WNiF Magazine - Spring 2012 Edition | Page 56

Nine Questions Every Athlete Should Ask Before Taking a Supplement A ccording to Glenn Cardwell, a life member with Nutrition Australia, athletes vary greatly in their response to training, environmental conditions, psychological barriers, and nutritional supplements, which makes it difficult to assess the value of proposed ergogenic aids. “Improvement is not proof that a supplement works. It may be just a convenient coincidence,” says Cardwell, author of the forthcoming new edition of Gold Medal Nutrition. “Proof only comes when the same result can be repeated time and time again.” Before taking a nutritional supplement Cardwell advises assessing its potential value by asking nine vital questions: 56 WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - SPRING 2012