NSF Certified for Sport Supplements

What separates the picks on this NSF Certified for Sport supplements page?

All three members carry the NSF Certified for Sport badge, so the split comes down to dose, format and price. Klean Athlete Klean-D scores 8.8 at $17.50 and delivers 5,000 IU (125 mcg) vitamin D3 in a single tablet, made by Douglas Laboratories. Thorne Multi-Vitamin Elite (A.M./P.M.) scores 8.3 at $82.00 and splits its formula into two daily capsules. Garden of Life SPORT Certified Grass Fed Whey Protein scores 8.2 at $41.99 and packs 24g grass-fed whey isolate, 6g BCAAs, 4g glutamine/glutamic acid and 2 billion CFU of B. lactis per serving.

Scoring weights third-party verification at 35, formulation at 25, label clarity at 20 and value at 20. That is why a $17.50 single-ingredient tablet can sit above an $82.00 multivitamin: the certification is confirmed on the brand page, the dose is printed plainly, and the price is low.

What should you check before buying?

Start with the certification source. Klean-D's badge is confirmed on the Klean Athlete brand page. Thorne's is confirmed on Thorne's own product page. Garden of Life's is listed on NSF's official certified-products directory at nsfsport.com, because the brand site blocked automated access.

Then match the dose to your total intake. Klean-D's 5,000 IU is well above the 2,000 IU Nature Made option in this ranking, so add up everything you already take. If you want one pill, the A.M./P.M. system is more to keep track of. If you avoid dairy, the whey isolate is out.

• Price check: Klean-D's $17.50 comes from an authorized reseller, so confirm the live Amazon price. Thorne's $82.00 is from thorne.com and the Amazon price may differ.
• Format: one tablet, two capsules, or a protein serving.
• Diet: whey-based protein is not suitable for a vegan diet.

Klean Athlete Klean-D

For the shopper who wants a single high-dose vitamin D3 tablet at $17.50 and will check total daily intake first.

Thorne Multi-Vitamin Elite (A.M./P.M.)

For someone who wants a two-formula A.M./P.M. multivitamin from an established brand and will pay $82.00 for it.

Garden of Life SPORT Certified Grass Fed Whey Protein

For the athlete who wants 24g grass-fed whey isolate with 6g BCAAs, 4g glutamine/glutamic acid and 2 billion CFU of B. lactis per serving at $41.99, and does not need a vegan option.

Klean Athlete Klean-D suits the shopper who wants one 5,000 IU vitamin D3 tablet at $17.50 and will check total intake. Thorne Multi-Vitamin Elite (A.M./P.M.) suits anyone who wants a two-formula multivitamin and will pay $82.00. Garden of Life SPORT Certified Grass Fed Whey Protein suits the athlete after 24g grass-fed whey isolate per serving at $41.99.