Abstract
Background: As athletes seek to achieve peak performance, supplementation is crucial, but the issue of sports supplements encounters challenges. Much research has been conducted on issues such as contamination of supplements with prohibited substances, the effects of supplements on athletic performance, and the prevalence of supplement use. However, management of sports supplement use still needs to be addressed. This study systematically reviews the literature on policies associated with the use of sports supplements to discover policy recommendations that respond to challenges policymakers encounter. Methods: The research method was systematic review. The databases used were Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. Key concepts for search were: policy, sports supplement, and consumption. The search was conducted to retrieve articles up to December 2024. The PRISMA flow diagram was used to clarify how relevant articles were selected. The findings were obtained by thematic synthesis of selected articles. The methodology was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Results: From 955 initial references ultimately 10 sources were included. Policy recommendations; such as third-party certification programs, athlete education, decision trees, and personalized supplement advice, were identified. These policy recommendations are introduced to address challenges such as supplement contamination, advertising claims, industry and publication bias, and routine use (i.e., with insufficient evidence) of supplements. It was also noted that although the sports supplement market is growing, there are very few specific regulations in this area. Conclusions: this study demonstrates that although the use of sports supplements is common, it is not the case that supplements are without any risks. New regulations are needed to protect the rights of consumers. It is recommend that strategies are crucial to help make informed decisions about the safe use of sports supplements.