SHOP NOW, PAY LATER
Informed Sport
Informed Choice
NSF Certified for Sport
HASTA Certified
If you use supplements while subject to anti-doping rules, keep enough information to identify the exact product and batch, show what you checked before use and reconstruct when you took it. Save pack photographs, purchase details and the relevant testing evidence together. Good records support traceability; they do not make a supplement risk-free.
Give each new batch its own record
The useful unit is the actual product you receive, not simply the brand you usually buy. Start a new entry when the batch changes. If two flavours have different codes, keep them distinguishable even when they arrived in one order.
Use a plain filename you will recognise later, such as purchase date, product, flavour and batch. A folder on your phone or computer is enough. The structure below is our suggested organisation method, not an official form or a substitute for your team's requirements.
Keep the system small enough to maintain. Five well-labelled files are more useful than dozens of screenshots scattered across your camera roll. Test whether you can retrieve one product's complete record without searching messages from three people.
Photograph the delivered pack before opening it
Capture the front, full ingredient panel, batch or lot code and expiry information. Make sure the code is readable when you zoom in. A blurred photo creates work later, when the pack may no longer be available.
Include the seal and the condition of the packaging in your initial check. Sport Integrity Australia: supplements in sport advises athletes to retain evidence of supplement checks, record batch details and expiry dates, and check that packaging is intact. These checks should happen before use.
Photograph all relevant sides rather than assuming the online listing contains the same formula. Keep the retailer's order confirmation separately so a product-page change does not erase your purchase details.
If the code is missing, damaged or unclear, do not invent it from the order date. Contact the supplier and your support team before using the product. Save that exchange alongside the photos, including any unresolved question.
Save the evidence you actually checked
Keep the certification-provider page or relevant result with the date you checked it and its URL. A screenshot should show enough of the product identity and batch information to make the match understandable later. A cropped logo alone does not do that.
Do not rename a general brand claim as a batch certificate. Record exactly what the source establishes and what it does not. If an entry needs clarification, mark it as unresolved rather than filing it as a completed check.
Our existing guide to checking supplement testing explains the verification step. This article starts where that check needs to become an organised record. It is not another comparison of certification schemes.
The High Performance Sport New Zealand: choosing dietary supplements guidance is a useful reference when deciding whether a supplement is appropriate in the first place. A tidy folder is not a reason to take a product you do not need.
Use a short record template
| Field | What to keep |
|---|---|
| Product identity | Full name, flavour, size and pack photographs |
| Batch identity | Code exactly as printed, expiry and readable photo |
| Purchase | Retailer, order or receipt number and date received |
| Pre-use check | Source URL, saved result, date checked and any uncertainty |
| Advice | Who advised you, when, and the actual recommendation |
| Use | Start/stop dates and an accurate record of what you took |
| Changes | Replacement, new flavour, new batch or unusual pack condition |
The table is a practical filing aid. Your sport or support programme may require more detail or a particular system. Follow that requirement rather than creating a second conflicting record.
Keep facts separate from conclusions. "Photographed batch ABC123 on arrival" is a fact. "Therefore completely safe" is not a conclusion those photos support. Notes should be useful to another person without overstating what was verified.
Log use while you can still remember it
Record the start date when you first use the product, then keep the detail required by your support team. Include changes in amount, gaps in use and the finish date. If a new batch begins while an old one remains, record which one you used.
Make the routine easy: update the log beside the training note or calendar you already maintain. Do not reconstruct a month of supplement use from memory on the morning of testing.
Sport Integrity Commission guidance says athletes should declare supplements on doping-control paperwork. See Sport Integrity Commission: supplements. Your personal record helps you provide accurate information; it does not replace the questions or instructions on that paperwork.
Record uncertainty honestly if you discover a gap. "Used sometime during that week, exact date unknown" is better than inventing a precise date. Seek help from the relevant anti-doping or team contact if you need to correct information already provided.
Handle subscriptions, travel and replacements
An automatic repeat order is still a new delivery to check. Do not copy the previous batch number because the tub looks the same. The same rule applies when a shop sends a replacement or when you buy locally while travelling.
Save records somewhere you can access away from home, with a sensible backup. Keep private health and advice details in a private location rather than a public team spreadsheet. If sharing with a practitioner, send only what they need.
If sachets rely on an outer carton for identifying information, preserve the link between the individual packs and that carton. Our tested-electrolyte race-kit guide covers that packing problem in more detail.
Ask your sport or anti-doping contact about retention requirements. Do not choose a universal deletion date from an online article. Closing out a tub is not a reason to discard its electronic record immediately.
If something looks wrong later
Stop treating the record as routine if the product identity, seal or evidence no longer makes sense. Preserve what you have and contact the appropriate support person. Do not discard packaging or overwrite old files while trying to make the folder look tidier.
Keep new correspondence in date order. If a retailer sends a corrected document, retain the original and the correction with clear names. That allows someone reviewing the situation to understand what you knew at each stage.
Documentation is not a guarantee against a positive test or sanction. The athlete remains responsible under anti-doping rules, and neither NZ Supps nor a folder template can promise an outcome.
Where NZ Supps fits
Use the Tested for Sport range as a starting shortlist, then verify the delivered product and relevant batch independently. The Informed Sport collection is another browsing filter, not evidence that replaces your own pack check. Keep the purchase confirmation, and raise missing identification details before opening the item.
Frequently asked questions
Is an order confirmation enough?
No. It may identify what you bought but not the batch you received or what you checked. Keep it with readable pack photos and the relevant verification evidence.
Do I need a new entry for a repeat order?
Yes when it is a different batch, and check each delivery even if it looks identical. Do not carry an old code forward without reading the new pack.
Should I keep screenshots or just links?
Keep a dated copy of the relevant evidence as well as the source link. Pages can change, and a saved record helps show what you checked at the time.
Does keeping records protect me from a doping sanction?
It does not guarantee any outcome or remove athlete responsibility. Records support accurate traceability and declarations, while supplement use still carries risk.
How long should I keep the records?
Follow your sport, support programme or anti-doping organisation's current advice. This guide does not set a universal retention period. Do not delete records simply because the tub is empty.
Can my coach keep everything for me?
A team system may help, but you need reliable access to information about your own use. Agree responsibilities and follow the required process rather than assuming someone else has the details.
