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.

go scan thru each of the protein.

is this true? so it's better to actually buy 100% whey protein with no other add-on while getting those Amino Acids in seperate package?

can u rate this?


This post has been edited by TheEvilMan: Jun 21 2014, 09:51 AM

Lol. The guide I gave. Use it.


Added glycine and taurine in there. You don't expect me to review every protein for you right?

This post has been edited by darklight79: Jun 21 2014, 02:48 PM

i did read thru, but from the nutri facts, they did state protein as the 1st ingredient as u recommended
however like u suggest if there's added amino acid component means the actual protein is lower but they didn't actually shown it, kind of confuse about this part.

all mass gainer and whey product have protein.
its just a matter of what protein.
the protein that we are expected to consume and to exist in such products is proteins that are equivalent to what we get from regular food. protein that contains essential amino acid (protein consisted of many amino acids btw) that arent being produced by our body, needed from outside source, and will be used for growth and repair.
taurine and glycine aka added protein are NOT ESSENTIAL (either being produced by body already or noninvolved in growth and repair).

now which is better:
15g Actual protein + 15g Nonactual protein
vs
30g Actual protein

then herbalife?

that's the actual purpose of this thread, ain't it?

Thanks, i think i kinda get it now, since i'm going to do a little shopping tmr for protein maybe i take a look and change to the suggested choices and see how things go

fixed

Good one! Consumers are getting smarter and smarter. Unfortunately there are still idiots who buy mass gainers. Lol.

I suggest that this topic should be pinned on the stickies. Important info for all.

Yes, for those who don't know, kaps is my friend and training partner. We've been discussing about this but the problem is once it becomes a sticky, people tend to "stop reading important articles like these". They'll just keep making new threads posting the same questions over and over again.

Here's another article if you want to read on protein spiking.

http://www.seannal.com/articles/supplement...cid-spiking.php

Just see the 3 he recommends.

http://www.seannal.com/articles/supplement...cid-spiking.php

I personally use Dymatize Elite Whey. Best value, high quality and cheap.

the left picture is from phase 8. almost bought it just now. looks yummy. but better i look the internet first for a good protein.

What flavor taste best? Also is it okay to bancuh it with only a little bit of water? Cause last time I tried drinking protein shake it tasted very watery leh...

This post has been edited by sagethesausage: Jun 28 2014, 10:02 PM

Also is it better to drink protein before or after workout? (I'm guessing it doesnt really matter, does it?)

And how many spoons to put in one drink and how many times do you drink protein one day?

And drink daily or only on workout days (or maybe rest days?)

read the sticky. its a great detail, but just a detail. if your nutrition whole day sucks, it doesnt matter.

read the sticky. depends on or lean body weight. and your protein intake from food.

same as above. read the sticky.

Thank you. Lol.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=162804421

Leucine. Isoleucine, valine, glutamine and Airginine are NOT CHEAP. I would say the majority of cheap amino usually used is Glycine and Taurine.

Just look at Muscletech's Mass gainer and protein. You'll see the openly list Glycine above 1000mg. Glycine is naturally occurring amino acid but should not go above 500mg.

Taurine and Creatine totally has no business in protein and weight gainers with protein.

Beware of so call Post Workout Protein with Creatine or Mass Gainer with Creatine.

Simply look at the Ingredient list.

This post has been edited by muscle_zyme: Jul 9 2014, 03:37 PM

Unfortunately too many young impressionable trainees still get fooled by the hype of supplement advertizing.

I think this thread should be stick-ied . would help new comers , provided that they read the stickies...

It doesn't matter. Whey protein is a food.

creatine is bad? are u sure, most mass gainer n whey has creatine what

He meant creatine is unnecessary in whey protein/mass gainer,creatine is not 'bad' itself

hi guys, thanks for good info


suggestion, snap your protein label and put it here, then we see which one is added with bad stuff and which one is not,

or maybe can skip the part and just list what is good,

Damn right. The extra shit they put in there does not justify the cost.

You can try Secret Weapon - Protein, Optimum 100% Gold STandard Whey

Glutamine/Taurine and Creatine are NOT BAD. It's just that they have their own place in supplements. More like stand alone.

Taurine is extremely important to avoid muscle cramps. You need around 2000mg per serving before any sporting event or rigorous [physical activity like hiking and mount climbing. Those who use Clenbuterol hcl use Tauring to avoid cramps. Taurine should be in any post-workot drinks.

Creatine is best taken by it self, not into any blend or formula. Use creatine with CREAPURE logo on it. Creatine will only work if your body is in fasting state like - upon waking up and after a workout.

Glutamine is great if you want to prevent or cure your gastric. Yes it meant for gastric patients. All research on Glutamine done are for gastric related to physical and mental stress. However real world results has proven that it helps maintain muscle and improve definition - if taken 60,000mg a day/60g (10g x 6 times). Not 5g a day that supplement companies recommends and want you to believe.


Using creatine in Mass Gainer is one way to reduce protein raw material cost and spike protein so it can pass the lab test. Remember Gainer formula is 80%Maltodextrin and 20% Protein. The 20% protein is just one way to window dress their product. In actual there is very less actual protein used.

Any good protein should has at least 64% protein content to 74%. There is no such thing as 100% protein because the protein grade is 80%, 20% is others such as moisture, ash, lactose, and etc. Highest protein in 30g serving powder should be 23g max. More than that you should beware.

Also, when buying gainer, make sure these ingredients are not there - creatine, taurine, glutamine, sunflower oils, corn syrup, glucose polymers, non-dairy creamers.

A good gainer should only contain these ingredients:

Maltodextrin (not glucose polymers, no oats or waxy maize shit)
Protein Blend or any single protein.
Cocoa (for choc only), other flavours contains colourings and food dye known as FD&C
Flavour
Soy lecithin as emulsifier
Sweetener (Acesulfame, Sucralose or stevia).
silicone dioxide or anti-caking agent (optional)
ADDed vitamins known as Premix does not take much space in each serving size.

Hope this helps.

Thanksssss extremely helpful! Muacks

this is a picture of the whey protein label, any comment situ?

i spotted in the ingredient whey protein is not the first , its soy protein isolate,

This post has been edited by blackmachine: Jul 16 2014, 09:21 AM


Attached thumbnail(s)

What is the name if the product? If it says Protein or Soy then whey is not or not necessaryly be the ingredient. If it has whey stated on the label but did not appear on Ingredient panel then avoid it.

Based on the ingredients i would not use it. Soy isolate may benefit in some way but when comes to muscle building nothing beats wpc and micellar casein blend.

Second ingredient is ceamer compared to skim
milk. Ceamer are added so it gives that milky taste even there is no real dairy/protein source.

A true protein product need not to add creamer.

My bad. Saw wpc listed at bottom after all those thickeners.

bro, malaysian made 'Info Diet' whey Protein, RM70 per 1kg

i kena tipu edi,


and what is your comment on his statement



This post has been edited by blackmachine: Jul 16 2014, 12:08 PM


Attached thumbnail(s)

Why would you not want oats in your gainer? I'd rather have oats and quinoa as my carb source in a gainer rather than maltodextrin, waxy maize, dextrose, etc.

What science have you been reading?

I don't have to justify to you my science background. It's your body.

Oats need to be soaked overnight for it to be efficiently broken down by stomach. That is how we take it.

Well based on the name of the product WHEY PROTEIN and Ingredient listed, sure it is cheating customers. It did not clearly show LEGIT US FDA/EU Supplement Facts and Ingredient list. They even have an article on benefit of WHEY PROTEIN, not Soy isolate.

If a product says WHEY PROTEIN then it should contain ONLY WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE OR ISOLATE. Not soy and not skim milk. RM75 for a product that contains Soy Isolate, creamer, and gums, it's a scam, and bloody expensive.

Call the person/website who sold you that product and tell them you want to return it back. Their website clearly stated WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE.

another reply from the seller




Attached thumbnail(s)

Good reading, very informative. I've learnt a few tricks here

Ask them why a product named 'whey protein' does not has whey protein concentrate as the first and major ingredient?

Why soy isolate was not listed on website as one of the ingredient?

There is no ingredients list on website. This ingredients list is important for a customer to make an informed choice.

You bought their product because it says Whey Protein on their website and product label.

They even try to compare it with optimum whey.
At least ON Whey has whey only.

Thank you. This is very helpful.

yup, it is.
i still have 3 unopened tubes which expires end of this year.

it's not the fault of the seller.
it's the fault of the manufacturer.

it's up to the customer to decide which are the good/bad ones.

is it that hard to learn to read labels?

This post has been edited by janson_kaniaz: Aug 3 2014, 10:19 PM

I suggest you read all the posts before this. someone has answered that. there is a reason why certain aminos are used to spike the protein content and certain are not.

People just love being spoonfed. It's started to piss me off.

Hi DarkLight,so there are none mass gainer on the market that is not guilty of amino spiking?

so even if bber wish to bulk up, is better to use whey protein instead of mass gainers?

Synzo,

There's still hope. Buy any Protein supplement and Pure Maltodextrin separately. Depending on your calorie needs, simply add maltodextrin in your protein shake.

Works for me all the time.

... great read and thanks for the great info ...

Wanted to buy Dymatize Elite Whey in lelong but sold out T_T

I guess mine is good stuff then....

but I saw 2g of glycine out of 100g of protein. Not sure why it's not listed in some other labels.

You don't need maltodextrin. It's overrated. Molecular weight doesn't count for anything. Carbs are carbs.

whaaaatttt ?????!!! Mentally Implodes. Time to replace all carbs in daily macros with ONLY Sodas, Candies, Chocolates and Sugar shots.

They are indeed still the same but amount wise per serving is d different lol

Micronutrients.

LOL. You guys misread my reply by a mile.

I've stumbled upon some feedback on taurine and glycine from MucleTech rep.

Question: "why does phase8 have taurine and glycine listed in the ingredients. Are you guys using this as a cheap filler ingredient?"


"Taurine is the second most abundant free amino acid in muscle after glutamine. While we can make taurine through natural biological pathways, this process is not very active in humans, and dietary supplementation can therefore help. Although not directly incorporated into muscle proteins, taurine can have several important properties including helping with cell-volumization, which research suggests is linked to the promotion of anabolic activity. Research even suggests that taurine may have a role in supporting exercise performance.

Glycine is the simplest of amino acids and is considered non-essential because humans can produce it naturally. Nonetheless, glycine is important for protein synthesis, especially in proteins such as collagen, a major stress-bearing component of connective tissues including ligaments and tendons. Glycine is also important in the natural synthesis of creatine. You can enjoy your Phase8 and know that its designed to keep you in a prolonged anabolic/anti-catabolic state. "

Phase 8 is shit. Period.

Mine is isobolic from nutrabolics..no taurine but got l-glicine..ok or not? It's stated 31g per serving, protein 25g, carbo 3g n fat 1.5g..

He didn't even answer your question. The dude basically regurgitated facts

Glycine and Taurine have their uses and benefits.
But the problem we're facing here is that some companies add it to their protein count.

ON whey ok with me ...but dymatize doesnt taste as good as it used to ...i guess massaltek isnt on the list yea ...lol

its been a long while since i was in here... thanks for the good post DL... really informative.

how about this one? i think this is the best that i found
26.4x4/107 = 98% protein per serving
or am I wrong?

88g protein/100g powder = 88%
2.1g carb/100g powder = 2.1%
0.4g fat/100g powder = 0.4%

Remainder are flavouring and others.
And yes, there are no added amino acids as shown by the ingredient label. That label shows the protein as two types of whey isolates.

FINALLY. A post about this issue that covers EVERYTHING. Everyone deserves to know this. Cheers

Ugh can someone please kindly reply me or pm me about the whey protein that I'm taking. Currently I'm taking PHP ISOGROW. I see taurine n glycine in the label each 200mg added.. So it's a shit product? Please help

U get what the price u pay and the brand that no one knows. Period

If Taurine/Glycine/Creatine/Glutamine is added into a Protein product or Weight Gainer containing protein than it is best to avoid the product.

From there it's obviously already

Thanks guys. I will stick to using dymatize ISO:100. It is awarded as the best 100% hydrolized whey for the year 2013 on bodybuilding.com

This is a great thread
I recently bought ultimate nutrition prostar whey, seem like a good product and it is quite cheap. One scoop is 30g where 25g is protein(6g bcaa), main one ingredient is wpi, and has more serving than other competitor.
Just wonder why this product is not famous.

Thanks DL. It's really helpful for us here.