How we review
MoveWell reviews recovery tools, supplements, sleep products and peptides by looking at the evidence first and the product second. This page explains how we choose what to recommend, how we grade research, where our numbers come from, and what we don't do.
The short version
- Every guide states its criteria before it lists any picks. Picks are ranked against those criteria, never by commission.
- We grade the research behind each claim and link the sources, so you can check our work.
- We don't run a testing lab. Unless a page says a person used the product, our verdicts come from published research, regulatory records and independent measurements, and the page says where each number came from.
- Some links pay us a commission. That is never a criterion.
How picks are chosen
Each buying guide opens with the criteria it uses, such as evidence for the outcome you care about, safety record and regulatory status, how complete and honest the specs are, price, warranty and availability. We apply the same criteria to every product in the category. A product that meets them is listed whether or not it has an affiliate program, and a product that pays well but falls short is not.
When the research says a whole category does little for a given goal, we say that first, even on a page that lists products.
Where our evidence comes from
For questions about whether something works, we start at the top of this list and work down:
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- Randomized controlled trials in people
- Smaller or non-randomized human studies
- Animal and lab studies
- Manufacturer claims and user reports, which we report as claims, not findings
For questions about what is legal or cleared, we use primary records: FDA drug labels and reviews, FDA device clearances, FDA and HHS announcements and warning letters, and trial registries. Brand marketing is never the source for a health claim. If we can't confirm something, we say it is unverified.
How we grade evidence
Our evidence guides use one of two scales. Both measure how much good evidence exists, not whether the result was good news.
Letter grades (recovery tools and topic guides)
Each grade rates the evidence that a tool helps one specific outcome, such as soreness or next-session performance. It is not a product rating.
- A: consistent randomized trials or meta-analyses showing a meaningful effect.
- B: supported by meta-analyses or randomized trials, but the effects are small or varied, or the trials are small.
- C: few or mixed trials, or very low-certainty evidence.
- D: no good evidence of benefit. Nobody has tested it in people, the evidence is lab or anecdote only, or trials found no meaningful effect.
- X: a signal that it works against you or causes harm for that outcome.
- –: not a relevant question for that tool.
Status badges and the 1–5 evidence meter (peptide guides)
Each peptide guide carries two separate labels. The status badge says what the law allows today, based on FDA and HHS documents and drug labels: FDA-approved, Approved for a different use, Compounded gray zone, Research chemical or Cosmetic. The evidence meter rates the research behind each claimed use:
- 5: FDA-approved for that use.
- 4: strong human evidence from large randomized trials.
- 3: limited human evidence from small or non-randomized studies.
- 2: animal or lab studies only.
- 1: anecdotal: user reports, no study.
Peptide guides explain the evidence and the legal status. They don't give dosing advice, and nothing on MoveWell is medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting any drug or peptide.
Specs: claimed vs independently measured
Most product specs come from the manufacturer. Our comparison tables mark those figures as (claimed). Where an independent party has measured something, such as the light output of a red light panel, we label it as measured and cite the source. When the two disagree, we show both.
Prices
Prices change often. Guides that list prices say when we checked them (for example, "Price checked November 2, 2026"), and we re-check them whenever we update the page. The seller's current price is the one that counts.
Affiliate links
Some links, usually ones that start with /go/, are affiliate or referral links. If you buy through one, the seller may pay us a commission at no extra cost to you. Commission is not one of our criteria, no brand can pay for a listing, a better position or a better grade, and we never link to peptide sellers that label their products "research use only". Pages with affiliate links say so near the top. The details are on How MoveWell makes money.
Updates and dates
A page shows an "Updated" date only when we made a substantive change: new research, a changed grade or pick, a regulatory change, or a correction that affects the advice. Fixing a typo or a broken link doesn't change the date. Some guides also show a "Last verified" date, which is when we last re-checked their sources. See our editorial policy for how corrections work.
Who does the work
Reviews and buying guides are written by Joel Runyon, MoveWell's founder. Peptide guides are written by the MoveWell Research Team. MoveWell doesn't have a medical reviewer yet. When a clinician reviews a page, that page will name them and say what they reviewed.