Repository logo
 
Publication

Exploring athlete perceptions and nutritional supplement marketing: preliminary insights from the IRIS Project

2025-11Conference paper Open access
Simple item page
datacite.subject.sdg03:Saúde de Qualidade
dc.contributor.authorTavares, Ana Sofia
dc.contributor.authorBorrego, Rute
dc.contributor.authorBarkoukis, Vassilis
dc.contributor.authorDespoina, Ourda
dc.contributor.authorKostelo, Jukka
dc.contributor.authorLemattila, Mikko
dc.contributor.authorTodorova, Teodorina
dc.contributor.authorNikolova, Eva
dc.contributor.authorLiivsalu, Kadri
dc.contributor.authorJukk, Marit
dc.contributor.authorBingham, Kevin
dc.contributor.authorLazuras, Lambros
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-22T12:19:36Z
dc.date.available2025-12-22T12:19:36Z
dc.date.issued2025-11
dc.description.abstractNutritional supplement use has become ubiquitous among athletes at all levels of competition, driven by aggressive marketing campaigns and the promise of enhanced performance. The present research, integrated on the project “Improving athletes' risk appraisal and informed decision-making towards nutritional supplement use in recreational and competitive sport – IRIS”, funded by the European Union through ERASMUS+ Call on Sport Programme, investigates the widespread use of nutritional supplements among athletes across six European countries, highlighting consumption patterns, risk awareness, and regulatory effectiveness amid rising doping violations and health concerns. A mixed-methods approach was used, including surveys of 468 athletes and interviews with 22 competitors. Findings revealed significant national differences in supplement use, with over 60% of athletes in Finland and Portugal using supplements regularly, while only 45% did so in Greece. The study found a gender disparity, with male athletes showing 23% higher usage rates. Despite high usage, awareness of contamination risks was variable, with only 28% of athletes consistently verifying supplement quality. Misleading marketing was prevalent, with 73% of athletes encountering exaggerated claims. Regulatory challenges were evident, as only 12% of athletes could identify relevant regulatory bodies, and 68% of national markets lacked standardized contamination testing. The study emphasizes the need for enhanced regulation, including mandatory testing, standardized risk disclosures, and clear labelling. It also advocates for consumer protection measures and educational initiatives to raise awareness about supplement risks. The conclusions call for coordinated action among regulators, sports organizations, and public health authorities to safeguard athletes' health and uphold competitive integrity.eng
dc.identifier.citationTavares AS, Borrego R, Barkoukis V, Despoina O, Koskelo J, Lemattila M, et al. Exploring athlete perceptions and nutritional supplement marketing: preliminary insights from the IRIS Project. In: 2nd Global Congress on Food and Nutrition, Barcelona (Spain), November 8-9, 2025.
dc.identifier.doidoi.org/10.51219/URForum.2025.Ana-Sofia-Rodrigues-Tavares
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/22394
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.relation.hasversionhttps://unitedresearchforum.com/food-nutrition-conference-2025/ e https://unitedresearchforum.com/food-nutrition-conference-2025/proceedings.php
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectIRIS project
dc.subjectNutritional supplement
dc.subjectRisk perception
dc.subjectMarketing
dc.subjectAthlete
dc.titleExploring athlete perceptions and nutritional supplement marketing: preliminary insights from the IRIS Projecteng
dc.typeconference paper
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.conferenceDate2025-11
oaire.citation.conferencePlaceBarcelona, Espanha
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameTavares
person.familyNameBorrego
person.givenNameAna Sofia
person.givenNameRute
person.identifier.ciencia-id9D10-BB39-04DF
person.identifier.ciencia-id861E-AE3B-2CB0
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-5335-7498
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-2305-5560
relation.isAuthorOfPublication13fb72b8-212a-4a99-84c3-9038d984d945
relation.isAuthorOfPublication135f0e86-93de-497e-bd48-f2f373b2c6be
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery13fb72b8-212a-4a99-84c3-9038d984d945

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Exploring athlete perceptions and nutritional supplement marketing_preliminary insights from the IRIS Project.pdf
Size:
307 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
4.03 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

ESTeSL - Comunicações