A recent nutrivigilance report from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) (Saisine n°2025-VIG-0110) details a case of life-threatening adverse health effects linked to the consumption of two sports nutrition products (a mass gainer and a pure whey).
The reported case involved a 54-year-old man with a history of alcohol-related cirrhosis who consumed these products in excess, leading to de-compensated cirrhosis, acute renal failure, and ultimately a liver transplant.
The health problem arose after consuming these products at levels exceeding the manufacturers’ recommended daily doses (daily protein intake of about 140 g, or 1.6 g/kg body weight) for several weeks.
ANSES rated the link between the supplements and liver decompensation as ‘very likely’ and the link with acute renal failure as ‘likely’, as excessive intake of vitamin B3 and vitamin A is known to cause liver toxicity, plus high protein intake can contribute to liver and kidney stress.
Extra precautions needed amongst ‘scoop culture’
Luca Bucchini, managing director at Hylobates Consulting, said the case serves as an important reminder to operators in the sports nutrition sector about the need for clear limits and warnings on-pack.
“‘Scoop culture’ of some consumers makes extreme over-consumption a foreseeable consumer behavior that formulators may need to account for,” he said.
He said when over-consumption is a risk extra warnings may be warranted and doses of Vitamin A and B3 in powders should be carefully considered.
“Ensure you are fully equipped to document and report adverse events to national authorities (like the DGCCRF/Anses in France), as severe cases often trigger targeted market surveillance,” he added. “Compliance is about proactively safeguarding public health against foreseeable risks.”
Mindset amongst recreational gym goers
Speaking about what the industry can learn from the case, Ed Tooley, director & performance nutritionist at Ed Tooley Nutrition Ltd, said the ‘more is better’ mindset is something he sees regularly.
”I think this happens far too often. At times it’s directly taking more than the recommendations with mindsets of ‘more is better’ or ‘it won’t do any harm’, however sometimes it’s just lack of awareness and certain ingredients stacking up across multiple blends and products."
While single nutrient products help remove the risk of accidentally overdosing through stacked products, he said blends will remain popular thanks to their convenience. He suggested QR codes on pack are a useful way to provide consumers with information on potential interactions.
Dan Richardson, performance nutritionist and founder of DRN Nutrition, highlighted that the case was a rarity considering the man’s multiple prior health issues and multiple product overuse, making it far more complicated than an issue of “too much whey protein”.
He noted the reported protein intake of around 1.6 g/kg/day is not considered excessive for healthy active individuals and sits within accepted sports nutrition recommendations so the concern is the inappropriate use of multiple fortified products.
“In practice, severe cases like this are extremely uncommon,” he said. “Most people use sports nutrition supplements appropriately and without issue.”
“Where I do occasionally see misuse is among recreational gym-goers who adopt a ‘more is better’ approach, taking several supplements together without considering overlapping ingredients or total daily nutrient intake.
“From a brand perspective, clear communication is essential. Consumers should understand not only the recommended serving size, but also that combining multiple fortified supplements can unintentionally increase intakes of certain vitamins and minerals. Clear labeling around stacking products and who should seek medical advice before use would be a positive step.”
Luca Bucchini, Ed Tooley and Dan Richardson will join NutraIngredients’ speaker line-up at the Sports & Active Nutrition Summit Europe, in London, on Nov. 9.
The event will bring together leading academics, market analysts, practitioners and formulators to bridge the gap between science, demand, and commercial opportunity.
To learn more and book tickets, visit the website here.
