How To Tell If You’re Getting Phony Protein Powder
When you have a product that many people love and purchase, there are bound to be duplicates of it that are just flat out fake. Often times we see fake luxury watches, handbags, clothing, and believe it or not, even fitness supplements. Yes, there are fake supplements, and unfortunately our beloved protein powders are subject to being faked as well. There have been numerous instances where fake protein powders were being sold in through underground channels.
Are Fake Supplements Even a Risk?
You’re more prone to fake supplements if you live in developing countries where most of the supplements are imported from countries like USA and Canada, but that does not mean they do not sneak their way into other corners of the world. Consuming fake supplements for prolonged periods not only hinders your gains and progress, but can also have a negative impact on your body.
This may not be something you have ever really thought of. “Who would make fake supplements?” However, it is more common than you may have thought, and there is a possibility that you’ve been using fake supplements for a long time without knowing it. If you’ve just started using protein powders, chances are you won’t know what they should be like. There are a lot of things to look out for when it comes to your supplements.
This is the complete guide to know if your protein powder is fake.
1. Solubility
Bad solubility not only makes for the protein powder to be disgusting and hard to get down, but also is a sign of your powder being fake. Keep in mind, fake supplements aren’t designed to improve your muscle mass, the only goal behind them is making the smugglers rich. These smugglers use the cheapest materials to make the protein supplements which leads to hard insoluble powders.
If you’ve ever used a genuine protein supplement, you would know how easy it is to dissolve in water, or even milk. You also can typically mix a flavorless product, like creatine in with no issues. Fake protein supplements are the opposite of this. You won’t be able to mix fake protein powder in water with a spoon. You will need a blender bottle and some hard shakes of the wrist to dissolve the powder in the water.
2. Texture
If you’ve ever seen a protein supplement before this point, you know the powder has a constant texture. This might not be the case with fake supplements, and you can expect to find irregularities in the powder.
These irregularities can be anything from vitamin powders to crushed chalk, and crushed chalk especially is something you wouldn’t want to consume. It is recommended you buy supplements which have a unique flavor. Basic flavors like chocolate and vanilla, although they are typically cheaper than the more uncommon flavors, are the most common to be tampered with.
3. Taste
When you tamper with the ingredients of a supplement, it will surely affect its taste. The best way to check if a protein is fake or not is to check its taste. If you know someone who is using the same protein powder, exchange one serving with them, see if they match up.
This taste test will be enough to reveal if you have the real thing. Fake protein supplements are also known to have a pungent smell and leave a bad aftertaste in your mouth, so it may not just be a bad flavor you bought, you could’ve gotten something fake. Yes, some protein powders do taste pretty bad, but if it is absolutely foul then it may be fake.
Also, check if your supplement has the same taste throughout. If the taste is changing after every serving, you more than likely have a fake supplement.
4. Side Effects
Since fake supplements have cheaper ingredients or substitute elements, they can have a negative effect on your body. If you see any ill effects on your body after switching to a new supplement, it’s a sign of a fake protein powder.
The most common side effects of fake supplements are the formation of acne and marks on your back and arms, and hair loss. Side effects like these are the same that you risk when you are utilizing anabolic substances (PEDs) and they surely are unwanted. Some companies have been caught slipping substances like “SARMs” into their products so the buyers get results, and then continue to buy. Stop using the supplements when any of these signs start appearing, as they can cause more health issues.
5. Packaging
The product packaging of these fake supplements can be the biggest giveaway. Smugglers might use a substandard quality of jars, tubs, bags, or labels to save cost and maximize their profits. If you have seen the original packaging, you would be able to tell the difference without a problem, but if it is a product you have not bought before, you may not know exactly what to look for.
There are some cases where these crooks use the disposed and intact boxes, tubs, and bags of supplement to repackage their fake supplements. It can be hard in such situations to tell the difference between the real and the fake. Much like with prescription medication containers, it is always advised to crush your containers after you’re done using them to prevent piracy.
Fake Supplements Wrap Up
You may honestly have never thought that fake supplements were an issue, and that is fine because a lot of times the smugglers are very convincing with their products, that’s their whole job. The truth is, with all of the new supplement brands and products coming up in the world, the higher the risk for running into fake products is.
We are not saying to avoid trying anything new, because if you continue using the same products over and over then how will you ever find something you might like? What we do advise, is to really look into each brand you are buying from. Check out reviews, ingredients, shipping locations, and all of that.
Stay safe.
Have you ever used a fake supplement? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
