Assessing Canadian regulation of muscle-building supplements: Identifying gaps and recommendations for improvement to protect the health and well-being of young people

Muscle-building supplements are a vast group of dietary products purported to aid with muscle-building and performance enhancement. Legal muscle-building supplements, such as whey protein and creatine monohydrate, are commonly used among young people (i.e., adolescents and young adults ages 10-29 years), particularly boys and young men, and are correlated with many adverse health effects. In Canada, these products are regulated by the Natural Health Products Regulations. This policy analysis aimed to investigate current Canadian policy related to muscle-building supplements to identify key gaps that expose Canadians, particularly young people, to potential risks. Several gaps were identified, including an over-reliance on industry to provide accurate product and manufacturing site testing, no age restrictions on product purchasing and use, no warning labels on products related to known risks, and lack of regulatory control from individual provincial health ministries. Given the gaps, specific policy recommendations are provided to strengthen the current policy, reduce use, and minimize negative effects of use. There is an urgent need to strengthen Canadian regulations of muscle-building supplements to protect the health and well-being of young people.