However, I would be surprised if an experienced athlete did that because they know how vigilant they need to be. Professor Radford said another possibility was that vitamin supplements might be contaminated with banned substances. A lot of these products are not produced by the major drug houses and nobody can vouch for the way they are prepared,or for their purity. Fitness supplements There is also much controversy surrounding a new generation of fitness supplements that are widely used by athletes as a legal alternative to anabolic steroids. These include creatine, a substance found naturally in the body and in foods such as meat and fish.
Creatine is sold legally over the counter in synthetic form as an amino acid powder.
It helps build muscle and speeds recovery from training. A recent national newspaper poll of top athletes found that more than half had admitted taking the substance. However, some experts believe creatine could cause long-term damage to health. It has been linked to kidney damage and shorter term problems such as muscle cramping and dehydration. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.