Sports Research vs Viva Naturals Fish Oil (2026): Which to Buy
By Erin Rose Updated October 8, 2026 Methodology
Buy Viva Naturals Triple Strength. It costs $0.30 per 1,000 mg of EPA+DHA at list price, against $0.35 for Sports Research, and a two-softgel serving gives 2,070 mg, a full dose. Both are on IFOS, a testing list that posts a lab report for each lot. Pick Sports Research if you want a smaller, cheaper bottle.
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Viva is also our top fish oil overall. See how it ranks against the rest in the best fish oil.
Price: Viva costs less per gram of omega-3
At each brand’s list price (September 29, 2026), Viva is $55.99 for 180 softgels, or 90 servings of 2,070 mg EPA+DHA: $0.30 per 1,000 mg. Sports Research is $29.79 for 90 softgels of 950 mg: $0.35 per 1,000 mg. On Amazon the order is the same. IFOS lists Sports Research at 1,000 mg a softgel, more than its label; even at that figure, Viva is about 9% cheaper per gram. The Viva bottle costs more only because it holds twice as many softgels.
| Product | List price | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Viva Naturals Triple Strength | $0.30 | $0.30 |
| Sports Research Triple Strength | $0.35 | $0.36 |
Testing: both are on IFOS, lot by lot
- What IFOS checks. IFOS, run by the testing firm Nutrasource, tests each lot a brand enrolls for the EPA and DHA amount against the label, freshness and contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins and heavy metals. It posts every report.
- Viva Naturals: 105 lot reports on October 8, 2026 (listing VIVN0008). Look up your lot.
- Sports Research: 144 lot reports on October 8, 2026 (listing SPRT0048). Look up your lot.
Testing does not separate these two. Price and dose do.
What the testing list shows
Viva Naturals on IFOS
Sports Research on IFOS
How we checked this
We searched each program’s own list for both products on September 29, 2026 and re-read both IFOS listings on October 8, 2026, counting the lots in each one’s report picker. The lists: NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, Informed Choice, NSF/ANSI 173, USP Verified. Our score also counts FDA recalls: neither brand had one in the last 24 months (openFDA).
Per serving: two softgels against one
Each softgel in both bottles holds 1,250 mg of fish oil. Viva’s oil is more concentrated, so one Viva softgel gives about 1,035 mg of EPA+DHA against 950 mg for Sports Research, and costs less on Amazon ($0.31 against $0.34). Viva’s label serving is two softgels, 2,070 mg, which reaches the 2,000 mg many studies used in one serving.
| Per serving | Viva Naturals | Sports Research |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 2 softgels | 1 softgel |
| Fish oil per softgel | 1,250 mg | 1,250 mg |
| EPA | 1,500 mg | 690 mg |
| DHA | 570 mg | 260 mg |
| EPA + DHA per serving | 2,070 mg | 950 mg |
| EPA + DHA per softgel | 1,035 mg | 950 mg |
| Form | Re-esterified triglyceride (rTG) | Triglyceride (TG) |
| Testing list | IFOS, 105 lot reports | IFOS, 144 lot reports |
| Bottle we price | 180 softgels, $55.99 | 90 softgels, $29.79 |
| Per softgel, Amazon | $0.31 | $0.34 |
| Per 1,000 mg EPA+DHA, list price | $0.30 | $0.35 |
| Our score | 10.0/10 | 10.0/10 |
Who should buy which
- You want the most omega-3 for your moneyViva Naturals
$0.30 per 1,000 mg at list price, against $0.35.
- Your doctor said about 2,000 mg of EPA+DHA a dayViva Naturals
Two softgels give 2,070 mg. With Sports Research it takes two softgels for 1,900 mg.
- You want a smaller bottle that costs less up frontSports Research
$29.79 for 90 softgels at list price. Viva’s 180 cost $55.99, but last twice as long.
- You already eat fish once or twice a weekMaybe neither
The American Heart Association advises 1 to 2 seafood meals a week (Rimm 2018). Fish oil adds most if you rarely eat fish. How much to take: omega-3 dosage guide.
More: best fish oil, third-party tested fish oil, Nordic Naturals vs Sports Research and triglyceride vs ethyl ester.
Questions
Is Viva Naturals fish oil third party tested?
Yes. IFOS lists Viva Naturals Triple Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil (listing VIVN0008) and posts a lab report for each lot it tested: 105 lots on October 8, 2026. IFOS checks the EPA and DHA amount against the label, freshness and contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins and heavy metals. It is on none of the other lists we search (NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, Informed Choice, NSF/ANSI 173, USP Verified).
Is Sports Research omega-3 IFOS certified?
Yes. IFOS lists Sports Research Omega-3 Fish Oil Triple Strength 1250mg (listing SPRT0048) with 144 lot reports on October 8, 2026. Match the lot number on your bottle to the list.
Which has more omega-3 per softgel?
Viva. Each softgel in both bottles holds 1,250 mg of fish oil, but Viva’s oil is more concentrated: about 1,035 mg of EPA+DHA a softgel against 950 mg for Sports Research. Viva’s label says to take two, for 2,070 mg.
Is rTG better than TG?
Both are triglyceride forms, the form omega-3 takes in fish. rTG is fish oil that was concentrated and then turned back into triglyceride. Neither is the cheaper ethyl ester form, so the form is not a reason to pick one over the other here.
Why does the Viva bottle cost more?
It holds twice as many softgels: 180 against 90. Per softgel on Amazon, Viva is $0.31 and Sports Research $0.34. Per 1,000 mg of EPA+DHA at list price, Viva is $0.30 and Sports Research $0.35.
How much omega-3 should I take a day?
Studies of fish oil used about 500 to 4,000 mg of EPA+DHA a day. Two Viva softgels give 2,070 mg; one Sports Research softgel gives 950 mg. Talk to your doctor before taking more than about 3,000 mg a day or if you take a blood thinner. Our omega-3 dosage guide covers the numbers.
Sources
- Testing: IFOS listings VIVN0008, Viva Naturals Triple Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil and SPRT0048, Sports Research Omega-3 Fish Oil Triple Strength 1250mg (read October 8, 2026); searches of NSF Certified for Sport, NSF/ANSI 173, Informed Sport, Informed Choice and USP Verified for both, September 29, 2026.
- Labels and prices: Viva Naturals Supplement Facts (Amazon listing B014LDT0ZM) and vivanaturals.com; Sports Research Supplement Facts (Amazon listing B07DX89ZHN) and sportsresearch.com.
- Recalls: openFDA food enforcement reports for Viva Naturals and Sports Research, read September 29, 2026.
- Rimm EB, et al. Seafood long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: a science advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018. PubMed 29773586