demographic information, clinical signs, and the supplement pattern use were collected through a questionnaire and the data were statistically analyzed. Results: Vitamin D3 intake was reported in 30% (103 patients) of outpatients and 16.5% (28 patients) of hospitalized patients, which is statistically significant (P=0.001). It shows that, the frequency of vitamin D3 consumption in the outpatient group was higher than inpatient group. This significant difference has also been shown in zinc consumption, in 29 patients (9%) outpatients versus 4 patients (2%) inpatients were reported (P=0.007). Multi nominal regression showed that vitamin D3 intake has a supportive effect and reduces the risk of exacerbation and worsening of the disease. (OR=0.291; 95% CI 0.102-.0834, P=0.022). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study and the findings of other studies, considering the supportive effect of vitamin D3 in reducing the severity of infectious diseases; Clinical trials with an appropriate sample size are recommended to investigate the functional role of this vitamin in improving viral diseases of the respiratory tract.