الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The contemporary issue of DS and doping consumption among athletes has become a pressing concern in the realm of sports. As athletes increasingly seek ways to enhance their performance, the allure of DS has grown, often leading to inadvertent or deliberate intake of substances that may be tainted with banned substances. The ambiguity surrounding the contents of many supplements, coupled with lax regulations, poses a significant challenge in ensuring the integrity of athletic competitions. Athletes may unknowingly consume prohibited substances, resulting in inadvertent doping violations and tarnishing their careers. Additionally, the intentional misuse of supplements for performance gains raises ethical concerns and undermines the principles of fair play.
The sporting community faces the urgent task of establishing more rigorous standards for supplement manufacturing and usage, along with enhanced education programs, to safeguard the integrity of sports and the health of athletes.A pre-intervention assessment was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of 300 students. Subsequent evaluations were carried out immediately after the intervention and again 2 months later, specifically targeting the subset of students who initially scored lowest in knowledge, encompassing the bottom 100 scorers.The intervention resulted in favorable outcomes, with participants displaying notable enhancements in their knowledge levels concerning both DS and doping. The knowledge scores exhibited substantial progress, with an increase of approximately 167.51% following the initial post-intervention assessment and 152.78% after the subsequent post-intervention evaluation. Notably, there was no statistically significant difference observed between the knowledge scores in the two post-intervention assessments, indicating a sustained retention of knowledge. Furthermore, post-intervention, there was a marginal reduction in the percentage of participants holding a negative attitude towards doping, accompanied by a slight elevation in the percentages of neutral and positive attitudes. Regarding practices, a positive shift was observed, marked by an increase in the percentage of participants adopting fair practices post-intervention, concomitant with a decrease in the percentage of participants exhibiting poor practices. Both DS and doping practice scores demonstrated significant improvements post-intervention. These findings underscore the efficacy of the intervention in augmenting knowledge, fostering a more positive disposition towards doping, and promoting fair practices among participants. The enduring knowledge acquired implies the potential for a lasting impact, contributing to a more enlightened and ethical approach to DS and doping within the participant cohort.6.2. Conclusion It could be concluded from the results that: The use of DS has become very popular and widespread in the girl’s sporting community where the prevalence of dietary supplement use is 38.7%, while doping is 6%.
• The internet is the primary source of information about supplements and doping.Pharmacy is the most common source for purchasing DS.
• The top DS used are vitamins and minerals, indicating a potential misunderstanding of their roles. While AAS are the most common doping substances.Reasons for dietary supplement use are mainly for maintaining good health. Whereas, doping substance use is primarily for health maintenance, athletic performance, and self-esteem.
• Slight improvement with DS is reported by 18.7% of the users. While highly improved outcomes are reported by 44.4% with doping substance use.
• Gastrointestinal effects are the most common side effect reported by dietary supplement users. Whereas binge eating behavior is the most reported side effect of doping.
• Confidence in DS and doping substances is somewhat high.
• Cost is the main reason for avoiding supplements, while aggravation of medical problems is the primary reason for avoiding doping substances.
• Most final-year students had not attended educational workshops on DS and doping.
• Most of the final year students at the Faculty of Physical Education for Girls, Alexandria University, who will be the future coaches and more than half of them are already working as coaches, had poor knowledge about DS and doping.
• Knowledge about DS and doping is poor in 88% and fair in 12% and the overall knowledge significantly improved post-intervention.
• Almost all the participants had a negative attitude towards doping (94%) with a slight decrease post-intervention.
• The majority of the students had fair and good DS and doping practices and there are significant improvements in practices post-intervention, with no difference between the two assessments.
• The nutrition education program about DS and doping substances on the participants is effective in improving their knowledge and practice but unfortunately not their attitude towards doping.
6.3. Recommendations
from the results of this study, the following can be recommended:
1. Athletes should recognize that sports performance is influenced by various factors such as genetics, prolonged training, and optimal nutrition, and the use of supplements cannot replace these essentials.
2. Before turning to DS, athletes should prioritize maintaining a well-balanced diet, as supplements cannot compensate for poor food choices.
3. Seeking guidance from qualified sports nutritionists is advisable for athletes planning nutritional supplementation routines, acknowledging that responses to supplements may vary based on individual factors like nutritional status, training, and genetics.
4. Media content, which provides easily accessible information, should be monitored for adequacy and reliability.
5. Designing effective educational interventions about DS and doping requires a thorough study of existing literature, identifying limitations and gaps.
6. Implementing educational programs on dietary supplementation is crucial for athletes, coaches, parents, and all individuals involved in sports.
7. Post-intervention assessments should occur once and after a considerable period, like six to twelve months.
8. Extensive research is needed to understand the reasons and educational sources influencing athletes, forming the basis for awareness programs about the risks and benefits of DS and reducing the risk of positive doping cases.
9. Healthcare professionals must provide accurate information about DS, being a trusted source for many individuals, and should inquire about supplement use during routine medical visits, recognizing the potential for supplement use among patients.
10. The study of DS and doping should be integrated into the early years of PE, not limited to the fourth year of coaching majors.
11. Sports nutrition research should address critical questions for evidence-based decision-making by athletes and coaches.
12. Research should explore potential interactions between DS and prescription medications, as well as the long-term health effects of supplement use.
13. The Egyptian Government should formulate a deliberate anti-doping policy, involving continuous training for coaches and athletes to enhance their knowledge and attitudes.
14. Sports sponsors in Egypt should include anti-doping clauses in sponsorship conditions to combat doping.
15. Strengthening the Egyptian National Anti-Doping Organization (EGY-NADO) is crucial for implementing doping programs and sharing information through a dedicated website.
16. Further studies should investigate doping knowledge based on coaching qualifications in sports in Egypt.
17. Research is needed on the knowledge of athletes, coaches, and their support personnel, including parents, team managers, and physicians, regarding doping.