TrainedByJP Iron - High Bioavailability Iron Bisglycinate

What is TrainedByJP Iron?

TrainedByJP Iron is an iron supplement in vegetable capsules, sold in a bottle of 60 units. The mineral is provided as iron bisglycinate — the iron is chelated to two molecules of glycine, an amino acid. It is the best-tolerated form from a digestive point of view, and on a mineral as notorious for its side effects as iron, that is not a matter of comfort alone: it is often what decides whether a course is seen through or abandoned after ten days.

The formula is minimalist: iron bisglycinate, a hypromellose capsule shell, anti-caking agents. Nothing else. The manufacturer declares it free from gluten, lactose, soya, artificial colours and preservatives, and suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. The brand's full range is in the TrainedByJP aisle.

One word straight away, because it shapes this whole page: iron is not a supplement you take “just in case”. It is the only common mineral in this aisle where an excess is genuinely a problem, and the first thing to do is not to open this bottle but to ask for a ferritin test.

What is in one capsule?

The bottle contains 60 capsules: two months at one capsule a day, one month at two.

The line that counts is the second one. 112 mg of bisglycinate amounts to only 20 mg of elemental iron, the rest of the weight being the glycine the mineral is bound to. That is the rule for every chelated form, and it is the first source of error when comparing two bottles: always compare milligrams of elemental iron, never milligrams of salt.

Those 20 mg cover 143% of the nutrient reference value, set at 14 mg. That is a corrective dose, not a maintenance one — designed to rebuild low stores, not to top up an already adequate diet. In someone whose ferritin is normal, this dose brings nothing and the surplus iron has no active route out: the body stores it.

Iron is, on the other hand, a mineral with solidly established claims. We can write, using the exact wordings of the European regulation, that iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, to normal oxygen transport in the body, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the normal function of the immune system and to normal cognitive function. It is these mechanisms that explain why an iron deficiency shows up first as breathlessness and fatigue on exertion.

How do you take TrainedByJP Iron?

Dose: 1 to 2 capsules a day. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: whenever suits you — with meals or away from them, since bisglycinate does not irritate the stomach the way ferrous salts do. Frequency: 1 intake, or 2 split between morning and evening if you take two capsules. Duration: 8 to 12 weeks at the very least to rebuild ferritin stores, with a blood test every 2 to 3 months.

Freedom over timing is the real advantage of bisglycinate. A standard iron sulphate has to be taken on an empty stomach to be absorbed, which causes precisely the nausea and cramps that make people give up on a course. Here, you can take it with a meal if that suits you better.

Two rules on combinations, however, apply to every form of iron. Avoid taking it at the same time as tea, coffee, dairy products, calcium or zinc: tannins and these minerals reduce iron absorption, sometimes considerably. Leave two hours between them. Conversely, vitamin C improves the absorption of non-haem iron: a glass of citrus juice or a few berries at the time you take it are a useful and free habit.

As for duration, do not think in days. Rebuilding ferritin stores takes weeks, and fatigue linked to a deficiency is not corrected in three doses. The manufacturer speaks of 8 to 12 weeks minimum: that is realistic. And have another test done — it is the only way to know whether the course is doing anything and when to stop it.

Who is this iron for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults whose iron status is low, which mainly concerns four profiles: women with heavy periods, people following a vegetarian or vegan diet, high-volume endurance athletes, and anyone whose blood test has shown low ferritin. It suits vegetarian and vegan diets, the capsule being made of hypromellose.

It is not advised in cases of haemochromatosis, a genetic iron overload disorder, or in cases of thalassaemia or another disorder of iron metabolism. These contraindications are not theoretical: in someone affected, iron supplementation makes matters worse. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a healthcare professional before use.

Keep this bottle out of reach of children, and not merely as a matter of principle. Accidental ingestion of iron tablets is one of the most serious paediatric poisonings, and a handful of capsules is enough in a young child. It is the most important warning on this page.

What you should not expect from it. This is not a product for general tiredness. Iron only reduces fatigue when that fatigue is caused by an iron deficiency — otherwise you are supplementing with no benefit and you are accumulating. Nor is it a performance product: in an athlete whose ferritin is normal, adding 20 mg of iron a day improves nothing. Do not start prolonged supplementation without a blood test — ferritin and serum iron — and discuss it with your doctor. It is the most useful advice we can give on this product, even if it delays the sale.

A dedicated iron or a multivitamin?

The question is worth asking, but it does not arise in the same way depending on who you are — and that is what most product pages forget to say.

If you are an adult man with no medical condition, the answer is simple: neither one nor the other. Most multivitamins aimed at men deliberately contain no iron, precisely because a man with no regular blood loss almost never runs short and accumulates the surplus. That is not an oversight by the manufacturers, it is a considered formulation choice, and it applies to you too.

If you are a menstruating woman, a vegan or an endurance athlete, the comparison becomes a real one. A multivitamin containing iron generally provides 7 to 14 mg, that is a maintenance dose: it is the right choice if your ferritin is normal and you simply want to secure your intake alongside the vitamins. Dedicated iron at 20 mg is the right choice in the opposite case — a documented deficiency to correct, over a two- to three-month course, with a blood test to confirm it. You also gain in clarity: a single line to keep an eye on, and no zinc or calcium in the same capsule competing for absorption. When in doubt, it is the blood test that settles it, not the product page.

Frequently asked questions

Should you have a blood test before taking it?

Yes, and it is the most important recommendation on this page. A ferritin and serum iron test tells you whether you are genuinely short of iron. Supplementing without a deficiency brings no benefit and exposes you to accumulation, since the body has no active mechanism for removing the excess. The manufacturer recommends this test before any prolonged supplementation.

Why does 112 mg of bisglycinate amount to only 20 mg of iron?

Because chelation adds the weight of the two glycine molecules the iron is bound to. Only elemental iron counts. That is the figure to compare from one label to another: a bottle stating “112 mg of iron bisglycinate” is not stating 112 mg of iron, and a great many buyers are caught out by it.

Does bisglycinate cause digestive trouble like other forms of iron?

Far less. Chelation to glycine limits the gastric irritation and constipation associated with standard ferrous salts, and allows it to be taken with meals. It is not an absolute guarantee — some discomfort remains possible — but it is the most tangible difference between the two forms, and often the one that makes a three-month course possible.

Can it be taken with coffee or tea?

No, or rather not at the same time. The tannins in tea and coffee markedly reduce iron absorption. Leave at least two hours between them. The same applies to dairy products, calcium and zinc. Conversely, some vitamin C at the time you take it improves it.

One or two capsules a day?

The manufacturer leaves the choice between 1 and 2, that is 20 or 40 mg of elemental iron. Start with one: that is already 143% of the reference value. Two capsules are for an established deficiency and should be decided with a doctor, splitting them between morning and evening rather than taking them in one go.

How long does a bottle of 60 capsules last?

Two months at one capsule a day, one month at two. Since the minimum recommended course is 8 to 12 weeks, count on one to two bottles for a full course at the single dose. Store it cool and dry, away from light — and out of reach of children.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is made of hypromellose, a plant cellulose, and the formula contains no ingredient of animal origin. That is consistent with the profile of the users concerned: iron of plant origin, known as non-haem iron, is less well absorbed than iron from meat, which makes vegan diets one of the cases where the question of iron genuinely arises — just as the question of plant proteins does.

Where can you buy TrainedByJP Iron?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe.

If there is one product in the aisle for which we would sometimes rather send you to your doctor than take your money, this is it. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the question asked at the counter is always the same: have you had your ferritin measured? When the answer is no, the right course of action starts with a blood test, not with a bottle. The rest of the minerals and vitamins can be compared in our sports nutrition selection.