Prevalence and patterns of sports supplement use in elite wheelchair basketball players: an analysis based on the AIS framework.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Optics, Pharmacology and Anatomy, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
- 2Applied Dietetics, Nutrition and Body Composition Research Group (DANUC), University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
- 3Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy 'Salus Infirmorum', Pontifical University of Salamanca, Madrid, Spain.
- 4Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Abstract
Background
Sports supplement use is widespread in elite sport, yet evidence regarding supplementation practices in Paralympic team sports remains limited. Wheelchair basketball players present specific physiological and contextual characteristics that may influence supplement use and its alignment with current scientific evidence.Methods
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 66 elite Spanish wheelchair basketball players (57 men and 9 women) from 10 first-division teams. Participants completed a validated questionnaire assessing self-reported sports supplement use, reasons for consumption, and sources of information. Supplements were classified according to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) framework based on scientific evidence and safety. Descriptive and exploratory analyses were performed to examine associations between self-reported sports supplement use and athlete characteristics, including sex, functional classification, and training profile.Results
Overall, 72.7% of athletes reported current self-reported sports supplement use. Expressed as proportions of the entire sample (n = 66), Group A products were consumed by 66.7% of athletes, Group B products by 31.8%, while no athletes reported using Group C (0%) or Group D (0%) substances. Protein supplements, creatine monohydrate, and caffeine were the most frequently consumed products. Supplement use patterns were generally similar across sex and functional classifications, although no statistically significant differences were observed.Conclusion
Elite wheelchair basketball players show a high prevalence of self-reported sports supplement use, predominantly involving products currently classified within AIS Group A. While the primary use of Group A supplements reflects a high intake of products with established efficacy, actual evidence-based practice requires individualized evaluation, underscoring the importance of professionally guided nutrition strategies in Paralympic team sports.
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BibTeX
@article{romerogarcia2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence and patterns of sports supplement use in elite wheelchair basketball players: an analysis based on the AIS framework.}},
author = {David Romero-García and María Isabel Buceta-Toro and Sara Perpiñá-Martínez and María Miana and Isabel Sospedra and Aurora Norte and Eva Ausó and Ana Cifuentes and Sara Aprea-Moreno and Pablo Leardy Palencia and Santiago Delgado Ortiz and José Miguel Martínez-Sanz},
journal = {Frontiers in nutrition},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fnut.2026.1974031},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898133},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prevalence and patterns of sports supplement use in elite wheelchair basketball players: an analysis based on the AIS framework.
AU - David Romero-García
AU - María Isabel Buceta-Toro
AU - Sara Perpiñá-Martínez
AU - María Miana
AU - Isabel Sospedra
AU - Aurora Norte
AU - Eva Ausó
AU - Ana Cifuentes
AU - Sara Aprea-Moreno
AU - Pablo Leardy Palencia
AU - Santiago Delgado Ortiz
AU - José Miguel Martínez-Sanz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - Frontiers in nutrition
DO - 10.3389/fnut.2026.1974031
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898133
AB - Background Sports supplement use is widespread in elite sport, yet evidence regarding supplementation practices in Paralympic team sports remains limited. Wheelchair basketball players present specific physiological and contextual characteristics that may influence supplement use and its alignment with current scientific evidence.Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 66 elite Spanish wheelchair basketball players (57 men and 9 women) from 10 first-division teams. Participants completed a validated questionnaire assessing self-reported sports supplement use, reasons for consumption, and sources of information. Supplements were classified according to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) framework based on scientific evidence and safety. Descriptive and exploratory analyses were performed to examine associations between self-reported sports supplement use and athlete characteristics, including sex, functional classification, and training profile.Results Overall, 72.7% of athletes reported current self-reported sports supplement use. Expressed as proportions of the entire sample (n = 66), Group A products were consumed by 66.7% of athletes, Group B products by 31.8%, while no athletes reported using Group C (0%) or Group D (0%) substances. Protein supplements, creatine monohydrate, and caffeine were the most frequently consumed products. Supplement use patterns were generally similar across sex and functional classifications, although no statistically significant differences were observed.Conclusion Elite wheelchair basketball players show a high prevalence of self-reported sports supplement use, predominantly involving products currently classified within AIS Group A. While the primary use of Group A supplements reflects a high intake of products with established efficacy, actual evidence-based practice requires individualized evaluation, underscoring the importance of professionally guided nutrition strategies in Paralympic team sports.
SN - 2296-861X
ER -