ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between dietary supplements and optimum sports performance among s tudents of the University of Benin. To guide the study, six research questions were raised, out of which two were hypothesized and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The descriptive survey research design was adopted in this study. The population of this study was made up of 268 student athletes. The sample size of 137 was selected using the simple random sampling technique to select 50 percent of student athletes from each faculty in the university. The research instrument used for data gathering in the study was a self-structured questionnaire. The instrument was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two other experts in the Department of Human Kinetics and Sports Science. The cronbach alpha statistics was used to establish the reliability of the instrument and the r-value of 0.901 was obtained. Data were analysed using descriptives (frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation). The findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between dietary supplements and optimum sports performance; dietary supplements such as protein supplements, creatine, amino acids, pre-workout and hydration supplements enhance sports performance; majority of the student athletes had a high level of dietary supplements consumption; there was a significant relationship between type of dietary supplements and optimum sports performance; there exist adverse effects of using dietary supplements such as nausea, headaches, and so on; and that the benefits of using dietary supplement to enhance sports performance covers improved endurance and stamina, muscle recovery, strength and power, focus and mental alertness, competitive edge, and so on. It was concluded that that there is a relationship between dietary supplements and optimum sports performance. Consequent upon this, student athletes had a high level of dietary supplement consumption. Also, as there were benefits in using dietary supplements to boost sports performance, so as are adverse effects of using these dietary supplements. It was recommended that student athletes should take advantage of dietary supplements as it help in improving sports performance; there should be moderation in the consumption of these dietary supplements; and that despite their genetic endowment, student athletes must also participate in optimal training to increase physical power, enhance mental strength, and provide a mechanical advantage.
