A Beginner’s Glossary of Sports Nutrition.

Words describing products

Food supplement

A food intended to supplement the normal diet and provided in a measured form. The precise legal definition can vary by jurisdiction.

Formula

The particular mixture of ingredients used in a product. It may contain one declared main ingredient or several components.

Serving

A stated amount of a product used as a reference on its label. A serving is not the same thing as a universal recommendation for every person.

Format

The physical presentation of a product, such as powder, capsule, tablet or liquid.

These words often appear close together, but they do different jobs. A formula names a composition; a serving describes a reference amount; and a food supplement describes a category of product. A phrase like “one formula, multiple servings” therefore tells you something about packaging without, by itself, making a promise about an outcome.

Look at the surrounding sentence whenever possible. “Complete” or “advanced” on the front of a pack may be promotional adjectives rather than technical definitions. The more precise information is usually elsewhere in the product description.

Words describing ingredients

Ingredient

A substance used to make a product. The ingredient list helps distinguish the complete product from its front-of-pack description.

Nutrient

A substance found in food that the body uses, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Macronutrient

A nutrient that is generally required in relatively larger amounts: carbohydrate, fat or protein.

Micronutrient

A vitamin or mineral generally required in smaller amounts.

Flavouring

An ingredient used to add or change taste or aroma. It does not automatically indicate the amount of another ingredient.

Another helpful distinction is between an ingredient and a nutrient. An ingredient is something used to make a product; a nutrient is a substance involved in nutrition. The words are related but are not interchangeable. A mixture may contain ingredients that serve purposes such as flavour or texture as well as ingredients described for their nutritional content.

The term source can also have two meanings in this setting. It might mean where an ingredient originates, or it might mean a publication used to support a statement. Reading a complete phrase — “plant-derived source” versus “research source” — makes the intended meaning clear.

Words found on packaging

Per 100 g / per 100 ml

A standard reference amount sometimes used to present nutritional information. Useful when comparing like with like.

Per portion

Information referring to a specified amount, which can differ between manufacturers or products.

Net quantity

The declared amount of product inside the packaging, excluding the container.

Best before

A date primarily linked to food quality when stored as instructed; it is distinct from a “use by” date.

Allergen information

Information about substances that must be clearly indicated under applicable food labelling rules.

When working with numbers, always pair a figure with its unit. Ten grams and ten milligrams are not interchangeable quantities. A reference amount per 100 g is different from a stated amount per serving, particularly if serving sizes vary. These distinctions matter for understanding information accurately even when you are not comparing products.

Storage terms have meanings too. “Best before” is generally about quality under appropriate storage conditions, while “use by” relates to safety for foods that are highly perishable. Follow the instructions on the actual packaging and avoid making assumptions from similar-looking containers.

Words used when evaluating information

Evidence

Information used to support a claim. Its strength depends on factors such as the source, method and relevance.

Anecdote

A person's account of an experience. It can describe what someone felt, but it cannot establish a result for everyone.

Conflict of interest

A situation in which another interest, such as payment or a commercial relationship, could influence how information is presented.

Health claim

A statement suggesting a link between a food or its component and health. The wording of such claims is regulated.

Another useful pair of terms is correlation and causation. Correlation means that two things occur together in the information being examined; causation means that one brings about a change in the other. Headlines can sometimes blur that difference. A beginner need not interpret a research paper alone, but recognising that distinction helps when reading summaries.

It is also worth knowing what an affiliate link is: a link that may earn its publisher a payment if someone takes a qualifying action. Such arrangements are not automatically evidence that information is wrong, but they are a commercial relationship readers should be told about.

How to use this glossary

Try reading unfamiliar words in context rather than in isolation. “Serving” only becomes meaningful when the serving amount is shown; “formula” makes sense when its ingredients are listed. Learning a few terms can make articles, packaging and discussions more accessible.

If the vocabulary now feels clearer, try the beginner FAQ or our guide to sports supplement facts and questions.

Try a small exercise with any unfamiliar product description. Underline the words that name the product category, circle the words that describe measurements and mark any statement that predicts a result. The three groups reveal whether the text is explaining what something is, how much it contains or what someone says it can do.

Language changes across packaging, articles and social media, so a glossary is a starting point rather than a substitute for reading a complete source. Return to the definition when a familiar term seems to be used in a new way.