Original article by Daniel H from Sports Nutrition

Amino spiking!? How can I be sure my whey protein is quality??


Okay firstly I want to say something which is probably a little bit contradictory to the point of this whole discussion - but generally protein shakes don't differ a lot from each other. It all comes down to clever marketing.

Men's is marketed at gaining lean muscle, and has big muscular men on the advertising. Women's is marketed as 'slim' etc, and has petite and thin women in the advertising. Basically the product is exactly the same, men's just comes in larger packaging and with larger serving sizes. Yeah some contain blends of soy or pea proteins etc etc, but mostly are all milk based, and contain whey or casein protein.

ALRIGHT!! Here comes the tricky part.... Dan’s science lesson about protein. Tips and lessons to know what to avoid, and which proteins are quality. I hate it how companies label protein. Commonly the first ingredient will be some kind of protein matrix, which is bracketed, and combines all the different types of protein and aminos. Now this gives the impression as it is the first listed ingredient that it will be abundant in BCAA. However, sometimes this can be as littled as a couple of hundred mg!! Taurine is a common added 'amino'. Taurine is similar to an amino acid, but it slightly differs as it is not used for protein synthesis. One of the few known naturally occurring sulfonic acids; in the strict sense, it is not an amino acid, as it lacks a carboxyl group the molecule does not have the amino acid structure. Taurine is often referred to as a “nonessential” amino acid, or more generously as a “conditionally essential” amino acid.

Taurine is a derivative of cysteine and is DID YOU READ THAT!?! IS NOT USED FOR PROTEIN SYNTHESIS. SO WHY IS IT IN MY PROTEIN??

AMINO SPIKING. Heard of it?? Probably not. It’s when companies add cheap amino acids to their protein formulas because substances such as glycine and taurine cost manufacturers half as much as a pure whey product would, saving them money. So these tricky guys in the marketing department will say thngs like for "time release" or "enhanced amino profile" to justify their bullshit protein ‘blend’. I’ve seen products that contain around 10 grams of protein from whey, and then all this glycine/taurine/ alanine /creatine/amino matrix bullshit to bring it up to 23 grams or so of ‘proteins’. Have you ever read an article about the awesome performance enhancing qualities of glycine? Or its properties as a muscle-builder of fat-burner? Nope. That’s because it’s not even an essential amino acid. OUR BODY PRODUCES IT NATURALLY!!

So why would we want to supplement it?? Or even dilute our precious whey?? Because it’s cheap and it makes the product look like it’s 23 grams (or whatever) of whey protein when it’s really 18 grams plus five grams of a worthless amino.

Protein synthesis – essential amino acid levels

If a diet is inadequate in any essential amino acid, protein synthesis cannot proceed beyond the rate at which that amino acid is available. This is called a limiting amino acid. A good interpretation of a limiting amino acid is thinking of a barrel of liquid. The amino acids are the individual pieces of plank making up the barrel. If one plank (amino acid) is shorter than the others (limiting), the barrel can only be filled to the level of the shortest plank. This shortage of one of the essential amino acids will reduce growth rate and performance. On the other hand, when a diet is balanced for the most limiting amino acid – for example another protein source is added, other amino acids are usually in excess of one’s requirements.

Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) is a method of evaluating the protein quality based on both the amino acid requirements of humans and their ability to digest it. The PDCAAS rating was adopted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) in 1993 as "the preferred 'best'" method to determine protein quality. Whey protein is one of four foods (egg white, soy protein & casein) with a PDCAA of 1.

This means the body can readily use the whole protein source. When the profile of the amino acids is changed, the PDCAAS value of the protein is reduced, therefore less amino acids are absorbed and readily used by the body. If the natural EAA profile of whey is changed, i.e. cheap aminos added, then more of the shake must be consumed to receive optimum EAA levels. This questions the logic of supplementing BCAA such as Leucine with a Whey shake to make it ‘more anabolic’. Adding leucine to a whey protein drink doesn't stimulate any additional muscle protein synthesis, according to research on whey: "Our results indicate that the whey protein plus leucine in healthy young volunteers results in an anabolic response in muscle that is not greater than the previously reported response to whey protein alone."

Determining protein content: Nitrogen content & combined amino acids weight

There is no official Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) method for amino acid determination in foods. A standardized method with support for collaborative research and scientific consensus are needed in order to bring this about For many years, the protein content of foods has been determined on the basis of total nitrogen content (determined by Kjeldahl or Dumas method) multiplied by a specific factor. This method has been around for over 100 years. Nitrogen content is then multiplied by a factor to arrive at protein content. This approach is based on two assumptions: that dietary carbohydrates and fats do not contain nitrogen, and that nearly all of the nitrogen in the diet is present as amino acids in proteins. Although more expensive, it is considered more accurate to base protein content of foods on amino acid data. A study on the nutrient composition of beef analysed the full amino-acid profile of fifteen retail cuts from three age groups and six fat codes, as well as determined total nitrogen content to determine proximate protein composition. On average, the sum of amino acids per cut amounted to 91% of total determined protein for the same cut. The amount of protein in a food is calculated through the sum of individual amino acid residues (the molecular weight of each amino acid less the molecular weight of water) plus free amino acids. In this method, food composition tables should reflect protein by sum of amino acids. Because proteins are made up of chains of amino acids joined by peptide bonds, they can be hydrolysed to their component amino acids, which can then be measured by ion-exchange, gas-liquid or high-performance liquid chromatography.

The sum of the amino acids then represents the protein content (by weight) of the food. This is sometimes referred to as a “true protein” or “complete protein”. When a manufacturer submits their protein product to most analytical chemistry labs around the country, the labs determine the total nitrogen content to calculate the protein content. However, they're unable to differentiate the nitrogen found in protein from the nitrogen found in non-protein sources! Not only do these aminos and nitrogen-containing compounds (like creatine) show up as “protein”, they register as 110% & 143% protein! This means for every gram of glycine, it registers as 1.1 grams of protein... If you have read this far, I hope you are still with me!! okay, I have attached two images, one has a good protein profile, basically protein, plus carbs, plus fat = serving sizes. Contains no amino blends, or added singular amino acids. The second profile, carbs plus fat plus protein still leaves a bunch of grams leftover. FILLERS!! also when you look at the ingredients list, it contains an amino blend, and has added taurine/glycine.. BAD!!

So basically if you want a good protein, read the label. You want around 30 serve [not 40!] to have around 23-27 grams of protein [depending on concentrate or isolate] with 2-4 grams carbs and fat combined.

Check the ingredients to check there's no cheeky taurine or glycine in there

So if you guys see any ADDED TAURINE OR GLYCINE which are NON ESSENTIAL amino acids, chances are your whey protein only has 10 grams of protein compared to 22-24 grams of protein as claimed.
This is how they cheat you with amino spiking so that your scoop of powder has only half the amount stated in the label.
I won't name supplement brands to avoid being sued but I'm sure this article will teach you how to shop smart from now on.

So... just to clarify because some of you fellas are just plain lazy and like skipping to the bottom part or ask for cliff notes.

If the label shows glycine and taurine as naturally occurring amino acids, it's fine.

But if the list of ingredients show that they add glycine and taurine in there, then you know it's about extra 5-8 grams of useless protein. So when you head to your fav supplement store, time to reread labels properly.

Shows that SAA (Silk Amino Acids) supplements are kind of a scam too. Lol.

I have a few brands that I know are spiking the protein content with aminos. Not sure the sellers in malaysia are matured enough to accept that certain brands of proteins are "not good enough".

Also creatine spikes up protein content.

Heh... better they find out now than later. Most brands rely on advertizing and hype, but people are starting to do more research. Science has evolved.

Just like creatine. They claim other types of creatine can saturate muscles more than 100% which regular creatine monohydrate does. Load of crock cos if something is already saturated 100%, how the fuq can you saturate it further? Lol.

Whoa i'm kind realized tho and i think i know what are those brands. Syntha 6 got one.

Here it is:

Syntha-6™ Ingredient Highlights:
Multi-Functional Ultra-Premium Protein Matrix.
MCTs, EFAs, Glutamine Peptides, and Fiber.
Naturally Occurring BCAAs and other Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids.
Zero Milligrams of Aspartame.

Does that mean this is whey protein is one of that 10g of protein?

This post has been edited by degraw1993: Jun 19 2014, 07:28 PM

Heh... the figures I gave are as estimate. I gave the guide how to spot. I'm not gonna name specific brands. I don't want to get sued. Use the guide, do the research, come to your own deduction bro. It should be easy.

Sucha a great post!

You guys should really consider
100% IsoBlend is one of the purest whey isolate in market with 0 sugars, 0 fats, 0 lactose, 0 gluten, 0 aspartame, and 0 artificial colors. Simply 25 grams of sustained-release protein, 90% protein ratio, 22 g Amino acids, 4.5 g BCAA, 4 g Glutamine, Digestive enzymes and much more! its even purer than ISO-100 and not to forget the awesome taste and ingredient!

kudos to u for bringing this up. i've known this issue for some time now but not quite sure about the maturity of sellers/readers here. some prefer to be ignorant, and stick with the "protein is protein" claim, but i always stick with a few solid brands, just to be sure.

hmm not sure about the policy here but in bb.com forum, company reps are being bashed for not being clear in the ingredient list, so don't think they worry about legal issue there as long as u have the facts/studies right.

Great write-up!
Do you have a link to the original article? Im sure atleast some people would like to read it.

I'd also like to add this website.
Although be sure to take everything with a grain of salt and do your own research!

https://labdoor.com/rankings/protein

thanks for the informative read
there is a tub sitting in my cupboard has exactly the same label as the bad protein
learnt a lesson

Lol, not a problem fellas. This is information everyone has to know.

For us who are not competing at an elite level, is it worth the extra money compared to good ol' WPC/WPI, or might I even suggest soy protein (SAN metaforce)?

thx for the info, learned something new today.

bolded statement is still true.
whether its raw eggs, boiled eggs, whey, boiled whey, fish meat, chicken meat, soy protein, the protein in them is still good protein and will be digested into its constituent amino acids later in the gut. they still have the essential amino acid and thats our only concern.

what this article inferring to is those sneaky company who deploy sneaky strategy like replacing half of the full-profiled protein with cheap, shitty protein but still advertise as if they had a whole lot the full-profiled proteins.
its like construction company skimping on cements and stuff as long as the building LOOKS okay without considering the actual structural integrity.

This post has been edited by xelrix: Jun 19 2014, 09:30 PM

Good read ! Thanks DL

You're welcome.

Can someone name some protein which has whey protein instead of protein blend as its first ingredient?

Edit: Preferably ones that are relatively "tasty", thanks

This post has been edited by todak: Jun 20 2014, 11:35 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whey_protein

by product of cheese.. Hmmm.