ABSTRACT
Supplements used in sport include vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and
various extracts, principally derived from plant sources. There is a commonly
held view that “natural” products are, by defi nition, free of toxic side effects. This
is clearly a misconception, particularly when it is remembered that in the early
days of pharmacological science all drugs were derived from plant and animal
sources and that many of these derivatives are amongst the most toxic chemicals
known to man. Indeed, some nutritional supplements have the potential for harm
(Beltz and Doering, 1993; Maughan et al., 2004; Maughan, 2005).
