Nutritional supplements taken to boost athletic performance can pose risks to the heart, according to a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) statement published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC.1

“Nutritional supplements are commonly viewed as risk-free substances that may improve performance,” states the paper. “Some nutritional supplements, including various plant and ‘natural’ extracts, may pose a serious health risk and athletes may even risk contravening anti-doping rules.”

Athletes who use supplements often have no knowledge regarding their effects on sports performance and overall health,” continues the document. “It is reported that most athletes get nutritional advice from coaches, fellow athletes, family members and friends, suggesting that more wide reaching educational interventions, at an early age, are necessary.”

Key points for athletes using nutritional supplements:

• A natural supplement is not necessarily a safe supplemen ...
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