As a sports dietitian advising a collegiate team with limited budget and varying competition rules, which evidence-based recommendation best balances effectiveness, safety, and cost?

• A. Advise all athletes to self-prescribe high doses of caffeine and anabolic steroids because these maximize performance quickly and cost no more than a month of team meals
• B. Allow athletes to choose any ergogenic aid they prefer without counseling because personal preference and anecdote are as reliable as controlled trials in predicting individual responses
• C. Recommend discontinuing all supplements including creatine and caffeine, replacing them with expensive, untested proprietary supplements because novelty equates to greater ergogenic effect
• D. Prioritize foundational nutrition and hydration strategies for all athletes, recommend creatine monohydrate for eligible strength/power athletes who seek modest benefits and can tolerate it, and discourage use of banned or high-risk agents such as anabolic steroids while educating about sport rules and risks

Answer: (D)