IO Genix Glycine - Pure Glycine Amino Acid Powder

What is IO Genix Glycine?

IO Genix Glycine is a pure L-glycine powder. Half a level scoop provides 3 g of glycine, and the manufacturer sets the daily intake at 6 g split into two servings. There is nothing else in the tub: no flavouring, no sweetener, no bulking agent.

One point needs clearing up first, because it causes constant confusion in search engines: the glycine we are talking about here has nothing to do with the climbing plant of the same name. It is an amino acid, the smallest and simplest of the twenty that make up the body's proteins. It is described as non-essential because the body can produce it itself, from serine.

Glycine is particularly abundant in one specific tissue: collagen is roughly one third glycine, which makes it the most heavily represented amino acid in skin, tendons and cartilage. In dietary terms, it is found mainly in the cuts that are rich in connective tissue — skin, bones, cartilage — which is precisely what modern eating habits have stopped including. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix aisle, and the full category in our L-glycine aisle.

What does a serving of Glycine contain?

100% glycine is literally all this tub contains, and that is the strongest argument for this format. On an aisle where fifteen-ingredient formulas are the norm, a product whose ingredient list runs to three words lets you know exactly what you are swallowing and adjust the dose to the gram.

Two features of the product are worth knowing before you buy. The first: the glycine is obtained by plant fermentation, which makes this powder suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets — an exception on an aisle largely dominated by gelatine. The second: it is declared gluten-free by the manufacturer, although traces from the production facility remain possible.

One regulatory point needs to be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for glycine. Not for sleep, not for recovery, not for skin, not for joints. It is an amino acid abundantly present in collagen — that is a fact of biochemistry, not a promise — and the European Union has approved no dossier for oral supplementation. We describe the molecule, its place in the body and how to use it, without announcing any result.

Data missing from the manufacturer's file: the net weight of the tub, and therefore the number of servings, are not disclosed. We will not infer them. The net content is shown on the packaging you receive.

Ingredients list

Pure L-glycine (100%). Produced by plant fermentation. No additives, no colourings, no preservatives.

May contain traces of GLUTEN (wheat and oats), NUTS, PEANUTS, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA.

How do you take Glycine?

Dose: 3 g, or roughly half a 5 ml spoon. Liquid: 200 to 250 ml of water, fruit juice or plant-based drink. Timing: in the morning on waking, and 30 minutes before bed. Frequency: two servings a day, 6 g in total. Duration: daily use is possible with no time limit, provided the doses are respected.

The most useful quirk of this powder is its taste: glycine is naturally sweet. That is not a turn of phrase — its name comes from the Greek glykys, meaning sweet. In practice, it dissolves into a coffee, a tea or a herbal infusion and sweetens them slightly, without adding sugar in the nutritional sense. It is a simple way of fitting both daily servings in without thinking about them.

It dissolves very well in water, with no lumps, which is not true of every powdered amino acid. It also goes into a smoothie, a protein shake or a yoghurt without any difficulty.

The evening serving, thirty minutes before bed, is the one the manufacturer recommends. It is the easier of the two to keep up over time for a practical reason: it is a fixed point in the day, unlike waking up, which varies.

Do not exceed 6 g per day. This product can be taken continuously, with no imposed cycle or break, which sets it apart from most references on this aisle. It combines without overlap with magnesium, collagen or taurine, and it often turns up in the same baskets as melatonin.

Who is glycine for, and who is it not for?

It is of interest first of all to those whose diet contains little connective tissue — which today means more or less everyone, since consumption of bone broth, skin and cartilage has fallen away very sharply. It also suits those looking for a simple, unflavoured active ingredient to slot into an already busy routine.

Its composition makes it one of the few products in the range suitable for vegans, since it is obtained by plant fermentation and there is no capsule or animal-derived shell involved. That is a genuine argument on an aisle where the question comes up with every product.

One contraindication deserves particular attention, and it is an unusual one. The manufacturer states that this product should not be used by anyone under treatment for mental health disorders, specifying that it could reduce the effectiveness of that treatment. This is not a generic form of words: it targets a specific situation, and if it applies to you, the question goes to your doctor or pharmacist before any purchase — never after.

The product is also not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women and must be kept out of the reach of children. It may contain traces of gluten, nuts, peanuts, eggs, milk, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: this is not a sleeping pill, not an anxiolytic and not a performance product. You will not feel anything spectacular, and an amino acid that produced a clear effect within the hour would in fact be cause for concern. Nor is it a protein: 6 g a day replaces no shake, and a single isolated amino acid does not build muscle.

Glycine or collagen — which should you choose?

The question is more relevant than it looks, since glycine accounts for roughly one third of collagen.

Powdered collagen provides peptides, that is, protein fragments containing glycine but also proline and hydroxyproline. It is taken at much higher doses, typically 10 g a day, and costs considerably more per gram. Like glycine, it has no health claim authorised in Europe for this use. Its marine and bovine versions are not suitable for vegans.

Glycine on its own is the simplest option, the cheapest, and the only one compatible with a vegan diet. You get one specific amino acid, at a known dose, without the other components of collagen. It is the right choice if that particular molecule is what interests you, and if you want to set your own intake.

For end-of-day routines, this aisle offers other approaches unrelated to this one: magnesium, which does have authorised claims and contributes in particular to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, or ZMA formulas. These follow different logics, and it is better to try one at a time.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same thing as the wisteria plant?

No, no connection at all. The climbing plant called glycine in French is an ornamental plant, and some of its parts are toxic. The product sold here is an amino acid, L-glycine, one of the twenty building blocks of the body's proteins. The confusion comes purely from the shared name.

How much per day?

6 g in total, in two 3 g servings: one in the morning, one thirty minutes before bed. A 3 g dose corresponds to roughly half a 5 ml spoon. Do not exceed the daily dose stated by the manufacturer.

Does glycine have a taste?

Yes, and that is its strong point: it is naturally sweet, its name coming from the Greek for “sweet”. It can therefore be used to lightly sweeten a coffee, a tea or a herbal infusion, without adding sugar in the nutritional sense or any notable calories.

Is it suitable for vegans?

Yes. The glycine here is obtained by plant fermentation, the powder involves no animal-derived shell, and the manufacturer declares it suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. That is a welcome exception in a range largely dominated by gelatine.

Can it be taken continuously?

The manufacturer says so: daily use is possible with no time limit, provided the recommended doses are respected. It is one of the few products on this aisle that imposes no cycle, no break and no fixed course.

Does it interact with any medication?

The manufacturer explicitly asks that this product not be used by anyone under treatment for mental health disorders, stating that it could reduce the effectiveness of that treatment. If this applies to you, the question is one for your doctor. For any other medication, seeking the opinion of a healthcare professional remains the right course.

Can it be mixed with a protein?

Yes, easily and with no known interaction. It dissolves well and its slightly sweet taste goes unnoticed in a flavoured shake. Bear in mind, though, that 3 g of glycine does not add meaningfully to your protein intake: these are two different uses.

Where can you buy IO Genix Glycine?

The powder can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we often sell to vegan customers who came in looking for collagen and left with something else: when a dietary constraint closes one door, you may as well open another rather than sell at any cost. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.