Jeff Novitzky fields dozens of questions from the 500-plus fighters on the UFC roster on a weekly basis. That is a significant part of the job for the promotion's vice president of athlete health and performance.
The bulk of those e-mails, text messages and phone calls revolve around one thing: dietary supplements. Almost every athlete in the UFC takes them in some form or another. With the UFC's new anti-doping program led by USADA, supplements have come under the microscope.
"Of the inquiries that I get during the week from fighters -- and I get a lot of them -- 75 percent of them are on supplements," said Novitzky.
Novitzky has unique experience with the supplement business. As a former federal agent for the Federal Drug Administration, he lived it every day for almost eight years. Novitzky calls the use of dietary supplements and the potential consequences one of the most pressing issues facing UFC fighters in this new USADA era.
"I explain to people that this [vice president] position is almost like being a father to 500-plus kids, looking out for them and making sure they don't get in trouble," Novitzky said. "And when it comes to supplements, it really scares me, just because of what I know about the industry and the prevalence of the use of supplements by our fighters."
LINK: Click Debate: UFC's USADA era casts spotlight on sketchy world of supplements
