U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)
Athletes who have a prescription for a compounded medication or a compounded supplement should be aware that compounding pharmacies are risky. Compounded products are more likely to be contaminated because they are mixed by hand and there is limited regulatory oversight.
Given that they are both used for health purposes, it would be easy to assume that medications and supplements are regulated the same way and produced to the same standards, but unfortunately this is not the case. Unlike medications, supplements are regulated post-market, which means that no regulatory body evaluates the contents or safety of supplements before they are sold to consumers.
Here are four reasons why you should be skeptical if you see “all natural” on a supplement label. Educate yourself and visit Supplement Connect.
It’s to be expected that athletes may experience medical conditions over the course of their sport careers, which may require that they use a medication or receive medical treatment. If the substance or method prescribed to treat that medical condition is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), athletes can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), and if granted, obtain permission to use a prohibited substance or method for a specified time period.
There are some good reasons to take the extra minute to make sure you have made a complete & accurate declaration of substances you have recently used.
FDA does not analyze the safety, efficacy, or label accuracy of supplements before they are sold to consumers. Check your supplements for safety.
