To What Extent Does Research Support the Gateway Hypothesis on the Relationship Between Nutritional Supplement Use and Doping?: A semi-structured literature review

Abstract

In order to achieve success in sports, some athletes employ several strategies and behaviours that might negatively impact their physical well-being. This study aimed to explore the Gateway hypothesis in the context of sports (GHd), and its predictive powers in terms of nutritional supplements (NS) acting as a gateway to performanceenhancing substances (PES).

A semi-structured literature review was conducted in three individual databases including Pubmed, SPORTSdiscus and Google Scholar. A total number of 60 articles was found, and after screening them against the inclusion criteria, the remaining number was 9.

The results indicated a frequent use of NS in athletes, due to the possible benefits. The GH suggests that NS can act as a gateway to later use of PES. Psychological factors like perfectionism, body checking and positive attitudes towards PES contribute to the gateway effect. Context and environmental factors like sports culture and social sanctions can also affect PES use in athletes.

Although the literature offers general support for the GH, the topic is still not sufficiently researched in the context of sports. The studies found rely on correlational data, and more research is needed to establish causality. Additionally, unintentional doping due to contaminated NS can result in diffuse results.

The thesis concluded that the GHd has predictive powers, but there is still a need for more targeted research to determine the causality and fully understand the issue. Future research should include longitudinal studies and address both NS and PES use.