Sports Supplements Lacking Ingredients on Label

“You get what you pay for” isn’t an adage we can always apply to sports supplements. A study lead by U.S. researchers published in JAMA Network has found that about 40% of a selection of 57 supplements bought online, that were advertised to have sports performance-enhancing properties, didn’t contain detectable amounts of key ingredients the label said they should. Each product used in the analysis was advertised to contain at least one of five botanical compounds, such as caffeine-like methylliberine, that have become more widely used in supplements since the stimulant ephedra was banned in 2004. Half of the supplements displayed the wrong amount, and 12% were found to contain illegal additives. These findings might not be so shocking considering how poorly supplements are regulated in the U.S.

Further research is needed to get a better idea of how many other sports supplements on the market are similarly mislabeled before we know the true extent of this problem, and if it is also an issue for more popular supplements like creatine and protein powders. In the meantime, the fitness crowd should be encouraged to purchase their products from credible brands who hand over their products for third-party testing to show what is on the label is what you are getting.

See also: The Truth About Vitamins and Supplements