Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate: label, dose and cost per day

By Tom Francis·Updated 2026-09-03·3 sources·Editorial policy

What is on the label

Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate is sold in two sizes on Amazon UK. The 180 capsule tub is the main one at 19.99 pounds, and there is a 90 capsule pouch at 9.99 pounds. Both use the same capsule, so the only difference is how long a tub lasts.

Each capsule carries 750mg of magnesium bisglycinate. The serving is two capsules, so a serving is 1500mg of magnesium bisglycinate. That compound weight is not the amount of magnesium a player absorbs, and the difference between the two numbers is where most magnesium labels get confusing.

Compound weight versus elemental magnesium

Magnesium is never sold on its own. It is bound to something, and in this case it is bound to glycine to make magnesium bisglycinate. The label figure of 1500mg is the weight of the whole bound compound. The elemental figure of 300mg is the weight of the magnesium inside it.

That means the bisglycinate in this product is roughly 20 percent magnesium by weight. A product advertising 1500mg on the front of the tub is not offering five times as much magnesium as a product advertising 300mg. It may be offering exactly the same amount, described differently. Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate states both numbers, which is the thing worth checking on any magnesium product before comparing prices.

What 300mg of elemental magnesium covers

The nutrient reference value for magnesium in the UK is 375mg a day, so a 300mg serving is 80 percent of it. That is a substantial contribution rather than a top up, and it sits well clear of the 15 percent NRV threshold that a product has to reach before it can carry any magnesium claim at all.

The authorised claims that apply at this intake cover normal muscle function, normal protein synthesis, the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, electrolyte balance, normal energy yielding metabolism and normal functioning of the nervous system. There is no authorised claim for cramp, and there is no authorised claim for sleep. Any product marketed on either of those is going beyond what the evidence has been assessed to support.

Why bisglycinate rather than oxide or citrate

Magnesium oxide is cheap and carries a high percentage of elemental magnesium by weight, but it is poorly absorbed and is the form most associated with loose stools. Citrate absorbs better than oxide and is common in powders. Bisglycinate is a chelated form, meaning the magnesium is bound to an amino acid, and it is generally the gentlest of the three on the gut at a full dose.

For a player taking a full 300mg serving daily through a season, tolerability matters more than a few pence of unit cost. That is the practical case for the chelated form rather than any claim about it being more powerful.

Testing and manufacturing

Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate is made in the UK and independently lab tested for purity. That is a purity check on what is in the capsule, and it is not the same thing as batch certification for banned substances.

No Futuro Labs product currently carries Informed Sport or Informed Choice certification. Any player who is subject to testing should treat that as the deciding factor and choose a batch certified product instead, whatever else is on the label.

What to check on any magnesium label

• Does it state elemental magnesium, or only the compound weight?
• What percentage of the 375mg NRV does one serving actually provide?
• How many capsules make a serving, and does the front of the pack quote the serving or the capsule?
• Which form is it: oxide, citrate, bisglycinate or a blend?
• Divide the pack price by the number of servings, not by the number of capsules.
• Is there a bulking agent, and is it declared?
• Is it batch certified for sport, or only tested for purity?

Cost per day, worked through

The 180 capsule tub is 19.99 pounds and contains 90 two capsule servings. That is 22.2p per day, which rounds to 22p. The 90 capsule pouch is 9.99 pounds for 45 servings, which is also 22.2p. The larger tub does not carry a bulk discount, it simply lasts twice as long.

Comparing on cost per day rather than cost per tub is the only way to compare magnesium products honestly, because serving sizes vary from one capsule to four across the UK shelf.

Questions players ask

Sources

• EFSA register of nutrition and health claims
• Food supplements guidance, gov.uk
• National Diet and Nutrition Survey, gov.uk