Greek athletes seek diet boost with supplements

Almost 65 percent of Greek athletes, including one in two under-18s, use up to 25 dietary supplements as part of their regular training or competition routine, a new study has found. 

The study, led by Theodoros Michail, a PhD candidate at the medical school of Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University, found that, on average, athletes consume four supplements. Most popular are energy drinks, followed by energy bars and multivitamins. 

Slightly over 60 percent of participants (including all weightlifters) said they take supplements to boost the quality of their diet.

Asked to rank their diet, only 2.8 percent rated it as “poor,” leading researchers to believe that the use of supplements is often unnecessary.