About 84% of all gym goers use some sort of supplement ranging from a multivitamin to products to help lose fat, gain muscle or improve training performance. But, buyer beware. In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA), which essentially allows companies to take any ingredient found in nature and call it a supplement. These companies DO NOT have to prove that their product is safe and effective before selling it. In fact, it is estimated that at least half of the products on the market are not properly formulated, and 1/3 are contaminated with heavy metals, prescription drugs, or illegal drugs!
Under formulation is also a problem. This is when companies skimp on the ingredients they say are contained in their product to make it more competitive in the mass market. Protein powders are one of the products most often under formulated. In one example, a popular name brand product advertised as having 24 grams of whey protein and 2 grams of carbohydrates was independently tested and found to contain the exact opposite–2.5 grams of protein and 25 grams of carbohydrates!
DSHEA did establish Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which companies are supposed to follow to ensure supplements are made properly, but only a few manufacturers are inspected each year, and overall compliance rates remain problematic. In fact, a 2016 FDA report revealed violations at 62% of the facilities it inspected.
So, how does one know if they are investing in a high quality product? Be sure the supplement has been 3rd party tested to ensure that what is on the label is in the container. You can look up your favorite supplements with these organizations and databases that report the results of supplement tests:
- NSF Certified for Sports
- The United States Pharmacopeia’s verified supplement list
- Labdoor, which sells and tests supplements
- Consumerlab, another independent group
Source: PT on the Net
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