Is it safe to take sports nutrition powders with added trace minerals?

What's actually in it

Gym and athletic supplements often add trace minerals like zinc, magnesium, chromium, and selenium to claim performance benefits. The raw mineral inputs aren't purified the same way pharmaceutical ingredients are, so they carry along whatever came with them from the source ore or plant. That includes heavy metals: lead, cadmium, arsenic, nickel.

At single-serving doses, the extras seem trivial. People who take these powders usually take a scoop or two every day for years.

What the research says

A 2026 study in J Trace Elem Med Biol tested sports nutritional supplements for trace and heavy elements and found contamination in a large portion of products. Cadmium, arsenic, and lead showed up at levels that, with daily use, pushed users over tolerable weekly intakes. The contamination wasn't correlated with price: cheap products and premium brands were both affected.

For most people lifting weights a few times a week, a balanced diet covers the trace minerals involved. If a supplement is really needed, look for NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport labels (both programs include heavy metal testing). Clean Label Project certification is another signal. Getting the same nutrients from oysters, pumpkin seeds, and leafy greens skips the heavy metal lottery entirely.