Do rugby players need a B12 supplement?

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

Key takeaways

Who actually needs it?

Vegan players, and vegetarians relying heavily on plant foods. B12 is not present in plant foods in useful amounts.

What does it claim?

Contributions to normal red blood cell formation, normal energy yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Do meat eaters need it?

Rarely. Meat, fish, eggs and dairy all carry it and a normal mixed diet covers the reference value.

Does Futuro Labs make one?

No, and no other supplement brand is named on this site.

Why this page has nothing to sell

Futuro Labs does not make a B12 product and this site does not name other supplement brands, so there is no recommendation at the end of this page.

That makes it easier to be plain about it. B12 is one of the few supplements where a specific group genuinely needs one and everyone else largely does not, which is a rarer situation than the supplement shelf suggests.

Where B12 comes from

B12 is produced by bacteria and reaches humans almost entirely through animal foods: meat, fish, eggs and dairy. It is not present in plant foods in useful amounts, and the exceptions occasionally cited such as certain algae are unreliable.

That makes the dividing line unusually clear. A player eating a normal mixed diet is getting it. A player eating no animal products is not, and needs a fortified food or a supplement as a matter of routine rather than optimisation.

What the authorised claims cover

B12 has a full set of claims at a serving providing at least 15 percent of its reference value. It contributes to normal red blood cell formation, to normal energy yielding metabolism, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal psychological function and to normal homocysteine metabolism.

Those are contributions to normal function at adequate intake, in the same register as the magnesium claims. They are not claims that extra B12 raises energy in someone whose intake is already adequate, which is how the category is usually marketed.

The energy misunderstanding

B12 is sold on energy more heavily than almost anything, usually as injections or high dose sprays aimed at tired people.

Contributing to normal energy yielding metabolism means the nutrient plays its part in producing energy from food when intake is adequate. It does not mean supplementing above adequacy produces more energy. A player who is tired and eats meat regularly is unlikely to be tired because of B12, and persistent fatigue without an obvious cause belongs with a GP where iron and other genuine causes can be checked.

Vegan and vegetarian players

A vegan rugby player needs a reliable B12 source and should treat it as routine rather than optional. Fortified foods and supplements are both legitimate routes and the important thing is consistency.

This also connects to the omega 3 question, because Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil is fish oil in a bovine gelatin softgel and is unsuitable on two counts. A vegan player wanting to reach the 250mg EPA and DHA threshold is looking at an algal product. Futuro Labs Marine Collagen is also fish derived. Futuro Labs Magnesium Glycinate and Futuro Labs Lion's Mane are both vegan.

Deficiency is a medical question

B12 deficiency is diagnosed and treated medically, not managed from a supplement shelf. It can present with fatigue, neurological symptoms and anaemia, and it has causes beyond diet including absorption problems.

Anyone with persistent unexplained symptoms should see a GP rather than self treating, because guessing wrong in either direction has consequences and a blood test settles it.

The other nutrients worth checking on a plant based diet

B12 is the clearest case and it is not the only one, and a player going plant based for a season is better served thinking about the set than about one vitamin.

Iron from plant sources is less readily absorbed than from meat, which matters more for players in heavy training and is a blood test question rather than a guessing one. Long chain omega 3 does not come from plant foods in useful amounts, because flax and chia provide ALA and conversion to EPA is limited. Iodine and vitamin D are both worth knowing about, and calcium needs deliberate attention without dairy.

None of those is a Futuro Labs product except the omega 3, and Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil is fish oil in a bovine gelatin softgel, so it is unsuitable on two counts. A vegan player wanting to reach the 250mg EPA and DHA threshold needs an algal product, and this site has nothing to sell into that.

Where to go next

• Omega 3 for rugby playersIncluding the algal option for players avoiding animal products.
• Supplements for rugby playersWhat carries a claim across the whole range.
• Magnesium and tiredness in rugbyThe other nutrient sold on energy, and what the claim actually says.

Questions players ask

Sources

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