Behind The Label
I often get asked how the average everyday person can really know if the supplements they are buying really contain what it says on the label.
Outside of having a chemistry background and your own testing equipment, it is difficult.
And that really is the crux of the issue, isn’t it? The sad truth is that it comes down to trial, error and studying people and company behaviors.
Some ingredients product an obvious effect. Caffeine, ephedrine, yohimbe as well as a few others come to mind. But there are many more that don’t, protein powder being among them.
Evaluate A Protein Product
Since it’s a staple, I’ll tell you how I personally evaluate a protein product
First, does it say NUTRITION facts or SUPPLEMENT facts on the label. If it’s the former, they’re out of compliance with the FDA’s CFR111’s that every company should be following. It also likely means it didn’t clear dozens and dozens of stringent checkpoints a product with a SUPPLEMENT facts panel did.
Second, does it contain additional amino acids beyond the parent protein (whey, casein, egg etc). source? If it does, it could mean these additional amino’s are there so as to spike the nitrogen content.
Third and related to point #2, was the supplement company that makes your protein on that list? If it was, I’d ditch their product no matter how many times they’ve told you they’ve cleaned up their act.
Fourth, look around at the companies who refused to play that game, who’s products have always been true to label and in the market for years, if not decades.
People Behind the Products
Finally, at least attempt to know the people behind the products. Carl Lanore lives a physically active lifestyle and is extremely knowledgeable as to not just his product, but all things physical culture.
John Drake CEO of bodybuildingsupplements.com is a world class centurian bicycle rider. At nearly 60. We’re talking 100 mile rides up and down some serious terrain. He’s been in business more than a quarter century, and never once was one of his products found not to make label claim.
You will undoubtedly find others, and should absolutely patronize them given a clean record.
Testing at Home
Finally there are several tests you can perform in your kitchen to establish that you’re at least getting quality Trib and Ecdy. I’ve had more than one subscriber point out a product that he exposed. The company didn’t even contest his findings, just told him to return the unused product for a refund.
Bottom Line
If you’re going the trial and error route, it’s going to be a long road. Worse, it gets really expensive and you can never be quite sure your findings are accurate. Subscribing to an information source that can show you which products contain what they claim is invaluable, and will result in you SAVING untold amounts of money in the long run.
I only wish I had something like that when I was young. It would have kept me from wasting tens of thousands of dollars. I probably could have retired by now and no, I’m not joking.
