The Hidden Threats in Men’s Performance Supplements

Behind the promises of better performance and confidence, some men’s supplements are hiding prescription drugs that may put customers’ health at risk.

February is the Valentine’s month, which will unleash the accompanying marketing toolkit you’ll no doubt see played out across almost every product type. This includes men’s performance supplements, which are among the supplement categories forecast to grow over the coming years. Despite these projections, they’ve also become one of the most exposed to risk if you’re a consumer. Back in 2024, the FDA issued multiple consumer warnings after testing a men’s performance supplement that had undisclosed prescription drugs, which included sildenafil and tadalafil, the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis. They’re usually marketed for performance, energy, and sex drive, but many of these products also claim to be all-natural. For brands, distributors, and retailers, this isn’t just a safety issue. Instead, it’s about compliance, reputation, and potential liability. While this happened some time ago, it started a trend that isn’t likely to go away anytime soon.

The Problem Didn’t End In 2024

Those warnings in 2024 were not a one-off clean-up exercise designed as a scare tactic. Less than 2 months ago, the FDA issued yet another alert after finding that a counterfeit men’s performance supplement contained tadalafil, again without being declared on the label. This time around, the product had been deliberately misrepresented as a legit brand, using authentic-looking packaging and information. The case highlights how undeclared prescription drugs aren’t just a formulation problem but might be added intentionally. If you’re a brand, retailer, or partner, this confirms that even years after initial recalls and warnings, hidden pharmaceuticals are still finding a pathway into unwitting consumers' hands. It’s the type of persistence that is unlikely to go unnoticed by the FDA. While it has seemed to turn men’s performance supplements into a growth opportunity, it also creates serious compliance red flags.

Warning Letters Are Becoming A Baseline

The scale of the problem becomes clearer when you zoom out beyond the individual alerts. According to reports by the SupplySide Supplement Journal, the FDA issued 108 consumer notices over the past 2 years for sexual enhancement products tainted with undeclared drugs. By late 2024 alone, the FDA had released 18 notices in 2 months. Again, most were spiked with sildenafil or tadalafil, despite being labelled as “herbal” or “all-natural.” This might be a positive for the industry because it shows that enforcement is becoming sustained. These notices are far from random. They’re part of a long-running pattern of the FDA fulfilling its role to protect consumers and brands. It’s the type of consistency that changes the risk profile because when warnings become routine, the absence of defensible proof is no longer a grey area.

Protect Your Brand

What makes BSCG’s Certified Drug Free program so unique and valuable in light of the above is the sheer scope. Every lot of a BSCG Certified Drug Free supplement is screened against more than 450 drugs, including 400+ on the WADA Prohibited List and 50+ prescription, over-the-counter, or illicit compounds. That’s the world’s broadest testing menu when compared to other leading competitors. This certification is paired with an initial GMP quality-control audit and verification of product specifications and quality. BSCG offers the maximum assurance possible to athletes, trainers, and military professionals who are subject to strict drug testing. That is why the program is globally recognized not only by the UFC but also by the NFL, the U.S. Department of Defense Operation Supplement Safety, and many others.

The Cost of Getting This Wrong

You can bet that men’s performance supplements will continue to get plenty of attention, demand, and regulatory scrutiny as a result. For brands operating in this space, the risks are no longer hypothetical, as the FDA is seeking to shut down anyone not doing the right thing. Good intentions and clean marketing claims are not protective if something goes wrong or the FDA looks under the hood of a product. Third-party certification turns uncertainty into evidence, and BSCG is recognized by some of the biggest players in this space, like Amazon. We are a third-party certification and testing provider for dietary supplements, helping eligible products move through Amazon’s dietary supplement compliance process more efficiently. As enforcement becomes routine and the expectations in the online retail space rise, brands with products everyone can trust will be better positioned to achieve long-term growth in a category where the margin for error continues to shrink.