If you take one supplement, which one?
Answer
Magnesium, on claim strength. It has the fullest authorised claim set of the four covered here, it is easy to verify from a label, and it is 22p a day.
Key takeaways
- Which one?
- Magnesium. The fullest authorised claim set, the clearest link to sweat and training volume, and the easiest to verify.
- Why not omega 3?
- It is a close second, and its case is dietary rather than claim breadth. Add it as the next layer at 17p.
- What does it cost?
- 22p a day, about 7 pounds a month and 80 pounds a year.
Ranked on what can actually be claimed
Magnesium carries authorised claims for normal muscle function, normal protein synthesis, the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, electrolyte balance, energy metabolism and nervous system function, all at 15 percent of the 375mg reference value or above.
Omega 3 has one met claim. Collagen has none of its own. Lion's mane has none at all. That ordering runs from most to least defensible, and it is not the order the marketing suggests.
The honest caveat
None of them is a performance product and none carries a performance claim. The single most defensible purchase is still a nutrient intake being covered reliably.
Sleep, total food intake and conditioning all outperform every product on this site and none of them is bought. A player spending money here while sleeping six hours a night has the priorities the wrong way round.
When the answer would be different
For a player who already eats a genuinely varied diet with nuts, seeds, wholegrains and greens in it, the magnesium gap may be small and omega 3 becomes the better first purchase, because almost nobody eats oily fish weekly.
For a front row forward or a veterans player whose specific concern is connective tissue load, collagen becomes a more coherent first purchase even though it carries no claim of its own. The ranking is a default rather than a rule.
The full version
- Supplements for rugby playersThe whole picture with the claim position for each.
- A supplement stack for rugby, built honestlyWhat to add and in what order.
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
Which single supplement is best?
Magnesium, on claim strength, at 22p a day.
Why not something with a performance claim?
Only creatine carries one, at 3g a day, and Futuro Labs does not make it.
When would the answer change?
A varied diet narrows the magnesium gap, and connective tissue load makes collagen more coherent.