When to use this
The moment an athlete or parent asks about a specific supplement, before anyone buys or opens it.
- An athlete shows up talking about a product a teammate or influencer recommended.
- A parent asks whether a pre-workout, fat-burner, or recovery powder is safe for their runner.
- Team culture is drifting toward pills and powders while breakfasts are still getting skipped.
Advanced lab
The evaluation checklist behind the red flags
The sheet teaches athletes what a red flag looks like. This is the step-by-step screen a coach or parent can run on any product before it gets near the team.
This checklist screens products out; it does not clear them in. Any supplement decision for a youth athlete should run through a sports dietitian, with the physician involved for anything marketed around weight, energy, or hormones.
Evidence sources
These references support the handout’s general education. Individual medical, supplement, laboratory, or injury questions should be handled by the appropriate qualified clinician.
- Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al.(2018) IOC consensus statement: Dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete.
- Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, et al.(2021) ISSN position stand: Caffeine and exercise performance.
Where to go next
