Sports Nutrition is all about balancing innovation and risk, says NSF

With over 20 years of experience in the dietary supplements industry, Travis knows how important it is for the sport nutrition industry to find a balance between innovation and risk in order to protect consumers whilst still finding new ingredients that will attract consumers.

“Some manufacturers in the sports nutrition segment do an excellent job and are committed to ensuring quality and safety, but there are irresponsible and unscrupulous players out there and their actions can put consumers’ health at risk,” ​he said.

Travis, who is a senior research scientist at NSF International, will be giving a presentation during the Focus on Sports Nutrition session in Geneva next month.

He will outline his own research into the subject as well as giving background to what NSF International do to help manufacturers, before discussing the issue of banned compounds like DMAA, DEPEA and DMBA, which can often appear under the “deceptive guise of botanical extracts”.​

Travis helped with the development of NSF’s screening methods for the Certified for Sport program, testing for more than 270 banned substances and is currently involved the analysis of pharmaceutical agents and illicit drugs, stimulants and other prohibited substances in dietary supplements and functional foods.

The Certified for Sport certification tests products on a lot-by-lot basis for the banned substances and thus, Travis says, ensures athletes that their product is safe for consumption.

Travis says the most effective and efficient way to prevent adulteration is to have independent, third-party testing and certification of dietary supplement and sports supplement products.

“It also helps open up market share opportunities for the more responsible and compliant players in the industry,”​ he added.

You can catch John Travis and NSF International, among others, at Vitafoods​​ in Geneva, 9-11 May