Dietary Supplement Use and Beliefs Among Athletes at the 2025 Canada Games

Dietary supplement use is widespread among athletes; however, limited data exist regarding supplement use and beliefs among Canadian youth athletes. This cross-sectional online study aimed to examine dietary supplement use and related beliefs among athletes competing at the 2025 Canada Games in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. A total of 473 respondents participated in the survey. Of the 473 participants, 385 completed responses to the dietary supplement (DS) questions. Among participants who reported their sex, 125 were male and 189 were female. Overall, 36% of participants reported current dietary supplement use. Supplement use was significantly higher among males than females (47% vs. 23%, p < .001) and increased with age (p = .001). The most commonly reported supplements were protein powder (49%), sports drinks (46%), and creatine (45%). Primary reasons for use included maintaining good health (76%), increasing energy (54%), and promoting recovery (50%). Coaches (50%) and healthcare professionals (49%) were the most frequently reported information sources. Supplement users demonstrated significantly stronger positive beliefs regarding benefits of dietary supplements compared with non-users (all p < .001). Ordinal logistic regression showed that supplement users had greater odds of stronger agreement that supplements improve performance (OR = 5.50, 95% CI: 3.31–9.13, p < .001). These findings highlight the use of dietary supplements among Canadian youth athletes and support the need for targeted nutrition education to promote informed decision-making.