Is sport certification worth trusting?
Answer
They are credible and they are not guarantees. Certification means a laboratory screened a batch against a prohibited list and published the result, which is the strongest assurance available.
Key takeaways
- Is it credible?
- Yes. It is independent laboratory screening with published results tied to batch numbers.
- Is it a guarantee?
- No programme claims to be. Screening has detection limits and covers the batch sampled.
- What does it not tell you?
- Anything about dose, effectiveness or whether the claims on the pack are authorised.
What it genuinely delivers
An independent laboratory takes samples from a production batch, screens them against a list of substances prohibited in sport, and publishes the result against the batch number. A player can check the tub they are holding.
For a player under strict liability that is the strongest assurance available on a shop shelf, and there is no better alternative. Scepticism about it usually comes from expecting it to be a guarantee, which it does not claim to be.
The limits worth knowing
Screening has detection limits, so a substance below them is not found. Certification covers the batch sampled rather than every unit. And it says nothing about whether a product is any good: a certified product can be underdosed and sold on a claim that does not exist.
None of the four products on this site is certified. Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate at 22p a day is independently lab tested for purity and UK made to GMP standards, which covers contaminants rather than prohibited substances.
The full version
- Informed Choice, Informed Sport and the other certification schemesHow the programmes differ and which matters.
- How to use a certification checker properlySearching the batch rather than the brand.
The product
Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate
Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate is the 300mg elemental one at 22p a day, a two capsule serving covering 80 percent of the 375mg reference value, UK made and independently lab tested for purity.
- 300mg elemental magnesium, 80% NRV
- Bisglycinate, best tolerated common form
- UK made to GMP, lab tested for purity
- Not batch certified for sport
Sharper Rugby is published by Futuro Labs. If you buy through this link Futuro Labs earns from the sale. Prices are set by Amazon.
Questions players ask
Is certification trustworthy?
Yes, as independent screening with published results. It is not a guarantee and does not claim to be.
What are its limits?
Detection limits, and coverage of the batch sampled rather than every unit.
Does it mean a product is good?
No. It says nothing about dose, effectiveness or whether the claims are authorised.
Who runs these programmes?
Independent laboratories and certification bodies, separate from the manufacturers whose products they screen.
Does it cover contaminants?
No. Heavy metals and microbiology are covered by purity testing, which is a separate analysis.
Is an uncertified product unsafe?
Not necessarily. It is unverified, which is a different statement and the one that matters under strict liability.