Theoretically, nutritional supplements are the ingenious creation of food science, products formulated to fill the gaps in your meal plan and ensure you get enough of what you need to perform better in and out of the gym. is. In reality, supplements aren’t always so simple, and can actually do a lot more than they do. refill your nutrition.
New research published in JAMA network(1), an open-access medical journal published by the American Medical Association, reveals something surprising. Findings on Quality and Composition of Dozens of Sports Supplements.
That is, it More than 10% of dietary supplements may contain one or more previously banned ingredients. By the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Investigation result
Start with the results. This paper, authored by Cohen et al., attempted to: Cross-reference nutrition label information for dozens of individual dietary supplements what happened actually in powder.
According to the paper, “Dietary supplement products are included if they are labeled as containing at least one of the following ingredients:”
- vomiting Rplant extracts containing α-yohimbine
- Methylriverine“caffeine-like compounds”
- Halostitinpartial beta2– adrenergic agonists
- tolcesteroneplant steroids
- Octopaminedescribed as “noradrenaline-like”
In total, this study analyzed 57 individual products that meet the above criteria. Their findings include:
- 40 percent of products contain “detectable amounts of [a] displayed ingredients. “
- 11 percent of products contained within 10% of the amount of ingredients listed on the label.
- 12 percent products contained trace amounts of at least one FDA-banned ingredient.
- 89 percent Some product labels did not accurately disclose the ingredients contained.
The authors found that 12% of the products contained banned substances. Contains trace amounts of 5 different FDA-banned ingredients1,4-dimethylamylamine, deterenol, octodrine, oxilofrine, omberacetam and others.
they emphasized that One product contained up to four different banned substancesHowever, no brand name was mentioned.
Additionally, Cohen et al. also broadened the discussion of inaccurate supplement labeling by citing portions of other research from 2013.2) claimed it Nearly half of dietary supplements contained incorrect amounts of caffeine Exactly what it says on the label.
Methods and Limitations
To construct this study, The authors purchased 57 botanical sports supplements onlinebased on whether it is labeled as containing vomiting Rmethylriverine, torquesterone, halostatin, or octopamine.
Supplement powders were reconstituted in methanol and analyzed for both presence and quality of the listed components by liquid chromatography. Regarding the limitation, the author claims: The following factors may have influenced the quality of the findings:
- The sample size of the individual products purchased was small.
- Only one sample from each brand was analyzed.
- Products were analyzed only if they were listed as containing at least one of the five “target ingredients”.
Cohen et al. They concluded their report by stating, “It is unclear whether the results are generalizable to other botanical ingredients in sports supplements, or whether amounts may vary between batches within a particular brand.” ing.
They suggest that clinicians and consumers should be wary of supplements that “claim stimulants or anabolic effects.”
[Related: Does Caffeine Really Cancel Out Creatine?]
what it means to you
Simply put, the researchers collected dozens of supplements marketed as containing an array of performance-enhancing ingredients. Not only were some of the nutrition labels on these products inaccurate, some even contained noticeable traces of substances banned by the FDA.
Are these findings true for all dietary supplements on the market? Not necessarily. The authors analyzed only products based on five performance-enhancing ingredients.Some of them are very niche and not particularly common in market leading products.
One of the most compelling findings from this study is that Of the products containing detectable amounts of the listed ingredients, actual Amounts ranged from 0.02 to 334 percent of those listed.
[Related: The Definitive Guide to Bodybuilding Meal Prep]
Broadly speaking, this study sheds light on what industry insiders and supplement enthusiasts alike have known for a long time. Dietary supplements seldom contain exactly what they claim to contain in the amount they claim to contain.and many of the ergogenic supplements designed to improve your performance in the gym have not undergone extensive testing by the FDA.
Should I ditch the entire tub of my supplement cabinet, skip whey protein, or quit pre-workout? Probably not. But please understand that, at least according to this data, you may be unknowingly ingesting ingredients that are not listed on the nutrition label of those products.
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References
- Cohen, PA, Avra, B., Katragunta, K., Travis, JC, Khan, I. (2023). Presence and amount of botanical constituents with alleged performance-enhancing properties in sports supplements. JAMA network open, 6(7), e2323879.
- Cohen, PA, S. Attipoe, J. Travis, M. Stevens, P. Douster (2013). Caffeine content of dietary supplements consumed on military bases. JAMA Internal Medicine, 173(7), 592–594.
Featured Image: Milan Ilic Photographer / Shutterstock
