The wild west that is the sport supplement scene.

January 7, 2010 7:02 PM

Is there any place to get unbiased (or even better, scientific) assessments of sports supplements?

I'm well aware that there are some ridiculous products with ridiculous claims out there. Maybe most of them.
But every so often some products (creatine, perhaps some energy mixes, based on my experiences) seem to have at least some impact on training and/or performance.
Looking at a recent flyer, I was astounded at the variety of expensive items that are now available: weight gainers, fat cutters, energy boosters that also cut fat, post-workout drinks that somehow add mass and cut fat, testosterone boosters (that one sounds the most scary), and pump-enhancing supplements with NO2 in them.
Whew.
So... I'm curious to hear empirical evidence any of you might have, but I'd *really* like to find a resource that really breaks down which, if any of these types of products have any merit, and what the actual benefits/effects they produce.

posted by Tbola to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (2 answers total)

Medline Plus, LA Times Health Section and Berkeley Wellness Newsletter all do scientific reviews of supplemental products. They all have websites where you can do a dedicated search under the topic of your choice.
posted by effluvia at 8:19 PM on January 7, 2010 [2 favorites]

While I don't know places to look, I would just add a note of warning when looking online. If a supplement or company that sells a supplement has an affiliate program, that means you will also typically find a lot of affiliates putting up fake "review sites" to try to drive sales. There are things you can look for in the links to see if they have a vested interest in you clicking on a certain product but in general just try to use your good judgement.
posted by Elminster24 at 8:43 PM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]