Sports supplements : motivations and correlates of use

Body image issues of females have been thoroughly researched. There is now increasing research on male body image issues. Research shows males are concerned about being unmuscular and females are concerned about being thin. These concerns lead to different diet and exercise behaviour, as well as other behaviours. Males who reported using anabolic steroids to improve their appearance had higher levels of body image symptomology, is this the same for supplement users? The present study aimed to explore this by understanding the motivations and correlates of sports supplement use. 103 participants (M=24.5, SD= 5.8 years) completed an online survey asking about sports supplements use, the motivations for use and potential correlates (attitudes towards supplements and exercise, eating disorder behaviour, drive for muscularity and quality of life) of use. Male supplement users had a significantly greater drive for muscularity than female supplement users (p <.001, d = 1.13) and this drive was significantly correlated (p <.001) with using supplements to change appearance. Increased frequency of supplement use was associated with increased drive for muscularity, compulsive attitudes towards supplements and exercise, and quality of life. These findings suggest the presence of body image issues in male supplement users, calling for further research.