How Consumers Are Convinced that It Is Necessary to Take Fitness Supplements - Literature review Example

How consumers are convinced that it is necessary to take fitness supplements LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction A review of historical records by da Silva et al. (2014) on the link between nutrition and physical performance show that the human tendency to seek ergogenic resources in order to enhance their physiological performance goes back to 776 B.C. in the Ancient Greece Olympics. Today, in spite of greater scientific advancements, studies have showed indiscriminate application of fitness supplements as critical ergogenic resources, even as the scientific evidence of their efficacy and safety is still lacking among consumers. This review of literature explores the prevalence and acceptance of taking fitness supplements in an attempt to determine how consumers are convinced that it is necessary to take fitness supplements. Frequency and prevalence of taking fitness supplements A recent study by da Silva et al. (2014) found that acceptance and frequency of fitness supplements is widespread among physical exercise practitioners in Brazil, even as there are reports of adverse effects, although not significantly substantial, as they emanate from isolated case studies. Consistent with these findings, Thuyne et al. (2006) also observed that a majority of the consumers in Belgium who use dietary supplements consists of sportsmen, who range from amateurs to elite athletes. In their study of protein supplementation and dietary behaviours in Palermo, Italy, Bianco et al. (2011) commented that the use of fitness supplements is generally an accepted practice by athletes in commercial gyms in Italy. In a related study, Khoury and Antoine-Jonville (2012) explored the perception of individuals taking part in physical fitness programmes in Beirut and established that there is sufficient evidence indicating that people who are physically active are not particularly convinced that additional nutrients, aside from a balanced diet, is necessary. Yet another related study by Austin et al. (2014) also established that, aside from athletes, physically active people, including those in the military such as US Coast Guard (USCG), tended to generally consider fitness supplements as essential. The researchers stated that Armed Forces personnel in like the USCG, who engaged in strenuous activities and require high levels of physiological fitness tended to prefer use of supplements. Alves and Lima (2009) also studied supplement intake among adolescents and found that their use was prevalent among those who were physically active, particularly athletes. Studies on acceptance of the supplements by the young athletes showed a higher prevalence among elite than amateur athletes (Calfee & Fadale 2006). In the United States, the American Dietetic Association also established in its research that only people who tend to check their energy intake and engaged in extreme weight-loss practices consider fitness supplementation to be necessary. In spite of these, current data shows that the use of fitness supplements has rapidly been on the increase during the recent years. For instance, in the United States, close to 3 million individuals were found to be using the supplements, particularly among consumers who engaged in physical fitness (Khoury & Antoine-Jonville 2012). In a related study by Knapik et al. (2016), it was also established that a majority of consumers who were convinced that it is necessary to use supplements are physically active individuals in the gyms, due to their augmented prevalent existence in addition to their ability to easily access fitness supplements and sports foods. This perspective is shared by Khoury and Antoine-Jonville (2012). Reasons as to why consumers need to use fitness supplements Khoury and Antoine-Jonville (2012), however, attributed the increasing demand for fitness supplements to a need to enhance performance, prevent nutritional deficiencies, improve health, reduce body fat, increase muscle mass and boost immunity. In their study, Khoury and Antoine-Jonville (2012) identified a possibility of over-intake of fitness supplements among individuals who exercised in gyms in the city of Beirut. They, however, expressed concern that the pattern reflected a severe public health concern, as a fitness supplement would not compensate for poor dietary habits and food choice. In their view, whether through the mainstream or social media, it is critical that accurate and research-based data be disseminated regarding their benefits and risks. They added that dieticians and health practitioners should integrate their expertise with that of athletic trainers in order to supply the consumers of fitness supplements with comprehensive nutrition services. According to Bianco et al. (2011), while these athletes acknowledge that natural nutrition is a vital element of physical fitness and performance, there is also a general understanding that fitness supplements are essential, although the extent to which they are convinced why it is necessary to take fitness supplements remains uncertain. In fact, in a related study by Bianco et al. (2014), the authors were convinced that fitness supplements may also be favourable to small subgroups of individuals who believe it helps them improve on their physical performance and strength. Some researchers like Goston and Correia (2010) attempted to compare socio-demographic features such as gender, age, income, and education among users and non users of fitness supplements and established substantial education and age-related divergence. Austin et al. (2014) also attributed the prevalence of fitness supplement use by US Coat Guards to helping them meet their strenuous occupational demands. Demographic factors Earlier studies have shown that different consumers have differing opinions on the necessity for fitness supplements based on their demographic characteristics. In a study by Lyle et al. (1998), the researchers delineated demographic features like age, education, health, gender, and lifestyle related to the use of supplements in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. They established that acceptance of supplements tended to be highly widespread among women, individuals with over twelve years of education, active lifestyle, comparatively low body mass indices, persons with active lifestyles, as well as those who never smoked. Lyle et al. (1998) found that women tended to take multi-nutrient supplements. At the same time, older men were also highly likely to take supplements compared to the younger men. There was no difference between the older and younger women. On the other hand, acceptance of the supplements tended to be higher among individuals who had attained educational levels beyond high school compared to those who had not. Lyle et al. (1998) further established that acceptance of supplements tended to be higher among individuals who were physically active than those who are not. At the same time, use of supplements tended to be substantially lower among individuals who smoked relative to those who never smoked. The researchers also established that individuals with moderately low body mass indices generally accepted the use of supplements as necessary. In a later related study, Kaufman et al. (2002) also established that individuals who are older are more likely to accept the use of supplements compared to the younger individuals, although the preference of supplements depended mainly on the fitness programme in addition to the type of sport. Access to information on fitness supplements There is a clear paucity of research on the influence of social media on the intake of fitness supplement. Indeed, a related study by Gabriels and Lambert (2013) linked increased prevalence of the supplements to aggressive marketing by manufacturers instead of their perceived effectiveness yet did not link it to social media. Indeed, Sabo (2013) acknowledged that the social media does affect people’s health and fitness yet failed to examine the extent to which the social media affects uptake of supplements. Alshammari et al. (2017) also recommended that the social media can help raise awareness regarding the detriments of the supplements but failed to examine their potential effects on the prevalence of supplements among consumers. Still, more recent studies have acknowledged that consumers access information on the supplements from inexpert sources. For instance, some researchers like Bianco et al. (2011), however, expressed concern that considerable numbers of consumers tend to be informed about fitness supplements from inexpert or unprofessional sources, such as the social media, instead of health practitioners. This was the case in Palermo, Italy. In fact, based on their findings on a comparative study of the acceptance of fitness supplements in the United States and Europe, Bianco et al. (2011) concluded that while the use of fitness supplements is prevalent and accepted by athletes who go to commercial gyms in the United States, there was limited references regarding an acceptance of protein supplement among individuals who attended physical fitness programmes in Italy. The researchers found that the proportion of individuals who used supplements was substantially lower due to limited market of fitness supplements in Italy, despite the extent of acceptance being higher among individuals who engaged in physical exercise than those who did not. They further established that a majority of those who accepted the use of fitness supplements were unaware of the consequences and secondary impacts of the supplements, as they mainly received information from friends, internet or instructor's advice. Related results were found by Molinero and Marquez (2009). They established that the use of fitness supplements is a prevalent and acceptable practice among athletes to improve their performance, yet their faith in the supplement products was pegged on advertisements that contained minimal or no scientific evidence on the detriments of using the supplements. The researchers were particularly concerned that many fitness supplements contained certain substances that had been prohibited in sports or linked to significance mortality and morbidity. They concluded that misinformation and lack of sufficient knowledge was associated with high acceptance of the supplements. Thuyne et al. (2006) did a study on the potential detriments of the fitness supplements and found that they tended to have active compounds and were as well contaminated with non-labelled anabolic steroids in addition to certain stimulating agents, which pose significant health risks. This assumption was later examined by Terrenal et al. (2014) in their study of consumer’s perceptions regarding the use of supplements labelled with “No Therapeutic Claim.” They established that consumers tended to base their perceptions in using supplements products labelled with “No Approved Therapeutic Claim” by its convenience, affordability, and quality. Hence, information on the therapeutic effects tended to convince consumers to use supplements, although the demographic variation among consumers is yet to be examined. In yet another study of the use of fitness supplements in Brazil, Goston and Correia (2010) established similar results. Their results showed that intake of supplements tended to be high in gyms among athletes, yet the supplements were usually self-prescribed by those who were convinced they would enable them to improve their physical performance. Like Terrenal et al. (2014), Goston and Correia (2010) were concerned that much of the acceptance of the supplements was based on advertisements that pitched the supplements as capable of improving performance and increasing muscle mass. A recent study by Alshammari et al. (2017) on the use of supplements among gym attendees in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia also expressed concern that a considerable number of physically active people consumed these products without first seeking sufficient medical advice. Conclusion It difficult to generalise the use of fitness supplements by physically active consumers due to a lack of homogeneous data among pieces of research reviewed. However, the research data indicates that elite athletes tend to consider using the supplements than their amateur counterparts. However, there is no apparent study that attempted to examine how consumers are convinced that it is necessary to use fitness supplements. The increasing demand for fitness supplements are attributed to a need to enhance performance, prevent nutritional deficiencies, improve health, reduce body fat, increase muscle mass and boost immunity. At any rate, the use of fitness supplements is a prevalent and acceptable practice among athletes to improve their performance, yet their faith in the supplement products depended on advertisements that contained minimal or no scientific evidence on the detriments of using the supplements. There is a clear paucity of research on the influence of social media on the intake of fitness supplement. This justifies a need for future research along this line. 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