IMPORTANCE OF THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF BSCG AND THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION FOR BANNED SUBSTANCES

The importance of third-party certification and batch testing for banned substances can't be overstated. It is essential for athletes, military service members, first responders and other consumers that want to ensure the dietary supplements functional foods and other consumer products they use are free of drugs banned in sport or other prescription, OTC or illicit drugs. For more than 20 years, BSCG has been a leader in third-party certification for banned substances in sport. We are grateful to be recognized by the following sporting groups, anti-doping agencies and administrators, military organizations, and nutrition resources.

Please e-mail us with a link to your resources to be added to this page. If you would like assistance creating educational materials we are happy to help or you can explore our Supplement Information for Athletes, Teams and Leagues page for suggestions.

Government, Sport, Anti-Doping, Military, and Nutrition Organizations:

National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements – The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) was created by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 and established in 1995 within the NIH Office of Disease Prevention (ODP).
Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance Fact Sheet for Health Professionals,
Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance Facts Sheet for Consumers
International Testing Agency (ITA) - An international organisation constituted as a not-for-profit foundation, based in Lausanne, Switzerland with a mission to manage anti-doping programs, independent from sporting or political powers, for International Federations (IFs), Major Event Organisers (MEOs) and all other anti-doping organisations requesting support. Supplements - Making Informed Decisions - 2021
Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) - CCES is an independent, national, not-for profit organization that is responsible for the administration of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. If you and your support team believe that a supplement is an important part of your individualized nutrition or performance plan, please select a supplement that has been subject to rigorous third-party batch testing from a trusted program. WADA Publishes 2024 Prohibited List
Drug Free Sport – Drug Free Sport works as a third-party administrator of drug-testing programs with amateur and professional sports organizations – including the NFL, NCAA, Major League Baseball’s Minor League program, PGA, LPGA, NASCAR, NBA, and WNBA – as well as hundreds of universities, state high school associations and conferences.
Drug Free Sport – AXIS – Supplement Safety Map,
Drug Free Sport Insight – Your Third-Party Supplement Certification Questions – Answered,
Drug Free Sport Axis – Dietary Supplement Safety (requires login)
Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) – In January 2012 the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs requested a Department of Defense (DoD) wide educational campaign on dietary supplements. In response, the DoD Dietary Supplement Subcommittee (DSSC), the U.S. Army Public Health Command, and the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) developed Operation Supplement Safety, or OPSS—to increase awareness within the DoD community about potential health risks and how to choose safe dietary supplements. Screen Your Supplement for Safety
Sport Nutrition and Dietitian Japan (SNDJ) – On April 3, 2019 the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) Supplement Certification Framework Verification Expert Meeting released Guidelines on framework for product information disclosure of supplements in sports. SNDJ is responsible for reviewing the JADA guidelines and publishing a list of approved certification providers and products that meet the guidelines. BSCG Certified Drug Free is acknowledged by SNDJ as an official third-party certification provider in Japan.
SNDJ Introduction to Anti-Doping Policy, WADA, and JADA Guidelines on Supplements,
Supplement Selection and Precautions – Third-Party Certification Providers,
SNDJ Official List of BSCG Certified Drug Free products in Japan
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) – UFC has revolutionized the fight business and today stands as a premium global sports brand, media content company and the largest Pay-Per-View (PPV) event provider in the world. UFC Approved Supplements
LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) – One of the longest-running women’s professional sports associations in the world. Founded in 1950, the organization has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a nonprofit organization involved in every facet of golf. The LPGA Tour and the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) comprise the backbone of what has become the premier women’s professional sports organization in the world today. Anti-Doping Information – Anti-Doping Player Guide
CrossFit – CrossFit Sport highlights the feats of everyday athletes applying this general physical capacity to the demands of their individual lives and chosen sports, along with the CrossFit Games, the world’s premier test of broad and general fitness, and its qualifying events. CrossFit Games Drug Policy - Dietary Supplements
USA Triathlon – Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon - Anti-Doping
Anti-Doping Authority Netherlands – NZVT is a joint effort involving the Netherlands Olympic Committee and the Netherlands Sports Confederation (NOC*NSF), the trade organization for supplement producers and providers in the Netherlands (NPN), and the Anti-Doping Authority Netherlands. Dutch Safeguards System for Dietary Supplements in Elite Sport
High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) – Designed to give New Zealand athletes the edge HPSNZ works in partnership with the National Sport Organizations (NSOs) to put more athletes on the podium. Choosing Dietary Supplements
New Zealand Defence Force Health – Defence Health is the health agency of the New Zealand Defence Force and provides healthcare services to the Force. Nutrition and Supplements
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1917, by a visionary group of women. Today, the Academy has over 100,000 credentialed practitioners — registered dietitian nutritionists, dietetic technicians, registered, and other dietetics professionals holding undergraduate and advanced degrees in nutrition and dietetics — and is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Sports Nutrition Care Manual
British Dietetic Association (BDA) - Founded in 1936, BDA is one of the oldest and most experienced dietetic organisations in the world and is the only body in the UK representing the whole of the dietetic workforce. Understanding Batch-Testing and Risk Minimisation Programmes Sport Nutrition Specialist Group - Nutritional Supplement Position Statement - 2022
IMG Academy – IMG Academy is the world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and educational institution. Established in 1978 as the Bollettieri Tennis Academy, IMG Academy now spans over 600 acres and continues to evolve and expand as the industry leader for athletic and performance development. Student Athlete and Parent Handbook - 2023-2024

IOC, WADA, USADA, and VADA Statements on Dietary Supplements:

BSCG highlights information provided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) on how to mitigate banned substance risks that may be associated with dietary supplement use. These groups recognize the risk mitigation and protection third-party certification offers to athletes who elect to use dietary supplements and BSCG thanks them for acknowledging the importance of third-party certification.

International Olympic Committee (IOC)
IOC consensus statement: Dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(7), 439-455. Maughan, R. J. et al., 2018. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2018, 28, 104-125
Various efforts are being made to address the problems, including the use of third-party auditing activities to identify products that athletes may consider to be at "low risk" of containing prohibited substances. There can be no absolute guarantee that any product is entirely safe, but these schemes do help the athlete to manage the risk.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – Are Dietary and Nutritional Supplements Safe to Take
Use of supplement products that have been subjected to one of the available quality assurance schemes can help to reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of an inadvertent doping infringement.
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Resources
USADA Reduce Your Risk of Testing Positive or Experiencing Negative Health Effects
Look for third party certification. No program is perfect, and certification is not a guarantee, but it is a step in the right direction.
Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) – VADA Statement on Dietary Supplements
Athletes can help protect themselves by avoiding any supplement products altogether, especially those that have not been tested and certified drug-free by a qualified outside organization.

Other Groups and Website Resources:

Sports Science Insights – Sports Nutrition Supplements: Worth the Risk?

4excelsior.com – Choosing the Right Sports Certification for Your Supplements

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs – Nutrition Resources

Encompass Nutrition – Wellness, Fitness and Sport Resources

Paleo Leap – A Practical Guide to Supplement Safety
Nutrition HeartBeat – Sports Supplement Testing Options

Marie Spano, MS, RD – Supplement Chart

Slowtwitch – Supplement Testing: Who is Watching Out for Athletes?

Trainmag.com – Separating Fact From Fiction

Books:

The New Power Eating by Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD, with Maggie Greenwood Robinson (Human Kinetics, 2018)

Practical Applications of Sport Nutrition by Heather Hedrick Fink, Alan E. Mikesky (Fifth edition, Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2017)

Nutrition for Sport, Exercise and Health by Marie Spano (Human Kinetics, 2017)

Fueling Young Athletes by Heather Mangieri (Human Kinetics, 2016)

Sport Nutrition Needs for Child and Adolescent Athletes edited by Chad M. Kerksick, Elizabeth Fox (CRC Press, 2016)

Dietary Supplements in Health Promotion by Taylor C. Wallace (CRC Press, 2015)

Social Issues in Sport by Ron B. Woods (Third edition, Human Kinetics, 2015)

NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training from National Academy of Sports Medicine edited by Brian G. Sutton (Seventh Edition)

Journals:

Ulery, Julie Ann MBA , RDN; Melton, Bridget EdD, CSCS, TSAC F; Bland, Helen PhD; Riggs, Amy Jo PhD, RD. Understanding the Scientific Evidence and Regulatory State of the U.S. Dietary Supplement Industry: Considerations for Health and Fitness Practitioners. Strength and Conditioning Journal 43(6):p 87-94, December 2021. | DOI: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000633

Mathews N. M. (2017). Prohibited Contaminants in Dietary Supplements. Sports health, 10(1), 19-30.

Buell, J. L., Franks, R., Ransone, J., Powers, M. E., Laquale, K. M., Carlson-Phillips, A., National Athletic Trainers’ Association (2013). National Athletic Trainers’ Association position statement: evaluation of dietary supplements for performance nutrition. Journal of athletic training, 48(1), 124-36.

A Daigle, Karen & Logan, Christi & S Kotwal, Russ. (2015). Comprehensive Performance Nutrition for Special Operations Forces. Journal of special operations medicine: a peer reviewed journal for SOF medical professionals. 15. 40-53.