How to define your sport supplement formula from scratch

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Defining the formula of a sport supplement is much more than choosing ingredients from a list. It is a technical process that combines scientific evidence, regulatory feasibility, raw material cost, and the value proposition you want to communicate to your customer. At Akumal, we accompany our clients in this process from day one. This guide summarizes what you would learn in those first conversations with our technical team.

Step 1: Define the supplement's goal before choosing ingredients

The starting question is not "what ingredients do I want?" but "what concrete result do I want the user to achieve?". The more specific you are, the better the resulting formula will be.

There is a huge difference between "I want to make a pre-workout" and "I want a stimulant-free pre-workout, oriented towards aerobic endurance, for middle-distance runners who train in the morning." The second brief produces a completely different formula: caffeine-free, with beta-alanine, citrulline, sodium, and B vitamins.

Step 2: Select active ingredients with scientific evidence

In the sport supplement market, there are ingredients with decades of research behind them and others that are pure fad without real scientific support. To build a brand with long-term credibility, you should only include ingredients with solid evidence.

Step 3: Respect effective doses — the most expensive mistake

One of the most common mistakes in new brands is including many ingredients at sub-optimal doses to be able to put a long list on the label. A supplement with 15 ingredients at 20% of the effective dose does not work, even if the label is impressive.

Some examples of documented effective doses:

• Creatine monohydrate: 3–5 g/day
• Caffeine: 3–6 mg/kg body weight
• Beta-alanine: 3.2–6.4 g/day (fractionated to reduce paresthesia)
• L-citrulline: 6–8 g per pre-workout intake
• Ashwagandha (KSM-66): 300–600 mg/day

Step 4: Keep European regulatory restrictions in mind

Not all ingredients popular in the American market are allowed in the EU. Before including an ingredient in your formula, you must verify:

• If it is included in the European positive list of authorized substances in food supplements
• If there is a regulated maximum dose (fat-soluble vitamins, minerals)
• If the health claims you want to use are approved in Regulation (EC) 1924/2006
• If the ingredient has specific restrictions in the destination country

Ingredients like DMAA, DMHA, or high doses of caffeine in specific formulations are prohibited or limited in Europe. Our technical team performs this verification before developing any formula.

Step 5: The development process with Akumal

When a client comes to Akumal with a product idea, the formula development process follows these steps:

1. Technical Briefing: meeting to define goal, target, channel, and budget.
2. Formula Proposal: our team prepares one or several options with technical justification and estimated raw material cost.
3. Regulatory Review: we verify that the formula complies with European and local regulations.
4. Pilot Sample: we manufacture a small sample to validate flavor, texture, and solubility.
5. Adjustment and Approval: the client tests and gives the go-ahead or asks for adjustments.
6. First Batch Production: once the formula is approved, we produce the first commercial batch with all GMP controls.

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