The Methodology
How We Score Supplements
Every product on The Lifting Lab gets an Effectiveness Match score from 0 to 100 — a dose-for-dose comparison against an evidence-based clinical reference spec for its category. No brand deals. No sponsored placements. No pay-to-win. Just the numbers on the label measured against what the research says works.
The perfect 100 belongs to an ideal formula that does not exist, so real products land below it. Below is the exact framework — the score tiers, the global penalties that stop marketing from gaming the number, and the reference spec for every category we track.
The Score Tiers
Green · 70–100
Meets or beats the effective dose. A formula you can rely on.
Amber · 50–69
Below optimal but usable — often decent actives let down by one weak dose or middling value.
Red · Under 50
Significantly underdosed, or carrying a major penalty such as a proprietary blend or amino-spiking.
The Three Ways We Rank
Best Effectiveness Match — ranked purely by score. The formula closest to the ideal reference spec wins.
Best Value for Score — ranked by score per £ per serving. The most effectiveness for what you actually pay.
Budget Pick — cheapest per serving among products scoring 50 or higher, so you see the quality trade-off clearly.
Global Rules & Penalties
These rules apply across every category. They are how we stop clever labelling from inflating a score.
Proprietary blends are penalised
A "proprietary blend" hides the individual doses behind one total number, so you cannot verify whether any active is dosed effectively. We apply a 15% score penalty and flag it red. Transparency is rewarded, opacity is not.
Amino-spiking scores zero on purity
Cheap protein powders can be padded with free amino acids (glycine, taurine) to inflate the nitrogen test and fake a higher protein number. Any product we identify as amino-spiked scores zero on the clean-protein weight — it is the cardinal sin of the protein categories.
Caffeine is scored on a window, not "more is better"
Pre-workouts are penalised in both directions outside the 200-400mg sweet spot: underdosed does nothing, overdosed just raises the crash and jitter risk without extra performance. 400mg is the accepted daily safe ceiling.
We convert marketing doses to real doses
Citrulline Malate labels inflate the headline number — in a 2:1 malate blend only ~66% is actual citrulline. We convert to the real dose before scoring. Cheap ingredient swaps (NALT for L-Tyrosine, oxide minerals for chelated) are scored at their real, reduced efficacy.
Value is real cost per effective serving
Where we rank on value we use True Cost — price per full effective serving, not per tub. A cheap product that needs two scoops to hit the effective dose is not actually cheap, and our value ranking exposes that.
Evidence over manufacturer claims
Every reference dose is drawn from peer-reviewed human evidence (ISSN/JISSN position stands, meta-analyses, NHS/NIH fact sheets), not brand-funded studies or label marketing. Ingredients with only animal data or token doses are flagged, not scored.
The Reference Spec, Category by Category
Each category is scored against its own evidence-defined ideal. Here is the weighting and reasoning behind every one.
Pre-Workout
Read the guide →Scored dose-for-dose vs an evidence-defined perfect pre-workout. Core actives carry 85%; 15% covers secondaries. Every claim on this site is backed by peer-reviewed evidence — not manufacturer studies.
Weighting
- •Caffeine outside 200–400mg is penalised in both directions — underdosed and overdosed.
- •Proprietary blends hide doses. We apply a 15% score penalty and flag it red — transparency is rewarded.
- •Pure L-Citrulline only. Citrulline Malate labels inflate the headline number: in a 2:1 malate blend, only 66% of the stated dose is actual citrulline. We convert and score the real dose.
- •N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT) is a common cheap substitute for L-Tyrosine. Studies show it converts poorly in the body and does not raise plasma tyrosine levels effectively. Products using NALT score at 50% of the tyrosine weight.
- •Alpha-GPC is an unauthorised novel food in the UK — brands cannot legally use it in supplements. We score CDP-Choline, the compliant and functionally equivalent alternative.
- •Dual caffeine matrix (anhydrous + slow-release DiCaffeine Malate) is flagged as a positive — it smooths the energy curve and reduces crash risk. It does not change the caffeine score.
Creatine
Read the guide →Creatine monohydrate is the most researched supplement in existence. The only variables that matter are price per effective dose and purity verification.
Weighting
- •Generic monohydrate is chemically identical to Creapure® in most cases — the small score gap reflects unverified purity, not proven inferiority.
- •5g is the effective dose. Products dosed below this are flagged — you'll need more than one scoop to hit the threshold.
- •Creatine HCl, Kre-Alkalyn and other "superior" forms have no meaningful advantage over monohydrate at effective doses. Marketing over evidence.
Whey Protein
Read the guide →Purity-weighted: true protein per gram is the dose, not tub weight. Spiking is the cardinal sin.
Weighting
- •Amino-spiking scores zero on the clean weight.
Whey Isolate
Read the guide →Purity-weighted to the isolate benchmark - higher bar than standard whey.
Weighting
- •Amino-spiking scores zero on the clean weight.
Casein
Read the guide →Purity-weighted slow-release protein - micellar quality and an honest label.
Weighting
EAAs
Read the guide →The ideal EAA product delivers all nine essential amino acids at a meaningful dose. BCAAs alone are not EAAs — they're missing six essentials your body cannot synthesise.
Weighting
- •BCAA-only products score zero on the spectrum weight — three aminos marketed as nine is a false claim.
- •Hydration is a nice bonus, not the reason you buy an EAA product — weighted accordingly at 5%.
Intra-Workout
Read the guide →The ideal intra keeps you training: full EAAs, premium fast carbs, and hydration.
Weighting
- •Standard/cheap carb sources score at 70% of the carb weight.
Post-Workout
Read the guide →The ideal recovery shake refuels and rebuilds: high protein, replenishing carbs, real recovery agents.
Weighting
Hydration & Electrolytes
Read the guide →The ideal electrolyte replaces what you lose through sweat — primarily sodium, supported by potassium and magnesium. No sugar needed.
Weighting
- •Products with ≥800mg sodium carry a caution flag — appropriate for heavy sweating and sport, but check with your GP if you have blood pressure concerns.
- •Added sugar above 5g (one teaspoon) incurs a 15% reduction on the sugar weight. Under 5g is not penalised.
- •Sports drinks with high sugar are hydration products in name only — the sugar load undermines the electrolyte benefit for most users.
Protein Bars
Read the guide →The ideal protein bar hits a clean 15–20g of protein for a snack-sized dose, keeps sugar and fat low, and doesn't make you pay a premium per bar. Palm oil is flagged for transparency but not scored.
Weighting
- •Protein in the 15–20g window scores full marks; below 15g is penalised proportionally — more isn't penalised.
- •Sugar above 5g and fat above 10g are penalised progressively.
- •Palm oil is flagged for transparency only — it carries no score penalty.
Meal Replacements & RTDs
Read the guide →A ready-to-drink meal should deliver a real protein hit, complete micronutrition, a sensible calorie band and clean fats — at a fair price per gram of protein. Artificial sweeteners are flagged, not scored.
Weighting
- •Protein at 25g+ scores full marks; below 20g is penalised.
- •Micronutrient completeness counts vitamins/minerals hitting ≥20% NRV per bottle, out of 26.
- •Calories outside the 200–550 kcal band are penalised in both directions.
- •Fat quality rewards a higher unsaturated share; omega-3 sources are flagged as a positive.
- •Artificial sweeteners are flagged for transparency only — no score penalty.
Cycle Support & Organ Health
Read the guide →We score only the five ingredients with the strongest evidence for organ and cardiovascular protection. A long ingredient list with token doses of unproven herbs is a warning sign, not a selling point.
Weighting
- •No TUDCA is flagged red — it's the key liver protection agent.
- •Proprietary blends on cycle support products are a serious red flag — hidden doses means you cannot verify protection. -15% score penalty applied.
- •Many products add turmeric, milk thistle, or antioxidant blends at token doses to appear comprehensive. We don't score these — efficacy at typical supplement doses is unproven.
Vitamins & Wellbeing
Read the guide →We score vitamins and wellbeing products on dose-per-pound against evidence-based targets: bioavailable forms, meaningful doses, and no padding with underdosed token ingredients.
Weighting
- •Active forms (methylfolate, methylcobalamin, chelated minerals) score higher than cheap oxide/cyanocobalamin equivalents.
- •Products hiding doses in proprietary blends are penalised.
- •OTC only — no prescription-only substances scored.
Hormone Support
Read the guide →Natural OTC hormone support rated on evidence quality and value. We score only ingredients with meaningful human trial data — not every herb on the label.
Weighting
- •Testosterone-support claims require human RCT evidence at the scored dose — animal data does not count.
- •SARMs, prohormones, and any prescription-only compound are excluded from this category entirely.
- •Ashwagandha, Tongkat Ali, Boron, and Zinc are the four ingredients with the strongest human evidence — products scoring here lead on these.
Gut & Digestion
Read the guide →A mixed category — probiotics, digestive enzymes, prebiotic fibre and ACV — so every product is scored against the evidence target for its own type. Efficacy carries 65%, true value 25%, and label transparency 10%.
Weighting
- •Probiotics are scored on both CFU count and strain diversity — a single mega-dosed strain is not the same as a broad multi-strain formula. Shelf-stable / enteric formulas get a small survivability bonus.
- •Digestive enzymes are scored on breadth (number of enzyme classes); most labels do not disclose activity units (FCC/DU), so we flag that rather than guess.
- •Prebiotic fibre targets ≥3g inulin/FOS (or ≥5g psyllium) per serving. Synbiotics are rewarded for pairing live cultures with a real prebiotic fibre dose.
- •Apple Cider Vinegar is scored on actual acetic acid content — the active compound — not headline "ACV equivalent" numbers.
- •Proprietary blends hide doses and are penalised. Informational only — not medical advice.
What the score is — and isn't
A score rates a product's ingredients and doses against a category ideal — nothing else. It is not a judgement of the brand, its quality, safety, manufacturing, or reputation. A lower score reflects the formulation we measured, not the company behind it. We update scores as catalogues and evidence change.
Common Questions
What is an Effectiveness Match score?
It is a 0-100 rating of how closely a product’s active ingredient doses match an evidence-based clinical reference spec for its category. 100 represents a perfect theoretical formula, so real products land below it. It rates the formulation only — not the brand, its safety, or its reputation.
Do brands pay to score higher or appear first?
No. There are no sponsored placements and no paid rankings anywhere on the site. The exact same formula scores every product in a category, and the highest score wins. Buy links are affiliate links that may earn us a commission, but they never influence a score.
Why did a well-known brand score low?
A low score reflects the formulation we measured — usually underdosed actives, a proprietary blend hiding doses, amino-spiking, or poor value per effective serving. It is not a judgement of the company, its manufacturing, or its safety.
What do the score colours mean?
Green (70-100) meets or beats the effective dose for its category. Amber (50-69) is below optimal but usable. Red (under 50) is significantly underdosed or carries a major penalty such as a proprietary blend.
Is a score medical advice?
No. Everything on this page and across the site is informational only and not medical advice. Always consult a qualified clinician before starting or changing supplements, especially hormone-support or any product with a health claim.
Informational only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified clinician before starting or changing supplements. Buy links across the site are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it never affects a score.