You’re rummaging through the cabinet in your kitchen and come across an old pre workout supplement bottle. You open it up and everything looks okay. It’s still about half full, has no clumps, and smells like the original flavor.
The newfound excitement quickly comes to a halt when you notice the expiration date. It’s three months past expiry. You contemplate trying some of it, but rather not risk getting sick. Inevitably it gets tossed in the garbage.
But perhaps the fear was unwarranted.
Many supplements like pre workouts are fine to consume past expiration. Over time some ingredients lose their potency but are still safe to consume past the expiration date. This is especially true for unopened containers.
There were numerous occasions where I would grab an old bottle of SuperPump 250 off my desk and have it before my workout. This was way after the production of SuperPump 250 ended, so the bottle was long expired. There were never any stomach pains or adverse effects.
There are some misconceptions about supplements because they are not FDA approved. While this is true, there are still FDA regulations that must be followed. It’s not the “wild west” as it once was back in the day, especially for larger companies.
When I worked in house for various supplement brands it wasn’t uncommon for FDA officials to come in and inspect the facility. In addition they would ask for documents that would be provided by the company’s quality control department.
Ironically, the FDA does not require there to be an expiration date as part of their labeling policy. For as strict as their rules can be in other facets like manufacturing and claims, having an expiration date is deemed optional. However, most supplement companies will still have them on their products.
Often times these are considered arbitrary dates, and are put on there for optics rather than being based on actual research (depending on the product).
If you were to ask a supplement company’s customer service department if a pre workout was okay to consume past expiration, they would likely say no. However, this is more of a risk management tactic on their part to avoid any liability. In reality, it’s probably not an issue aside from any obvious defects to the product itself.
Clumps in Powder
You may open an old pre workout supplement and notice the powder has clumps in it. This is due to air and moisture getting into the bottle and changing the consistency of the powder. Sometimes even the moisture absorbing silica gel packets aren’t enough to prevent this.
If there are one or two small clumps, shaking the bottle vigorously is usually enough to restore it to a consistency that is reasonable to mix in water and consume. If it’s overly clumpy and hard, it’s probably at a point of no return and should be thrown away. No reason to fish a knife out of the drawer and start chopping, the damage has been done.
In addition to pre workouts, other powders like amino acids and creatine may go through the same issue.
With regard to other supplements, protein powders are one that I wouldn’t risk consuming past expiration. Proteins like whey originate as a byproduct from cheese manufacturing or the separation of milk proteins into casein and whey. While it has long been processed from then to the time it’s found on store shelves, it still technically comes as a dairy byproduct. Therefore it’s advised to use caution when past its expiration date.
A supplement like fish oil is much different than pre workouts, aminos, or even vitamins. Fish oil requires refrigeration after opening and should definitely not be consumed past expiration as it will go rancid.
Efficacy
The expiration date on a supplement isn’t a date in which the entire product immediately becomes useless. Over time some of the ingredients, particularly stimulants like caffeine, start to gradually lose their potency. You may have to use more than one serving to experience the usual effects. But it is not as if the supplement is completely worthless one day after expiration.
Keeping Supplements Fresh
On labels you will often see instructions to the effect of: Store in a cool, dry area. This is sound advice since supplements can get ruined before expiration if too much heat and moisture get into the packaging.
Part of the reason I was able to use those old supplements was because they were kept in an air conditioned office.
Ordinarily people would keep supplements in their kitchen, which is fine in certain circumstances. But if you live in a place that doesn’t have central air conditioning, this could become problematic during summer months.
While a pre workout is something that is consumed, it typically doesn’t go rotten or attract bugs like other packaged goods. Therefore, it can be stored pretty much anywhere. If the kitchen is a place that gets hot and humid, store it in a closet or cooler room. Keeping it enclosed in a closet or cabinet also removes sunlight from the equation, which can also affect its quality.
Unlike other supplements, pre workouts in particular contain a wide variety of ingredients. Over time certain ingredients naturally settle to the bottom of the container. When using a pre workout for the first time in awhile, make sure to remove the scoop and shake the container before mixing.
When considering whether or not to use a pre workout supplement past expiration, use consideration on a case by case basis. If the product has been opened and is more than 6 months past expiration, it’s probably best to throw it away. If the product is sealed and unopened but past expiration, you have more leeway.