Inside Story: Natural athletes

Athletic supplements are supposed to help sports people perform better, but contamination means that as many as one in seven of them could cause a positive drug test, writes Emmet Ryan.

Sports physicians and coaches are spearheading a drive back towards more natural nutrition. Picture: Getty

When Ruth Wood-Martin, the national performance nutritionist with the IRFU, said last month that teenage rugby players who were using supplements to bulk up were putting their health at risk, it made front page news ''There is a possibility that a sports supplement may contain a banned and possibly harmful substance that a player is unaware of,'' she said. ''This could see them fail an anti-doping test or risk their health, so players ...