The Two Best Ways to Distinguish the Right Supplements from the Wrong Ones

If you’ve ever walked into a GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, or any supplement store, you know just how easy it is to fall victim to paralysis by analysis. As soon as you enter, you're bombarded by an ocean of products. You could spend all day comparing various brands of creatine, protein, pre-workout, vitamins, and more.

To make matters even more complicated, you don’t just have one type of creatine, protein, pre-workout, or vitamin; there are several options for each. The average person just getting into fitness and supplements may not know the difference between creatine monohydrate and creatine ethyl ester, whey protein and casein protein, or caffeine anhydrous in one pre-workout versus di-caffeine malate in another. While you have the general umbrella term for each supplement, the decision tree can quickly become more complex when it's time to make a purchase.

As if you're not overwhelmed enough, the type of lifter and person you are adds another layer of complexity. Many supplement brands are infamous for excelling at one thing: marketing to their target audience. If someone sees themselves as an extreme lifter—sporting baggy or loud gym attire with graphic art, a high-risk taker willing to do whatever it takes to achieve results—they may be more inclined to purchase supplements that feature 'in-your-face' designs and bold labels, with marketing that emphasizes they’re not for the 'casual gym-goer.'

In contrast, someone focused on long-term sustainability and longevity, who is health-conscious and not interested in quick fixes, is likely to gravitate toward supplements with a minimalist label approach and a heavier emphasis on the quality and transparency of their ingredients.

Focus on Ingredients: Making Informed Choices

But regardless of the type of supplement design you tend to gravitate toward, it’s a safe rule of thumb to focus on the ingredients. My first recommendation is that once you find a supplement brand or product that piques your interest, turn the bottle around and look at the ingredients list.

Now, you might be thinking that you don’t really know what most of the ingredients on the Supplement Facts label are. That’s fair—the average person wouldn’t know what many of these ingredients are, and I’d bet some supplement suppliers are counting on that. If that’s the case, a little research may be needed on your part. You don’t have to become a supplement expert overnight, but at least do some brief research into the product you’re looking to purchase and the essential ingredients that should be included.

For example, if you’re looking to purchase an electrolyte supplement, it helps to know that the key electrolytes are chloride, sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphate. So, if you find an electrolyte supplement that seems promising and, upon flipping it around, discover it only has 20 mg of sodium per serving along with a bunch of filler ingredients, you’ll know right off the bat that this supplement doesn’t provide you with adequate electrolytes.

Here’s another example: it is widely recognized in the fitness and supplement industry that creatine monohydrate is known for its effectiveness, with extensive research supporting its benefits for muscle growth and sports performance. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware that this effectiveness is specific to creatine monohydrate and not to creatine ethyl ester, creatine hydrochloride, creatine citrate, or any other form of creatine. There just isn’t enough research to support the benefits of any other type of creatine yet. Creatine monohydrate remains the gold standard.

Look for GMP and Third-Party Tested Supplements

When choosing the right supplement, the quality of the ingredients matters significantly, and properly sourced ingredients are equally important. It’s always a good idea to purchase supplements that have a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) or Third-Party Tested certification on their label. GMP guidelines are designed to ensure that products are consistently produced and controlled according to strict quality standards.

GMP certifications apply not just to one aspect of manufacturing but to the entire process. This includes ensuring that manufacturing personnel are trained in the latest hygienic practices, that the manufacturing environment is clean and well-maintained, that equipment is properly calibrated, and that detailed records of the product’s production are kept for traceability. Additionally, there should be rigorous testing of raw materials and finished products to ensure they meet the necessary specifications.

GMP is a certification that the manufacturer adheres to, focusing on the overall manufacturing process, whereas third-party testing involves an external entity (usually an independent lab or organization) that evaluates ingredient accuracy, checks for contaminants, and ensures product potency.

Any manufacturer can claim they include the specified ingredient amounts from the product designer, but unless you have a chemistry set, you can never be 100% certain. This is why third-party testing is crucial. It provides an unbiased evaluation to ensure that the percentage of each ingredient per serving is accurate, that no harmful contaminants—such as heavy metals or pesticides—are present, and that the potency of each active ingredient matches its claims.

These are the two main rules I recommend you follow when shopping for supplements and feeling overwhelmed by which brand to choose. Of course, flavor matters, as do the brand or influencer who designed or produced the product, the price, and the number of servings in each container. However, if you’re not confident that the ingredients live up to the product’s description or that the manufacturing process meets quality standards, then all the other factors become irrelevant. Prioritizing the right supplements sets you on the right path to reaching your goals.

With that in mind, I hope you all have a great holiday and a productive rest of your week!

Find Your 1%.

- GTY Performance