The call for third-party testing in sports supplements is vital to athletes, and that’s exactly what the NSF provides.

 

Nutritional supplements have always been a part of the fitness industry to help enhance and bridge the gap of an athlete’s performance — whether it’s a product that combats inflammation to help them recover more quickly or a pre workout that helps fuel their endurance — supplements are relied upon up for many training regimens.

 

Supplements, however, are a grey area especially to professional athletes who are drug tested for their sport — do the benefits outweigh the consequences? Many want a product to fuel their workout and help them to recover more rapidly, but how can they assure that the sports supplement product they’re taking is safe and won’t come up positive on a drug test?  

You don’t unless you use an NSF-Certified For Sport ™ product.

 

At Proven4, our pre and post workout sports supplements are third-party tested and NSF-Certified For Sport ™ to provide athletes with all of the benefits and none of the risks. This is a critical topic for athletes and trainers alike, so follow along in this important conversation below.

 

The Concern With Supplements

 

Because there is a grey area surrounding supplements, it can be quite the wild west when it comes to what is or isn’t in your supplements. On one hand, you can have a company claiming that their product has 20mg of protein per serving, but how do you really know? And, in the same vein, how do you know that your supplements don’t contain substances that won’t test positive on a drug test?

 

Regulation is the issue and companies can put or allow for whatever they choose in their products. Of course, most don’t do it intentionally or to cause harm, but it does happen.

 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does play a role is some supplement regulation and they do test for purity, strength, identity, and composition of a product, but it’s not always guaranteed. This leaves consumers vulnerable, because, still, companies can cheat the system with dishonest claims.

 

The Call For Third-Party Testing

 

Third-party testing interrupts this grey area in the supplement industry and sets up a trust and rapport with product companies and does what the FDA can’t, ensure the product is what it claims. It certifies that a product is free of any harmful ingredients and the label is accurate — it’s a safety policy for professional athletes.

 

NSF-Certified For Sport ™ Certification

 

Beyond third-party testing, there is the NSF-Certified For Sport ™ program that was tailored specifically to meet the needs of athletes and those who face a banned list of substances they can’t use.

 

It tests that the product is exactly what it claims and that there are no prohibited substances or unsafe levels of a specific compound.

 

The NSF looks for 270 prohibited and banned substances that include:

 

• Hormones
• Stimulants
• Steroids
• Narcotics
• Diuretics

 

NSF is a well-known agency that protects athletes from harmful and banned substances, in addition to being recognized by professional sports organizations including:

 

• Major League Baseball (MLB)
• National Football League (NFL)
• National Hockey League (NHL)

 

NSF and USADA

 

Recently, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) made the news for recognizing NSF-Certified For Sport ™products as lower-risk products for athletes, which is a big leap for the organization. It essentially grants immunity (not explicit) to an athlete if they were to fail a drug test while using NSF-Certified For Sport ™ supplements, but of course, this would be an extremely rare and unheard of case because of the diligence and reputation of the NSF.

 

Supplement regulation, especially third-party testing, is imperative for athletes who face routine drug testing and a banned substance list. NSF-Certified For Sport ™ products are the gold standard in professional sports and trusted by professional athletes to ensure the sports supplement is exactly what it says it is.

 

This benefits athletes because they are able to reap the perks of sports supplements without costing them their career. It’s a tool they can use and a certification they can look for to make the best decision.  

 

NSF-Certified For Sport ™ Products By Proven4

 

All of our products at Proven4 are NSF-Certified For Sport ™ to give athletes a healthy and natural advantage.

 

For sports products that taste great and enhance your performance, find one for you today!