Proprietary blends, and why we'll never use them

Proprietary blends, and why we'll never use them


As dedicated gym rats and fitness fanatics, we have high expectations of our supplements - we want to build muscle, burn fat and recover quicker and we want to do it now.  The sports supplement industry has seized on these high expectations and makes slick promises of quick solutions that they cannot keep.  They want to pimp ineffective products, and one of the favourite tricks is the proprietary blend.

What is a proprietary blend?

A proprietary blend is simply a mix of ingredients.  As a rule, supplement manufacturers need to list out the ingredients of their products so that customers know exactly what they’re getting.  Unfortunately, there is loophole to the rule that means that whilst the ingredients are disclosed, the exact amount isn’t.

The total weight of the blend per serving may be indicated, but never the precise proportions of each ingredient.  To make it even more confusing, some proprietary blends contain other proprietary blends.  Blends within blends.  In essence, this allows a company to withhold information from their customers.

Why would a company use one? 

  1. To improve their margins

    By minimising the dosage of expensive ingredients and padding the supplement out with cheaper fillers, companies can boost margins and still talk about desirable ‘key active’ ingredients.

  2. To hide inadequate amounts of ingredients

    A blend may contain tiny amounts of active ingredients, where the quantities are simply too low to be effective, but the company can still include those ingredients on their label.

  3. To protect their ‘formula’

    To prevent competitors from copying their product and potentially taking their customers.  This puts the needs of the company slap bang above those of the customer who has to compromise as a result. 

  4. To differentiate their product

    To make their product sound more memorable or appealing to customers who have an abundance of choice.  Proprietary blends are usually accompanied by a trademarked name which also implies something unique about a formula.  Bundling ingredients together is fine as a concept, but not disclosing amounts is misleading.

  5. To give some wriggle room on the formula

    Need to change a product to reduce on of the more expensive ingredients?  Easy, make it a proprietary blend and you can change what you like and customers will never know.

Should I avoid proprietary blends?

Proprietary blends only really benefit one party, the supplement company.  There’s no real upside for you, the customer.  You have no idea of the ingredient dosage so can’t really attribute any benefit to any one compound and you may be unknowingly wasting money on filler compounds.  You may respond really well to one of the ingredients but the dosage is just too low for you to notice.

Proprietary blends – so what?

Steer clear of products with proprietary blends.  They are a sneaky tool that has no benefit whatsoever for the customer.  When picking supplement products, ensure every ingredient is listed with an amount so you know exactly what you’re consuming.  If it’s good for you, there shouldn’t be anything to hide.