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Behavioral Effects of Sport Nutritional Supplements: Fact or Fiction?

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Behavioral Sport Psychology

Abstract

The pages of fitness, health, sport, and sport enthusiast (biking, running, bodybuilding, etc.) magazines are filled with advertisements for various nutritional supplements, all claiming to significantly improve the athletic performance of the supplement user. These advertisements often include dramatic “before and after” pictures showing greatly changed (improved) physiques that supposedly occurred as a result of taking the advertised supplement. The advertisements may also include pictures of individuals with impressively muscled physiques or pictures of famous athletes who claim to have achieved great results with the advertised supplement. However, “before and after” pictures are often altered. In some cases the pictures may even be taken on the same day and then altered on the computer (widening of the chest and shoulders, narrowing of the waist, airbrushing; Bell, 2008). In advertisements, muscular models might take the advertised supplement, but they also may ingest illegal steroids, use other products, and engage in other physique-altering activities (Bell, 2008). Furthermore, athletes providing testimonials for products are likely to be taking other nutritional supplements as well as participating in other performance-enhancing activities (physical training, getting proper rest) that may account more for performance outcomes than does taking the advertised supplement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH, USA

    Stephen Ray Flora

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  1. Stephen Ray Flora
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Correspondence to Stephen Ray Flora .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. May Institute, Pacella Park Drive 41, Randolph, 02368, Massachusetts, USA

    James K. Luiselli

  2. , Dept. Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Sunnyside Avenue 1000, Lawrence, 66045, Kansas, USA

    Derek D. Reed

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Flora, S.R. (2011). Behavioral Effects of Sport Nutritional Supplements: Fact or Fiction?. In: Luiselli, J., Reed, D. (eds) Behavioral Sport Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0070-7_13

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