Dietary Supplements Consumption During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Mexican Athletes

Introduction: During the previous health contingency caused by COVID-19, there was a widespread dissemination of alleged treatments for this and other diseases. This led to the use of dietary supplements (DS) as a possible alternative for the prevention of this disease. DS consumption poses a risk in populations where the prevalence of use is high. Such is the case in the sports community, where its consumption is a common activity due to its effects on sports performance and body composition. Objective: To determine the prevalence of DS consumption in Mexican athletes during COVID-19 and identify those who used them to prevent infection. Additionally, to explore the association between consumption and the variables of gender, age, and occupation. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in a non-probabilistic convenience sample composed of 351 athletes from the northwest region of Mexico. A survey was administered through the Google Forms platform that included questions related to the frequency of DS consumption as well as sociodemographic variables. Results: 22.5% of the participants were consuming some type of DS during the lockdown, and 67.1% believed that the consumption of these supplements contributed to the prevention of COVID-19. An association between consumption and belief was found (.2( 2) = 26.256, p < 0.05; Phi = 0.274). The use of DS was primarily recommended by nutritionists (39.2%), coaches (21.5%), and physicians (20.3%). Conclusions: DS consumption was relatively low compared to other populations. However, the majority of DS consumers reported that DS contributed to the prevention of COVID-19 infection. A significant proportion of DS consumers sought recommendations from healthcare professionals.