Find out how not to fall for the tricks of scammers and identify the real protein from fake analogues, which are abundant in the sports nutrition market. If you are not familiar with counterfeiting proteins in bodybuilding, then you are in luck, and you probably only buy sports food in trusted stores. However, this can happen to anyone and you should know how to distinguish a fake product from the original. This is what we are going to tell you about now.
How to determine the authenticity of a protein supplement?
Today sports nutrition is a very profitable industry and generates billions of dollars for manufacturers. Any product that sells well can attract the attention of scammers who can make a fake product. This also happened with protein supplements, which are actively used by athletes today.
If you take low-quality protein, then not only will it not benefit you, but it can even harm your health. It is the counterfeiting of proteins in bodybuilding that is one of the reasons for the emergence of talk about the ineffectiveness of this type of sports nutrition.
Finding a reliable seller
It doesn't really matter which store you are going to buy protein supplements from - online or offline. It is desirable that he is the official distributor of the manufacturer. The lists of representatives can be found on the web resource of the sports food brand you have chosen.
This is due to the fact that the official distributor simply cannot sell fake goods. You yourself understand how this will affect his reputation, which is of fundamental importance in business. If the store is part of distributors, then you can additionally read reviews about it. If there are no complaints, then you can safely order the goods.
External inspection of packaging
To do this, you need to know exactly what the original packaging is. Companies today use a variety of anti-counterfeiting protections in bodybuilding, and this can also be found on the manufacturer's website. In addition, there may be clear facts indicating that the product is fake:
- Grammar errors on the label.
- QR or barcode is missing or unreadable.
- The package does not contain a batch code that allows you to determine the release time and batch.
- The inscriptions are uneven.
Determination of the quality of the contents of the package
There are several methods for determining the quality of protein supplements, and we will discuss them now. First of all, you should check the taste of the supplement you purchased. To do this, take a small amount of powder in your mouth, and if it starts to stick to the gums and teeth, then the product is of high quality. This is due to the fact that protein compounds contain gluten, which causes such a reaction when the powder gets wet. If there are no protein compounds in the product, then the powder will simply get wet and turn into a mushy substance.
You can use warm water, the temperature of which is about 65 degrees. Take 10 grams of powder and put it in a container, then add about 100 milliliters of water there. A high-quality protein should begin to swell and after a few minutes turn into a curd mass. Fake protein supplements often contain chalk or flour, and if present, the water will turn cloudy.
A similar test can be done with boiling water. If high-quality protein compounds are poured with boiling water, then the powder will quickly coagulate. If you then try to chew it, it will resemble rubber. If the powder just dissolves, and sometimes foam can also form, then the product definitely contains a large amount of foreign substances.
Since the boiling water test is not applicable to all types of protein mixtures, you should do both tests. Another very simple way to control the quality of a protein is to check it for crunch. Squeeze the powder between your fingers and rub it. If the product is of good quality, you will hear a crunch. This sound resembles dry snow in a deep frost.
When preparing a protein shake, pay attention to how the powder behaves in the shaker. When foam appears during stirring, and the composition becomes a homogeneous mass in the absence of sediment, then we can talk about the good quality of the protein mixture.
An excellent tester can be iodine, which must be added to the powder. If it is a fake protein in bodybuilding, in which starch or flour is present, then the powder will change its color to purple. The last test will take you the most time. After you mix your sports cocktail, place it in the sunlight. A high-quality product quickly begins to decompose under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, and you will recognize this by its characteristic unpleasant odor. You just need to wait a couple of hours.
To rid yourself of bodybuilding counterfeit proteins, be vigilant and don't buy supplements off hand.
For more useful information on counterfeiting sports nutrition, see this story:
