HOW TO READ A LABEL SERIES - Part 1: Medicinal Ingredients

Medicinal Ingredients: The Reason You're Actually Buying the Product

When it comes to supplements, the active ingredients—also known as medicinal ingredients—are the reason you're buying the product in the first place. They're what deliver the actual benefits. But here's the catch: the dose matters.

Take creatine as an example. Research consistently shows that 5 grams per day is the effective dose for most people. So, if your supplement doesn’t contain that amount—or you don’t know how much it contains—you might not get the results you’re after.

That’s where proprietary blends become a major red flag. These blends list ingredients without disclosing the amount of each one. That means you have no idea how much of each active ingredient you're actually consuming.

While this problem applies to all ingredients, creatine is a good example because most people recognize the standard dose. With less familiar ingredients, things get even trickier—but the principle is the same:

There is absolutely no consumer benefit to a proprietary blend, and it hides underdosing.

Attention Hybrid Athletes: Why This Matters Even More for You

If you're training for hybrid events—balancing strength and endurance—being aware of underdosed products and proprietary blends is especially important.

Let’s say you’re taking a pre-workout to improve your anaerobic performance (often referred to - incorrectly - as “lactic acid”). One of the best science-backed ingredients for buffering acidity associated with anaerobic exercise is beta-alanine. But it needs to be dosed properly—ideally at 1.5 to 3.2 grams per serving, depending on the protocol.

If your product uses a proprietary blend, you can't verify that you're getting the proper dose.

Bottom Line: If you're serious about performance and recovery, especially as a hybrid athlete, knowing the exact dose of each active ingredient in your supplement is non-negotiable.